AQUAMAN
Humble heroes overcome arrogant kings in a colorful underwater adventure.
Should You Watch It?
AQUAMAN is a big, strange, remarkably entertaining superhero adventure. Its colorful visuals, bizarre creatures, strong moral themes, and Jason Momoa’s charismatic performance give the film an unusual amount of heart. It celebrates courage, sacrifice, humility, protecting others, and doing what’s right.
The movie also asks you to embrace extensive fantasy. Atlantis includes references to “the gods” and fantastical powers that can be understood as magical or technological. Some action violence is intense, several creatures are frightening, and the language is more substantial than the movie’s playful tone might suggest.
The film’s 143-minute running time could have been trimmed, and the final battle becomes difficult to follow. Still, if you and your older children enjoy imaginative superhero spectacle, AQUAMAN offers a redemptive adventure worth taking.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESArthur Curry is half human, half Atlantean—and the rightful heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. His half-brother Orm currently rules and wants to unite the underwater kingdoms against the surface world.
Arthur wants nothing to do with Atlantis, but the threat to everyone he loves forces him to act. With Mera, he begins a globetrotting quest for the ancient trident of Atlan, the first king of Atlantis. To claim his throne, Arthur must face dangerous creatures, determined enemies, and the question of what makes someone worthy to lead.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means AQUAMAN delivers a highly entertaining and impressively crafted superhero experience. The film is ambitious and creative, overflowing with colorful, vibrant visuals and wonderfully bizarre characters and creatures. Giant talking crabs and sea-horse-riding Atlanteans are only part of its imaginative spectacle.
Jason Momoa brings the character a needed lighthearted charisma. Director James Wan keeps the epic adventure moving almost perfectly despite its long running time. The visual effects remain surprisingly easy to follow until the final battle, and the movie balances fun action with unexpected emotional warmth.
The film could have been shorter, and its final battle becomes difficult to follow. But AQUAMAN’s energy, visual invention, and moral heart make it a strong four-star adventure.
The Worldview
AQUAMAN promotes courage, sacrifice, protecting others, fighting evil, love uniting the world, and doing what’s right. Arthur’s journey emphasizes humility rather than strength or power. The film also presents Christian allegory: Arthur is a king who must win over people who are not ready to accept him, and his journey reflects a redemptive tradition connected to the legendary Christian King Arthur of Britain.
The movie’s worldview is not exclusively biblical. Atlantis is a pagan society with references to “the gods,” while its fantastical powers can be understood as either magical or technological. The story explains the Atlanteans’ underwater abilities through scientific ambition that changed their DNA, including references to people “evolving” and “devolving.” Environmental concerns about oil spills, whaling, and pollution motivate the villains, though the environmental argument functions mainly as an excuse for one villain to gain power.
AQUAMAN also presents a king who learns that leadership is more than ruling: “A King fights for his nation. A hero fights for everyone.” That call to humble service reflects Scripture’s command to “in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview promotes courage, fighting evil, love uniting the world, and doing what’s right, with strong allegorical Christian content [read full review for further description], and Christian messages of meekness, sacrifice, fighting for everyone, and people seek sanctuary in a church briefly in one scene, with light pagan elements that include references to “the gods” and some fantastical powers that can be either magical or technological, and some environmentalist elements motivate the villains worldview
Foul Language
15 obscenities (including two “s” words, and a couple uses of “bastard,” but in the context of its actual definition), one light profanity and a reference to urinating
Violence
Strong sci-fi action violence, with soldiers shooting plasma beams, guns and other weapons resulting in casualties, multiple characters are stabbed with a sword, hero is sliced up with a sword multiple times and some blood is shown in this instance, an epic underwater battle takes place with giant sea creatures that eat many soldiers, one scene involves very scary sea-beasts that swarm the heroes, villains chase heroes through an Italian village resulting in lots of collateral damage, and a character is pinned underneath some rubble
Sex
Implied sex between unmarried couple and child out of wedlock in the background story, and light kissing
Nudity
Upper male nudity, and female character’s outfit reveals some cleavage
Alcohol Use
Drinking at a bar, and characters leave tipsy
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Main hero decides not to save a bad guy he could’ve saved, resulting in the creation of an arch-nemesis, and a character steals someone’s boat (but she legitimately thought it was free).
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Arthur learns that leadership requires humility, sacrifice, and protecting others. What makes someone worthy to lead?
Philippians 2:3–4 · Mark 10:43–45The film contrasts a ruler who seeks power with a hero who fights for everyone. How should Christians use authority and strength?
Micah 6:8 · 1 Peter 5:2–3AQUAMAN includes environmental concerns about pollution, oil spills, and whaling. What responsibility has God given people toward creation?
Genesis 1:28 · Psalm 24:1Arthur must overcome fear and accept a difficult calling. Where do you need courage to do what is right?
Joshua 1:9 · 2 Timothy 1:7The Final Word
AQUAMAN is imaginative, energetic, and morally engaging, with strong Christian allegory alongside light pagan and environmentalist elements. Its language, intense action, and frightening creatures call for parental discernment with younger children. For teenagers, adults, and families with older children, this is WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.
