James Wan’s Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom takes us back into the mystical land of Atlantis and brings powerful villains, friendships, and a newfound brotherhood into the picture. Starring Jason Momoa as Arthur once again, this 124-minute-long film was released earlier in December 2023.
The storyline of Aquaman 2 revolves around Arthur finding out that David Kane still holds bitter feelings against him and is using an ancient Atlantean artifact to cook up a revenge plan. To combat this strange and formidable enemy, Arthur has no choice but to reconcile with his brother, Orm Marius.
While Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom doesn’t showcase anything new, it does open an unexplored storyline for the DC universe that could be intriguing and exciting to see unfold in the coming years.
Jason Momoa and Amber Heard return as Arthur and Mera, while Patrick Wilson portrays the role of Orm Marius, Yahya Abdul Mateen II plays David Kane, and Randall Park plays the role of Stephen Shin. Nicole Kidman and Temuera Morrison once again play the roles of Arthur’s parents.
About The Film
The plot of Aquaman 2 was mostly pitched by Jason Momoa himself, although production only started in 2019. This film from James Wan is believed to be the last Aquaman-themed installment in the DCEU.
With places like the UK, Hawaii, New Jersey, and many other locations being used extensively for filming, Aquaman 2 doesn’t lack any cinematic scenes. Every frame is filled with stunning CGI, which seems to get better with every DC film.
The producers take things up a notch with Aquaman 2, as the icy tundra caves, the humongous kingdom of Atlantis, and other places all add up to make the movie nothing less than a work of art.
With plenty of dad jokes and beer cans, Arthur returns as a father this time, taking care of all dad duties half of the time and ruling Atlantis in the other half. After Arthur killed his parent in the first film, Black Manta tries to find ancient Atlantean artifacts with the help of a scientist.
Black Manta/David successfully locates the legendary Black Trident that was believed to belong to Kordax, a malevolent force who was imprisoned long ago. Using this powerful trident, Black Manta hopes to take revenge for his father’s death and end Arthur’s reign.
Seeing no other way to stop Atlantis’ destruction, Arthur has to join forces with Orm, his brother and the former king of Atlantis. Although they have strong, bitter feelings, they must put these differences aside to protect Atlantis and the world from Black Manta’s mischievous plans.
Movie Review
While many viewers may criticize Aquaman 2 for being underwhelming when compared to its predecessor, it does successfully set up the stage for future DC films. The plot, which shows two brothers putting their bitter feelings in the past to defeat a malevolent force, is entertaining and heartwarming.
As usual, Momoa enjoys portraying Arthur, as both of them are the same person. This leads to quite a few comedic moments that add a touch of humor to the film. Arthur, trying so desperately to reconcile with Orm, shows the compassion that he has had for him ever since he met Orm in the first part.
With a new intimidating enemy and a wholesome brotherhood, there are a lot of things that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom bring to the table. When compared to the first part, Aquaman 2 may lack the intrigue and complex storyline, but it’s necessary to understand that it was only released as a way to expand Aquaman’s universe and make way for upcoming films.
The saying “Blood is thicker than water” is portrayed in the best way possible, with the dynamics between Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson also matching the relationship between their characters. Orm’s uptight personality and Arthur’s easygoing attitude lead them to clash quite a few times but only result in humorous moments.
If you want the most honest review of Aquaman 2.
It’s campy. It’s So dumb. But not once was I not entertained at how outrageous stuff was. It’s not taking it self seriously but when it does it’s cool & goofy.
Is it the worst DC movie? hell no.
It felt like an underwater starwars. pic.twitter.com/Z3b7pGyWZy— Chris Pimentel (@cpimentelart) December 22, 2023
Amber Heard’s role in Aquaman 2 may have been cut short, but she still manages to play the role of Mera well. While Yahya Abdul Mateen is just as good as he was in the first Aquaman, his partner this time around, Randall Park (who plays Stephen Shin), also portrays his morally grey character perfectly.
Considering that this film could be the last time Momoa plays Aquaman, all of us expected more from James Wan and the rest of the cast. Although it swims in familiar waters, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is an entertaining film that sets the stage for something very exciting.
