Genre: Action/Superhero/Fantasy
Director: JC Chandor
Writer: John Malone
Based on Marvel Comics characters
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Logan Browning, Peter Weller, Samara Weaving, Ricky Whittle, Isaiah Washington, John Noble, Jay Ryan
Plot: A storm rages in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. A fishing ship out of Greenland pulls in its nets. A young man (Alden Ehrenreich), unconscious, is among the load of fish. Not sure what to do with their barely living catch, they direct their fishing vessel in the direction of the USS Gabe Jones, a US Navy amphibious command ship. Once they reach the ship, they are approached by Lt. Todd Arliss (Jay Ryan) on a small zodiac. He arms his rifle at the fishermen and asks why they are approaching a United States Navy ship. In broken English they try to explain, but Arliss can't decipher what they are trying to say, so the fishermen toss the man's body overboard and pilot their ship away from the area. Arliss dives into the water and brings the man's body aboard. As the storm calms, Arliss brings the man aboard the USS Gabe Jones.
The man wakes up in the ship's infirmary. Admiral Porter (Peter Weller) asks the man who he is and how he possibly could have survived being out in the cold waters, even for a few minutes. The man seems bewildered by his surroundings. He gets up and begins thrashing around the room. Porter remains calm and puts his hand on the man's shoulder and asks him his name. The man mumbles the name Namor. Porter asks Namor how he ended up out in the ocean, over 100 miles from the nearest shoreline. Namor tells Porter that he doesn't remember anything. Porter tells Namor that his body is probably in shock from the cold water and that his memory will most likely recover once he gets some rest.
The next morning, Namor wakes up and goes out onto the deck of the ship. He sees Carrie Alexander (Logan Browning) inspecting the water levels on a beluga whale tank. Namor looks into the eye of the whale and tells Carrie that the whale is hungry. Carrie is startled by Namor and asks him how he could know that. Namor says he just senses it somehow. Carrie grabs some fish from a nearby bucket and drops them in the tank. The beluga quickly eats it up. Carrie smiles at Namor. Carrie's father, Caleb Alexander (Isaiah Washington), interrupts their conversation to ask how the beluga is doing. Carrie says that they were just feeding it and all of the water levels are perfect. Caleb then tells his daughter that Porter informed him that they are close to the beluga breeding area. Carrie explains to Namor that beluga whales are endangered in the region, so they have obtained one from captivity and are hoping to release it so that it can find a mate and help add to the population.
As the Alexanders prepare to place the beluga whale in the sea, Lt. Arliss notices something other than whales on the ship's sonar display and calls Porter over to take a look. Porter isn't sure what it is, but it looks to be the size of some sort of submarine, but there shouldn't be anyone in these waters as they are a protected wildlife area. Caleb, who couldn't help but overhear their conversation, says that Carrie was going to go for a deep dive to observe the beluga whales and she could take a look for it.
After Caleb and Carrie place the beluga into the sea, Carrie suits up in a cutting-edge Newtsuit designed by Caleb for deep sea observations. Namor watches as Carrie jumps into the water and begins descending rapidly below the surface. She activates her suit's thrusters, but they aren't working. Her dives becomes uncontrollable. Arliss says she already too deep for support divers to help her and asks for Caleb's help prepping the ship's emergency rescue sub. Namor points out the extra Newtsuit and asks why nobody just uses that to reach her. Caleb explains that Carrie will be at crush depth by the time someone could reach in her. As Carrie plummets deeper, Namor decides to get into the other Newtsuit. Over the suit's radio, he tells Carrie that he's coming after her. Carrie realizes that she's approaching the suit's maximum depth already. Namor uses the suit's thrusters to speed up his descent toward Carrie's Newtsuit. He reaches her and grabs her suit by the arm, ending her uncontrollable freefall. Suddenly two giant squids emerge and grab hold of Carrie and Namor with their tentacles. Frightened, Carrie tells Namor to flood his suit or the pressure will cause it to implode. Carrie floods hers and the suit begins to fill with water. Namor doesn't know how to flood his suit, and his Newtsuit implodes. Namor screams as the suit begins crushing his body, but it doesn't kill him. The suit begins falling apart around Namor's body. While water fills more of her suit, Carrie watches helplessly as Namor struggles to hold his breath. Namor can't hold it anymore and opens his mouth, discovering that he can breath underwater as small gills have formed behind his ears.. The squid continues going deeper into the water while holding on to Carrie and Namor's broken suit, unaware that Namor has broken free.
The water level inside Carrie's suit reaches her eye level when she sees something: a large, Rome-like, underwater city... Atlantis. The squids accelerate away with Carrie and Namor's empty Newt suit in their grasp. They glide toward a monolithic black tower, lording over the center of Atlantis. They enter the tower where the light-blue-skinned (like other Atlanteans) Warlord Krang (Ricky Whittle) awaits them. He peers at Carrie as she fights for breath inside her suit. Krang places Carrie in an air pocket. Namor clings to the side of the tower, having followed the squids. Krang looks at Carrie in disgust and tells his underlings to take the disgusting land dweller away. As she is taken away, she spots an old military-grade submarine off in the distance.
Namor goes to the top of the tower where he finds Krang's cruiser, a large underwater craft. He spots Carrie hanging beneath the craft inside of a gelatinous egg case. The cruiser begins rising from the top of the tower. Namor tries swimming after it, but the cruiser is quickly leaving him behind. On pure instinct, Namor throws himself at the cruiser, shooting through the water like a torpedo. He enters Carrie's bubble, empties the water from her Newt suit and seals her inside of it. They exit the bubble, but Carrie's faceplate quickly cracks from the deep sea pressure. Namor takes her back up to the surface, but as he approaches his body begins to feel enormous pain. He sees the USS Gabe Jones above them and they are picked up by Caleb and Lt. Arliss. On the deck of the ship, Namor convulses in agony while Arliss and Porter watch on. Arliss claims he saw gills close on the man's neck, but Porter says that couldn't be true. Namor then passes out. Caleb tells Carrie how worried he was, but she tells him that she is okay and that Namor rescued her. She then checks their scanners, but cannot find any sign of any underwater city.
Namor wakes up in a hyperbaric chamber. He asks Arliss to let him out, but he refuses. Carrie waits for Arliss to leave, and then goes to see Namor. She asks what happened to them. He tells her he isn't sure, but that he could breathe underwater and could swim incredibly fast. Carrie tells him that she remembers the underwater city, an old submarine and a man with blue skin who called himself Krang, but when she checked the scanners she couldn't find the city. Namor tells Carrie that if she lets him out of the chamber, he will go back down there. She opens up the chamber and Namor makes a run for it through the ship. Arliss tries to tackle Namor, but Namor throws Arliss by his shirt collar and continues running. Arliss orders the men on board to arm themselves and open fire on Namor, who manages to leap overboard just in time. Porter demands the men stand down and orders Arliss to explain himself. Arliss says that Namor isn't human. Arliss pushes past Porter, knocking him to the ground. He then chases after Namor on a diver propulsion device. Arliss chases Namor too deep and the submersible's engine breaks away from the pressure, forcing him to go back up to the surface.
Namor continues his descent back down to Atlantis and is met by Lady Dorma (Samara Weaving). She is stunned to see him, and kisses him, saying that she thought he was dead. Namor tells her that while he was a fan of the kiss, he must confess that he has no memory of who she is. Dorma asks what happened to him. He explains that he woke up on a large ship at sea. Dorma is shocked that Namor encountered land dwellers.
Back at the black tower, Emperor Thakorr (John Noble) asks Krang why he was informed that Prince Namor was dead when he is clearly alive. Krang tells him that he didn't want to hurt him by telling him the truth: that Namor has been working with the land dwellers against Atlantis. Thakorr is hurt by this revelation, while Krang says that now is the time to go to war against the surface people and finally use the weapon they captured nearly 30 years earlier, referencing the submarine outside of the tower. Thakorr says that they don't even know if the weapons will work, but Krang insists that they force their prisoner to make sure it works. Thakorr accepts Krang's plan to use the weapon, but he insists that his grandson, Prince Namor, is not to be harmed - even if he is in league with the land dwellers. Krang bristled at Thakorr's insistence, but dutifully nods his head.
Namor is taken to his quarters by Dorma in hopes that it will bring his memories back to no avail. Namor asks Dorma about the submarine Carrie witnessed. Dorma tells him about how Thakorr captured the weapon many seasons ago when they learned that it was killing the fish around it. Namor asks about his family, and Dorma informs him that Thakorr is the only family he has left as his mother is dead and the identity of his father has always been kept a secret to Atlanteans. Namor is surprised that nobody knows who his father is, and Dorma whispers to him that some have suspected that Namor's father is not of Atlantis, but the only one who would know for sure is Thakorr.
Back on the USS Gabe Jones, Arliss takes Carrie to see Porter, who asks her about what she saw underwater. Arliss leaves the room and stands guard outside. She tells him of enormous biological activity, strange mechanical sounds, but leaves out the details of Atlantis. Porter reveals to Carrie that they took a blood sample from Namor - it isn't 100% human. Carrie asks what Porter is suggesting, but he tells her that her guess is as good as his. Carrie mentions seeing a US submarine, which Porter immediately suspects may be the USS Redmond, a US nuclear submarine that seemingly vanished over 25 years prior. Porter that if it is still indeed intact it should be just about out of power as its nuclear reactor was only designed to last around 25 years. Porter also reveals that the submarine was carrying two nuclear ballistic missiles that could be very deadly in the wrong hands. Caleb tries to enter the room to find Carrie, but Arliss stops him and threatens him with deadly force if he should try to force his way into the room.
Namor makes his way to the Tower and finds his way to the throne room where Thakorr and Krang are planning their attack. Thakorr asks Krang to leave the room. He then tells Namor that his daughter and Namor's mother, Fen, should have taken over the throne ages ago, but she was tragically killed. Namor asks him about the submarine, and Thakorr bristles at the subject, saying that if it weren't for that weapon of the land Fen would still be alive today. Namor presses the subject, but Thakorr refuses to talk about it further and asks to be left alone. Namor leaves the throne room. Krang watches as Namor makes his way through the Tower from an observation room. Deciding to see how much power Namor still has, Krang sends one of his squid guards to attack Namor. When the creature attacks, Namor creates a pressure wave, forming a shock of water that slams the creature into the wall, stunning it. When the squid comes to, it reaches for Namor with its tentacles. Namor rips off one of the beast's tentacles and begins beating the squid with it until the squid is no more. Krang takes note of Namor's raw strength and leaves the tower in anger.
Carrie notices Arliss and some Navy divers readying satchel charges of C-4. She asks Porter what the hell is going on. Porter claims they are just seismic explosives to let them take readings of the scattering layer to help them find the Redmond, but Caleb interrupts, saying everyone knows that is a load of you-know-what. Porter orders Arliss to lock the Alexanders in the brig until they have safely recovered the USS Redmond's payload. Carrie and Caleb are escorted deep into the ship and locked in the brig.
Atlantis begins to reverberate with thunderous noise and flashes of orange light. Dorma asks Thakorr what it is, and he tells her to find Krang. The c-4 satchel charges are sinking down upon the city and exploding, sending shockwaves through Atlantis. Namor races through the city as charges explode around him. On the sonar screens of the Gabe Jones, Porter observes in awe as the explosions reveal the skyline of Atlantis. He orders Arliss to set the charges off 1000 feet deeper. As Porter catches a glimpse of of Atlantis through the damaged scattering layer over a monitor, he gets on the radio to the United States European Command, requesting they send out the whole fleet to combat an unknown biological threat.
Thakorr asks Krang how they found the city, and Krang says that it only confirms that Namor betrayed them to the surface dwellers. Namor begins destroying the Navy submersibles dropping charges to keep them from causing further damage. Krang tells Thakorr that they need to unite the ocean to deal with the threat from above or there will be nothing left of Atlantis to defend. Namor makes tries to get inside of the USS Redmond, but he is suddenly grabbed by a gargantuan Kraken. The Kraken drags Namor to the surface of the ocean and hurtles him skyward. Namor flails helplessly through the air, when suddenly he is able to control his body in the air with the help of small wing-like appendages that grow from his ankles. He steadies himself and then hurtles his body toward the Kraken on the surface. Porter and Arliss look on upon the Kraken in complete disbelief. The Kraken spots the ship and the explosive-wielding submersibles around it. Namor delivers a flying haymaker at the Kraken's face, causing it to recoil. The Kraken's tentacles flail wildly with fury before wrapping around the USS Gabe Jones and tipping it over. Carrie and Caleb are thrown around in the brig, which then quickly begins filling with water along with the rest of the ship. Carrie manages to pick the lock to the brig door. She and her father begin making their way through the sideways, sinking ship. Caleb tells his daughter that they need to make their way to the deck and find a life raft before the entire ship ends up under water.
Namor becomes wrapped up by the tentacles of the Kraken, who begins squeezing the life out of him. Namor stares directly into the eyes of the great beast, and it suddenly lets him go and disappears beneath the surface of the ocean. Namor floats atop the sea, taking a moment to recover from the Kraken's attack when he notices that the overturned Gabe Jones. He swims to the ship, but doesn't see Carrie or Caleb anywhere. He enters the ship and begins making his way through the flooded corridors until he finally comes across the Alexanders. He tells them to follow him out, but they are confronted by Arliss at gunpoint. Namor stands in front of Carrie and Caleb. Arliss fires his gun at Namor, but the bullets ricochet off of his chest. Namor glares at Arliss and uses the power of hydrokinesis to lift the water from the floor around them and send it all blasting at Arliss, sending him flying into the wall and knocking him unconscious. Caleb is stunned and asks his daughter who this guy is, and Carrie tells her father that she's pretty sure Namor is from Atlantis. Namor guides Carrie and Caleb out of the ship and helps them into a life raft. He wishes them luck, then dives down to Atlantis at a hyper-sonic speed, making it to the ocean floor in mere seconds.
Namor begins rapidly swimming through Atlantis, trying to locate the Redmond, but it isn't near the black tower anymore. Dorma appears and informs Namor that Krang has told Thakorr that Namor is a traitor and now they are preparing the Atlantean forces for a great war against the surface dwellers. Namor asks her about the USS Redmond, and she reveals that Krang had it brought to the area near the Nautikon, a large spiral building where he is readying the soldiers of Atlantis for war. Namor asks for Dorma to take him there. For a moment she forgets that Namor has amnesia, but quickly agrees to guide him there. Along the way, Namor asks Dorma about his mother. She says that nobody really talks about her anymore, not even Namor, although in his defense, she was killed when he was just a child. Namor asks her if she knows how she died. Dorma pauses for a moment, then tells Namor that it's probably best that he has forgotten. He presses her, and she informs him that his mother Princess Fen was executed for giving birth to a half-human child. Namor is confused, but Dorma points out that Namor doesn't have the blue-tinted skin like the rest of the Atlanteans. Namor is absolutely stunned by this revelation. Dorma tells him that Namor's biology isn't a well-known secret, in fact, she only knows because she overheard her father speaking about it with Thakorr long ago. Namor asks how he knows he can trust Dorma. She sheds a tear, which joins the salty ocean waters, and tells him that they are in love. He racks his brain, but cannot find the feelings for Dorma that she speaks of. Disappointed, Dorma continues leading Namor toward the Nautikon. They pass the ruins of the Temple of Neptune, a large, dilapidated monument in the visage of the God of the Seas.
Namor and Dorma eventually come upon the Nautikon, where Krang is rallying thousands of Atlanteans warriors for battle outside. They sneak to the USS Redmond and dispatch the guards. Dorma creates an air bubble around the submarine, allowing Namor to enter the vessel. Once inside, Namor sees a bearded man inside: the submarine's captain, Leonard McKenzie (Tom Hanks). Namor is surprised to see someone inside the submarine. Leonard begins crying, giving Namor a great, big hug. He tells Namor that he never thought he would get to see him again, at least not since Fen was killed. Namor falls into the arms of his father as flashes of his past memories begin to come back. Namor calls Leonard "father" and hugs him back. Leonard recounts for his son how the Redmond was captured by Atlantean forces long ago. Krang and his father Attuma executed his entire crew, but has insisted on keeping him alive all these years in case the emperor ever wanted to use the weapons onboard the Redmond against humanity. He then recounts how Fen would sneak to the Redmond to bring him food and teach him about her culture. With tears in his eyes, Leonard tells Namor was the most beautiful woman he had ever met - blue-skin be damned. Eventually they fell in love over the course of her secret visits and she gave birth to Namor. Once it was discovered that Namor was half-human, Attuma tried to stage a coup on the throne and Fen was executed in the process. Namor tells his father that Krang has his sights on using the Redmond's weapons and doesn't want that to happen. Leonard informs Namor that Emperor Thakorr has the ignition key to the missiles. Namor gives his father one more hug, and tells him that he needs to stop Krang's plan.
Admiral Porter and Lt. Arliss are aboard a life raft when they see a series of Navy ships off in the distance making their way toward them. Carrie and Caleb see the same ships. Caleb expresses relief at the possibility of rescue, but Carrie then reminds her father that Arliss would have probably killed them if Namor hadn't saved them.
When Namor leaves the Redmond, Krang and a league of Atlantean soldiers are waiting for him. Krang has a sword held to Dorma's throat. Krang holds out the Redmond's missile ignition key, and tells Namor that he can't stop him now that he has the keys to the weapons of destruction. Krang is informed that the battleships of man are approaching. Krang then orders his soldiers to attack Namor. While Namor fights off Krang's army, Krang enters the Redmond and forces Leonard to aim the sub's weaponry at the approaching ships on the surface. Leonard refuses and tries to fight Krang off, hitting him with a telescope. Krang laughs at Leonard's human effort, and effortlessly throws him against the wall. Krang turns the key and fires the missiles anyway. Namor sees the missiles fire from the Redmond. The two missiles spiral out of control through Atlantis. Namor rapidly swims after them, catching them. With one nuclear ballistic missile under each arm, swims down to the deepest parts of the Arctic Ocean, the Litke Deep. Just as Namor is starting to lose his hold on the volatile weapons, he shouts "IMPERIUS REX!" and hurls them at the ocean floor below him, creating a massive underwater explosion. Carrie and Caleb watch as a mushroom cloud of water rises out of the ocean far off on the horizon.
Krang, angered, goes to see Thakorr and tells him that the weapons may not have destroyed the humans on the surface it at least killed Namor once and for all. Krang demands that Thakorr cede the throne of Atlantis to him, but Thakorr refuses saying that a barbarian like Krang is not fit to rule a kingdom. Krang thrusts his sword through Thakorr's chest, killing the emperor. Dorma breaks free from her captors and goes to Thakorr's side as he dies. Just as Krang prepares to sit upon the throne of Atlantis, Namor emerges. He blasts a stream of bubbles from his lungs, which burns Krang's face away. Namor and Krang then exchange a barrage of blows as they fight through the palace. Krang manages to grab Namor and throw him through the palace walls. Namor hurtles through the waters, and crashes into the Temple of Neptune. Krang laughs when he sees the pile of rubble that Namor is now buried under. Namor breaks out from the destruction of the temple, holding Neptune trident. Namor furiously charges Krang. He grabs the warlord by the throat and impales him on Neptune's trident while the Atlantean army looks on. Namor looks out at the forces preparing to continue battling, but suddenly they all take a knee.
Namor goes back inside the Redmond to check on his father. He is relieved that Leonard is okay, albeit beaten up. Dorma enters the submarine and pledges her allegiance to Namor as the new Emperor and King of Atlantis. Namor is taken aback, but Leonard tells him that Fen would have loved to see this day. As a gift to his father, Namor carries the USS Redmond up to the surface where he is rescued and brought onto the ship of Admiral Westbrook (Robert Patrick), who welcomes Leonard back to the land of the living. Namor gives his father a hug, then gives Carrie and Caleb a wave before diving back into the ocean.
Lady Dorma presides over a funeral for the late Emperor Thakorr and uses the opportunity to introduce Namor as their king. Namor sits on the throne of Atlantis as a procession of Atlanteans and even sea life come to pay Namor their respects.
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