Directed by: Ethan Spaulding
Starring: Christopher Gorham, Matt Lanter, Sumalee Montano, Jerry O’Connell, Jason O’Mara, Sam Witwer, Rosario Dawson, Nathan Fillion
A little over three years ago, DC’s New 52 premiered. Whatever we may think of the often mediocre storylines and ugly costume redesigns that came from the New 52, it’s hard to deny the fact that DC has gotten more than its fair share of marketing out of the stories, as well as the chance to create a clean slate for their characters.
Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis, the latest WB Animated release, is the product of the spirit of the New 52, Combining the origin of Aquaman with the origin of the Justice League in one action-packed and dramatic storyline, this cartoon allows DC to build their characters in ways that seem satisfying for longtime DC readers and seem logical for civilians who might pick up this disk at their local Target.
It’s the story mainly of Arthur Curry, a devilishly handsome twentysomething who only has vague ideas of his background. He has a human dad but never really met his mom – except for one day when he encountered a mysterious and beautiful woman who bore a strange resemblance to him and lived in the oceans. Of course we all know that woman was the Queen of Atlantis, and that the story would lead Arthur to finding his birthright, but the story takes some entertaining twists and turns that sometimes resemble the court intrigues of Shakespearean dramas.
Yeah, OK, Geoff Johns (on whose Justice League plot this story is based) is no Shakespeare, but the vicious, self-obsessed Orm has his Shakespearean elements, particularly a dramatic scene of matricide that is predictable but still manages to be shocking in its impact (yeah I could have added a SPOILER there but you probably guessed that plot twist just reading this summary).
There to help Arthur win back his throne is his new friends in the Justice League – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Cyborg and Shazam (he’s no longer called Captain Marvel) – but Arthur’s real friend is the vicious, powerful and brilliant Mera, who steals many of the scenes she’s in with her regal beauty and her noble heart. It was a real pleasure to have a main hero with as much complexity as this character: strong, smart and with a warrior’s mentality, she’s the equal of the men with whom she surrounds herself.
The Justice Leaguers all have their own moments in this cartoon: there’s a cute sequence the follows a date between Wonder Woman and Superman (they both wear glasses, and they run into Lois Lane in a restaurant); we watch Batman and Green Lantern clash as they team up to stop an attack on Gotham by the Scarecrow; there’s some business with family and romance with Cyborg. I missed Kevin Conroy as the Bat, but Nathan Fillion is fun as Green Lantern.
The animation is fine in that typical sort of new DC animation style. The scenes in Atlantis are a bit underwhelming – a city so hyped should have had a grander feel than it does, and many of the new costumes are ugly (Wonder Woman’s new costume is horribly generic) but that’s not the filmmakers’ fault. Mera looked especially good; with an aquiline nose and regal bearing, she looks like a future queen.
Throne of Atlantis isn’t a must-own, but it is very enjoyable.
The Blu-ray comes with a typical set of extras:
- A one-minute short subject featuring Nightwing and Robin, kind of useless
- Film of a NYCC panel featuring the cast of the film, also kind of useless
- A short feature about Aquaman’s key villains, interesting and entertaining
- Two Batman: the Brave and the Bold cartoons featuring the swaggering bearded Aquaman (hilarious) and an episode of Justice League Unlimited featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes
- A feature on the film’s soundtrack, left me all dry
This review originally appeared at Comics Bulletin.