Throne of Atlantis Review: Meet the Real Aquaman

Know that one thing is for certain, you don’t come between a man and his lobster, especially when he’s trying to have a conversation with it. In other words messing with the dwellers of the ocean is a big mistake. But, “Justice League: Throne of Atlantis” is more than just a fish story.

Orn, Black Manta, Mera and the bastard king, it is King Arthur under the sea – It’s grand in scope as Arthur Curry is both savior to Atlantis and foil to his half-brother’s (Orn) plan to enact war on the surface. So full of hate and jealousy, Orn destroys everything in his path just to claim the throne. Through it all the origin of Aquaman unfolds and he’s more than just a guy who talks to crustaceans under the sea.

Throughout the action sequences, fight scenes and hand-chewing, there is also strong dialogue and a good story with budding sub-plots. There’s the relationship between Wonder Woman and Superman. Then there’s the moments of dialogue. A touching instant between Black Manta and Aquaman is rudely interrupted by a wink to the Samuel L. Jackson film “Deep Blue Sea.” The witty banter between Green Lantern and The Flash is classic fare, but it’s the moments where Batman is in the scene that will make you sit up and take notice. When a wave is about to hit Metropolis, Batman’s reaction to Shazam’s pointed question of how to stop it is “We can’t. People are going to die.” Another instance is when in the middle of a climactic battle Green Lantern begs Batman not to turn this into a teaching moment. However, Batman knows that information trumps all and the only way to defeat Orn is to use something other than their super-powered dukes.

Meanwhile there are several Easter eggs throughout the film. John Henry is called by name and wields a familiar mallet, at a construction site, in defense of his friend when the Atlanteans attack. We learn that Superman is not impervious to magic and there is an ominous appearance made by Lex Luthor. One thing about the DC animations is that the ending of one storyline connects to a main plot-point in the next one.

What’s more there are several extras on this dvd that have replay value. A preview of “Batman vs Robin” (that will be premiering later in 2015) continues from the ending of “Son of Batman.” It asks the question: how do you raise a son who spent his formative years with the League of Assassins? With the voices of Weird Al and Jeremy Sisto “Batman vs Robin” is shaping up to be an intense animated film that delves into the father/son relationship.

Then there is the “Nightwing and Robin” battle short narrated by James Tucker. It shows a 45-second segment that introduces the main storyline in “Batman vs Robin.” It also showcases the acrobatic style of Nightwing alongside the killer instinct that has been fostered in Robin. In his narration Tucker has hope that this vignette will rejuvenate the short. Also, be on the lookout for the featurette of Aquaman’s villains (Black Manta and Oceanmaster) that explains their motivations and the significance of the costumes they wear.

Lastly, there are two episodes of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” featuring Aquaman. These campy episodes juxtaposed with the film shows the main reason why “Throne of Atlantis” needed to be made.

Overall this film based on the graphic novel makes it believable why Aquaman stands among Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash. For anyone who never thought Arthur Curry got his due, this is the movie to own.