Color me surprised twice over. I missed the press screening of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the closing chapter of the DC Extended Universe, and ventured to a theater to check out a screening in IMAX on Christmas Day. The lobby was packed with customers, most of whom were going to see The Color Purple on its opening day. Given how much I’ve forgotten random stuff recently, I’ll go with that as the excuse for why I wasn’t expecting so many people to be watching movies on December 25th. That was surprise number one. Surprise number two, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom wasn’t a complete disaster.
Sure, it’s not going to earn a spot in the Top 10 (out of 15) DCEU films. But it wasn’t the catastrophic failure that needed to be hidden away by the studio the way some had suggested. If this is the last time we see Jason Momoa’s long, flowing locks drifting around his head in all their CG glory, then at least it can be said Momoa went out giving it his all. No matter the wonky dialogue and despite the recycled feel of the plot, Momoa entertained.
2023’s sequel to the 2018 solo Aquaman film returns Momoa to the undersea world as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, the current King of Atlantis. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II returns as Aquaman’s nemesis, David Kane/Black Manta – the big bad of The Lost Kingdom. The sequel also brings back Patrick Wilson as Orm, Arthur’s jealous, brooding half-brother. Orm still holds a grudge, believing himself the better and more deserving of the two siblings. If Arthur is the DCEU’s Thor, then Orm is its Loki – without the twisted sense of humor, wit, or cleverness. Scratch that, Orm’s not Loki-ish at all, but Momoa’s take on Aquaman is still reminiscent of Chris Hemsworth’s version of Thor.
Moving along… The sequel spends a good deal of time on Arthur’s family life. He’s a proud papa, and his dad, Tom (Temuera Morrison), dotes on his first grandchild. Mera (Amber Heard) pops in now and again, mostly to save her hubby, dispense advice, or help take care of Arthur Junior. Nicole Kidman also puts in sporadic appearances to try and get her boys to stop bickering, and to divulge key details on the political life of Atlanteans. Looking for exposition? Kidman’s Atlanna’s full of it.
What Arthur doesn’t know about running the undersea world and negotiating with the council could fill volumes. He’d flounder if his mom weren’t there to get him out of fishy situations.
While Black Manta is a worthy adversary, in this outing David’s gone full-on crazy after discovering the ruler of the Lost Kingdom’s black trident. Kordax (Pilou Asbaek) gets into David’s head, making promises about how powerful David will become if the Lost Kingdom is returned to its evil glory. But to do so, David will need to cause havoc above ground by heating the planet, and he’ll need to kidnap and kill Junior. Only the King of Atlantis’ DNA can break the curse that holds Kordax captive in a frozen state, and Black Manta stands a better chance at capturing a baby than he does at incapacitating Aquaman – even though Black Manta’s primary motivation from the film’s opening minutes is to kill Aquaman.
The story is simple yet manages to get all tangled up in the minutia, what with the world of the Lost Kingdom, the destruction of the environment, and the political shenanigans going on in the undersea universe. The cherry on top of this massive plot ball is the relationship between Arthur and Orm.
The dysfunctional relationship between Arthur and Orm is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s beating heart. Their love-hate relationship powers the film, and nothing else comes close to having the same impact. Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson are an entertaining duo and have much better onscreen chemistry than Momoa and Amber Heard, who is hardly heard from in this sequel. Arthur’s the cut-up, the class clown, the big man on campus who everyone loves. Orm’s the straight man, playing the part of the reluctant foil in this superhero duo. Together, they make a formidable team and help overcome some of the film’s narrative missteps.
As for the action, it doesn’t seem to have progressed much from the first Aquaman. It’s only when the sequel reaches the final battle that the action feels as if there’s anything at stake. Everything leading up to that is so over-the-top and CG-heavy that there’s no sense of urgency or emotional investment in the fight sequences.
2023’s been a crummy year for the DCEU, with problematic stars headlining two of their releases – Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash – which contributed to their disappointing box office performances. Blue Beetle deserved to have drawn in a larger audience, but strikes, the lack of major star power, and a central character that’s unknown to those who aren’t into comics hurt its chances at success. At $128 million worldwide, Blue Beetle has the dubious distinction of being the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s guaranteed to beat Blue Beetle’s numbers after its $120 million global opening weekend, but that’s nothing to boast about.
Put a fork in the DCEU, it’s done after 15 films. And, sadly, despite Jason Momoa’s efforts, the DCEU’s going out with a splat rather than a bang! pow! KABOOM!
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language and sci-fi violence
Release Date: December 22, 2023
Running Time: 2 hours 4 minutes
Directed By: James Wan
