Aquman And the Lost Kingdom

Synopsis:

After failing to defeat Aqua Man the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman forges an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of Atlantis. Setting aside their differences, they join forces to protect their kingdom and save the world from irreversible destruction.

 Movie Review:

“AquaMan and the Lost Kingdom” is directed once again by James Wan, and it’s the sequel to the 2018 smash hit as well as the 16th and final film of the DCEU until it gets rebooted in 2025. Aqua Man (Jason Momoa) and his brother Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson) have a buddy/cop relationship that is the best part of the movie.  Their on-screen chemistry and in sync timing produced back and forth comedic and emotional dialogue. Patrick Wilson’s performance made him my favorite character in the film. I’m not sure how I feel about Jason Momoa as Aqua Man -- his surfer dude image took him out of character at times throughout the film. However, Aqua Man does have some great conversation scenes with Temuera Morrison who plays his father. The action scenes were entertaining to watch but were the typical generic superhero action that you see in every superhero movie. Amber Heard returns as Mera who is married to Aqua Man and has a son with him, but she lacks chemistry with Jason Momoa.  Nicole Kidman hardly had anything to do, and her character could have been written out. The worst part about this movie was Yahya Abdul Mateen II who returns to play Black Manta and he could have been a great villain, but his storyline is predictable, boring, and silly. Most of the villains felt like cartoon characters instead of superhero villains. I still thought this was an entertaining comic movie, but a lackluster finale for the DCEU. I am giving “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” a 3/5 stars.

Director: James Wan

Cast: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randell Park, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Indya Moore with Temuera Morrison and Nicole Kidman

Runtime: 124 minutes