SHORT TAKE

The superhero movie of the beach season is aptly Aquaman, an origin story about tattooed human torpedo Arthur Curry, introduced in last year’s dull Justice League movie.

His solo outing is much more fun, until, that is, a brain-numbingly overwrought final half hour. But, unlike its underwhelming DC Comics movie predecessors, visually, Aquaman is quite the eye-popper as it tours various Atlantean kingdoms where underwater-breathing bipeds coexist with marine life, warriors ride great whites and technology has leapt ahead of anything on the surface.

There is fun, too, in Jason Momoa’s dry-witted lead dude. His mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), having been queen, he vies reluctantly for the Atlantis throne hoping to stop a war between the forces of his half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), and the surface dwellers who dump crap into the sea. Orm’s no ecowarrior, he wants to be the supreme “Ocean Master”.

So, yes, it’s a 20,000 leagues Thor, kind of, with an Indiana Jones-ish quest assisted by the Little Mermaid … no, sorry, that’s Princess Mera (Amber Heard). Willem Dafoe also appears, playing someone who is part Obi-Wan, part Moray eel.

Temuera Morrison is Arthur’s father, a lighthouse keeper who knew Atlanna was the girl for him after he found her washed up on the foreshore and she ate his goldfish. He’s fun, too, especially with a quip referencing Once Were Warriors. Less entertaining, though, is villain Black Manta, who feels more like seeding for a sequel. Still, by himself, Aquaman makes a decent splash. IN CINEMAS NOW Russell Baillie