Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the next adventure for the superhero King of Atlantis. Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa) has settled into a new life. He spends half his time under the water, playing policy maker for denizens of his submerged kingdom—a role that bores him mightily. On land, Aquaman has married Mera (Amber Heard) and together they raise a son with Arthur’s father Tom (Temuera Morrison). But in the shadows, David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) plots revenge. Kane, still reeling from Aquaman leaving his father to die, hunts Atlantean technology with the help of Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park). When Kane and Shin discover an ancient evil that promises power in exchange for reward, they unleash an attack on all planetary life. Feeling the odds stacked against him, Aquaman turns to help in an unlikely place—his imprisoned, traitorous brother Orm (Patrick Wilson).
What works in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the vibrant production design and notes of humor. Director James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) puts his creativity to use once again in crafting an underwater environment. Atlantis has an otherworld aesthetic that combines fantasy with function and is a delight to bestow. The creatures, vehicles, and locales feel ripped right from the pages of a comic book. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is also always looking to keep the audience entertained. The clearest example of this is the comedic bantering between Orm and Aquaman which resembles a buddy cop/road trip dynamic. Wilson’s disciplined demeanour is the perfect foil for Momoa’s chaotic buffoonery and plays well for laughs.
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Audiences who are feeling superhero fatigue and/or are looking for substantial story elements in their films may not enjoy Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as much as others. People who can turn their brains off will be able to revel in the well-choreographed fight scenes and bright hues darting around the screen. However, the narrative feels incredibly overworked. The script feels as though it was never quite finished, which is unsurprising given the corporate turmoil and overhaul that occurred during its production. As such, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom occasionally gives off a vibe of resignation—as if the film and its stars know they are simply going through the motions and don’t care about a coherent plot. There’s an unfortunate amount of hollowness and even Momoa’s fountain of charisma can’t compensate.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a film that will appeal most to people who can sit back and enjoy the ride. As a standalone instalment in the currently defunct DC universe there are definitely entertaining moments and beats. However, this entry to the genre offers very little variation from the myriad of comic book movies from the past several years.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is available in theaters starting on December 21st.
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