Aquaman: 10 Best Moments

7. The Destruction Of Atlantis

Though the movie may be overloaded with exposition - and poor Willem Dafoe gets saddled with most of it - thankfully Wan decides to show as well as tell when it comes to Nuidis Vulko (Dafoe) explaining the origins of the lost Trident of Atlan.

Nuidis takes us back to the time before the Great Fall of Atlantis, where the seven kingdoms existed as one under Atlan's (Graham McTavish) rule.

He explains that it was a period of great prosperity for Atlantis, where they figured out the secret to unlimited energy at a time where most of Earth still thought the world was flat. The gorgeous sequence even shows robots wandering around the palatial grounds of Atlantis, giving off an unexpected steampunk vibe for a moment.

But of course, Atlantis' destruction came soon enough as that ambition to advance grew too quickly, resulting in Atlantis being reduced to a pile of rubble at the bottom of the ocean, killing a decent percentage of the population in the process.

However, Vulko finally explains that the power unleashed allowed Atlanteans to evolve the ability to breathe underwater, while also causing some to regress into the savage, bestial form known as the Trench. As for King Atlan? He disappeared into self-imposed exile forever more.

Of all the movie's flashbacks, this is one that really works. It's just a shame it wasn't longer and more fleshed-out.