At a glance

"Aquaman." Directed by James Wan.

MPAA rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language

Running time: 2:23

Now showing at the Columbus 10 at Westpointe, Crosswoods, Dublin Village 18, Easton 30, Gateway, Georgesville Square, Grove City 14, Lennox 24, Movies 11 Mill Run, Movies 12 Carriage Place, Movies 16 Gahanna, Pickerington, Polaris, River Valley and Strand theaters What’s most impressive is just how committed the actors are to the completely silly affair, clad in shimmering wetsuits, astride giant seahorses and hammerhead sharks. As King Orm, Wilson bellows about his plan to become the “Ocean Master” with a Shakespearean intonation that contrasts nicely with half-brother Arthur’s relaxed surfer-brah demeanor.

The plot is a globe-trotting, seafaring scavenger hunt to track down King Atlan’s trident so Arthur can challenge the war-mongering Orm’s claim to the throne of Atlantis.

It’s a zany journey, as Princess Mera (Heard) and Arthur travel to the various ancient Atlantean kingdoms by sea and land for clues. They stop off in the Sahara and in Sicily, while fighting off the stormtrooper-esque commandos sent to kill them by Orm as well as the vengeful, laser-eyed supervillain Black Manta (Yahya Abdulmateen II).

The film is one in which Mera will inexplicably play a flute and Arthur often loses his shirt for no reason. But why question it? Wan’s enthusiasm is infectious, his effort exhaustive. The Lovecraftian aesthetic is big, bold and intoxicating; the tone is pleasantly light; and the references are deep.

The film is an overstuffed 2 ½-hour behemoth, and, even though it skimps on character development and other elements, there’s enough to distract from that.

Wan and screenwriters David Leslie Johnsonmcgoldrick, Will Beall and Geoff Johns know that this movie is for kids and for those who want to feel like kids at the multiplex.

To that end, the visual extravaganza delivers.