About the film (courtesy of Warner Bros.):
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
It’s hard to believe it’s been five whole years since Jason Momoa had his first very own DC Extended Universe feature film, Aquaman (2018). That film didn’t particularly blow me away, as my review reflected, but it was far from the worst thing that Warner Bros. released in their constant battle against Marvel Studios while trying to wrestle away meaningful market share. The original was considered commercially successful, therefore it was only a matter of time before a sequel surfaced. Due to the rough waters of the pandemic (and a change in leadership), the wait has been longer than expected. Does Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom make a big enough splash to create waves of interest?
Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) has experienced a few life changes since we last saw him. For starters, he’s now the King of Atlantis and arguably more importantly, he is the proud father of a baby boy. Before he can retire to a quiet life of ruling and fatherhood, an old nemesis returns while still looking for vengeance against the man that took his father from him. David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is back with a few extra tricks up his sleeve as he seeks to take everything from Aquaman.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is another one of those features (not unlike The Flash (2023)) that has been left without a meaningful future place in the newly developed James Gunn vision of the DCEU. This means the story is pretty much a one-off since Gunn has made it pretty clear that he’s scrapping most of what was. One would assume that the numbers will be softer than anticipated once the box office rings up everything following the holiday weekend. What reason is there to really invest in this.
One thing that director James Wan gets right is opting for a shorter (relatively speaking runtime). For the amount of action and story that occurs, 124 minutes feels pretty good. While simply rehashing familiar characters throughout, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is able to cut a few corners without needed to provide backstories to characters. Along with with Momoa, Heard and Abdul-Mateen II, other returning actors are Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren and Patrick Wilson. Randall Park is the only new actor of consequence worth mentioning directly.
It should come as no surprise, considering the setting, that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is over-CGI’d. Many times, the action sequences appear is if they are part of an animated movie rather than a live action one. The most enjoyable parts of the movie itself involve the banter between Aquaman and Orm (Patrick Wilson). These two really have great comedic chemistry together and it’s a shame that there couldn’t be more of that.
Overall, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is similar to its predecessor in terms of quality. Striking the right balance between epic action, character development, and emotional stakes is always a tricky task and this one stumbles here and there. Still though, there is some entertainment value to be found.
While this is far from a strong recommendation, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a somewhat serviceable feature. If you have a strong need to get more story or if you’re simply a Jason Momoa fan, you can check this one out only in theaters starting this Friday, December 22nd. Enjoy.
