Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, 2023.
Directed by James Wan.
Starring Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Randall Park, Temuera Morrison, Indya Moore, Pilou Asbæk, Jani Zhao, Vincent Regan, and Martin Short.
SYNOPSIS:
Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death and wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. To defeat him, Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance in order to save the world from irreversible destruction.
Presumed to be washing up ashore dead on arrival for several reasons not worth diving into, director James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom mostly retains the gleeful weirdness and lighthearted sense of fun that made its predecessor one of the only worthwhile films in the DCEU, which this film marks the end of this pipe functioning as a serviceable, standalone blockbuster centered on brotherhood and adventure.
There isn’t a moment here that’s emotionally compelling, but working with screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (and a story by star Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett), the film coasts off goofy energy as it swims from location to location with something inspired happening in terms of visuals or world-building (a trip to Atlantis slums bustling with nightlife and clothes, a desert prison break out where the eponymous superhero is accompanied by a tactical octopus for espionage assistance, some perilous travels through a jungle and other environments evoking the feeling of a grand journey) to offset the fact that the movie isn’t exactly exciting on a narrative level. The near-nonstop action (save for some momentum-derailing third-act exposition right before the final battle) is playful and breezy.
That’s not to say there is no story here, as the bulk of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is actually about Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) as both a family man (still partnered with Amber Heard’s Mera and now with an infant son) and King of Atlantis, routinely having his progressive ideas to reveal their kingdom to the rest of the world in an effort to work together slowing down global warming (since in this world there is an entire civilization underwater) by a distrusting council that would prefer to remain hidden. Arthur despises his new heavy-burden position as ruler since it’s impossible to get anything done working with a council that doesn’t compromise. It’s also worth appreciating that the film engages with problems that real-world governing powers have and that the world-threatening event the characters face here comes from something grounded in reality.
Here, global warming is rapidly escalated by a returning villain seeking revenge, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), roping a well-meaning scientist, played by Randall Park, into a scheme where ancient Atlantic ruins are excavated in search of the mythical Black Trident connected to sinister evil spirits of the past. The owner of this trident essentially becomes possessed, meaning that Black Manta also isn’t in control of his own thoughts and actions, using a component called orichalcom to turbocharger irregular climate shifts, charting the world’s course to extinction-level disaster. The characterization is one-dimensional, but the method is certainly clever and of the moment.
Ignorant to much of this for the first act, Arthur Curry just wants to return to his shoreside home at the end of every day, hanging out with his baby and wife. His father, Tom (Temuera Morrison), suggests giving the child a brother, which Arthur is uncertain about considering the sibling rivalry for the kingdom that unfolded between him and Orn (a returning Patrick Wilson), whom he finds himself with no other choice but to break out of prison and use as a valuable asset when it comes to finding and bringing down Black Manta. As such, the brotherly bonding is humorous and enjoyable, even if it never reaches a moving emotional peak. This story has a heart that doesn’t beat too loudly but is there nonetheless.
Unsurprisingly, the proceedings are primarily caked in excessive CGI to the point that whenever there is a scene that’s not coated in green smoke or explosions or even underwater (not that there is a problem with a movie called Aquaman spending plenty of time under the sea), one wants to take out a canteen to scoop up and savor the moment. Smothering a film in so many special effects can actually do the opposite of making a superhero film feel like a comic book adaptation, alongside making this not feel like a film at all. It’s a genre-wide issue that will hopefully be addressed.
However, since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom doesn’t take itself seriously and is committed to being weird and wacky above all else, with a plethora of mildly exciting fight scenes that evoke the sensation of a comic book come to life, movement, and dialogue, the flaws are less bothersome. This is no bombastic finale to the DCEU but also no disaster. It’s a mildly satisfying whimper of a conclusion.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
