How 'Aquaman' Could've Flourished as Two Movies

I am going to begin this by stating that I like Aquaman. I don't love it; rather, I think we should just be friends. #friendzoned.

I will say that it is one of the best movies the DC Extended Universe has produced, but that is like me telling a dwarf he is one of the tallest dwarves under the Lonely Mountain. It's a true statement, but not much of an accomplishment.

Now, I am sure you are wanting me to state my case, or you have choice words for me you will be posting in the comment section. Before I get into my grievances, I did want to clarify a few things:

1. SPOILERS! I will be discussing plot points with NO restraint on spoilers. If you haven't watched Aquaman and don't want to have it spoiled, STOP HERE.
2. This is my opinion. You may disagree and that is fine, we all experience things differently. I respect that you like the movie, but please respect the fact that I see the faults I am listing below.
3. I am not out to make a slam-piece just to cause drama; as I said above, I do like Aquaman, but that does not change the fact that I see room for improvement in it.

With all of that out of the way, let's get into my gripes.

'Aquaman'

Aquaman, my version, would start with the backstory sequence, and the title card would come after the aquarium scene. The submarine sequence would play out the same and end with Aquaman rescuing the surviving crew and leaving Black Manta and his father behind. I feel like this would make the most sense for the conflict of Aquaman's first movie.

In Justice League, we learned that Aquaman had been saving people from the ocean and had done it enough to end up on Batman's radar, but it seems that he is still relatively "new" to being a hero. This is further enforced in Aquaman when his father sees the news report while they're in the bar and is pleasantly surprised.

This would be the perfect reason why his decision to leave Black Manta's father stranded in a sinking submarine should've been the conflict to drive the plot. Aquaman is a new hero, unrefined, and his first major outing after the victory he helped secure in Justice League could see him being cocky enough to create his own enemy.

After the attack on the sub would have been the perfect time for us to learn his backstory, while Black Manta receives his tech from a mysterious source and begins to plot his revenge. He begins attacking ships to attract Aquaman's attention, and the two eventually cross paths again. Aquaman is injured in the conflict and must heal, which is when Mera and Vulko appear and inform him of his brother's plot.

They help him heal as Black Manta begins to cause some kind of world calamity, i.e. setting off nukes or dirty bombs in the Gulf Stream to irradiate the ocean. Aquaman, Mera, and Vulko confront Black Manta and thwart his plans.

During the post-credits scene, Mera and Vulko meet back up with Aquaman, who asks them to show him the way to Atlantis so he could "have words with his brother." Meanwhile, we see Ocean Master using surveillance of Black Manta attempting to detonate nukes in the oceans to rally the Atlanteans to war with the surface.

"Aquaman 2: Ocean Master"

We discussed Black Manta in more detail above, so let's shift from what I feel could've been the plot to Aquaman to what I think would've worked for Aquaman 2.

The post-credits scene of Aquaman would've revealed Ocean Master was behind the events of the movie and was setting up his conflict. In the pre-title sequence of Aquaman 2: Ocean Master, we see King Nereus being swayed to Ocean Master's side by the events of the first movie.

After the title card, we find Aquaman emerging from the water to meet with his father, who is waiting at the end of the dock for his mother. His father reflects on his wife and admits he still misses her. They are interrupted by Mera, who warns them that Ocean Master has made his first move against the surface. Aquaman asks how much time they have, to which Mera says it is too late, signaling to the coming wave.

Mera and Aquaman save his father from the wave and set out for Atlantis. The movie would progress similarly, but with the Brine and Fishermen rising against Ocean Master for sending the wave. The ensuing battle is interrupted by Aquaman and ends when he defeats Ocean Master.

This may seem like it runs a similar course to the first movie, which it does, minus the backstory of Aquaman and the scenes involving Black Manta. Like Sam Rami's Spider-Man, Aquaman is bloated with the obligatory backstory, which drags down the pace of the movie.

Ocean Master's war is more of a fast-paced plotline, but it cannot keep its pace due to the backstory of the character having to be present. With much of the origin having been explored in the Aquaman movie I described above and Black Manta not being present in this movie, Ocean Master would be really able to shine as the sole villain, and his war would've gotten the screen time it needed to flourish.