Aquaman 2 Review – Dont Expect it to be Better than Part 1
As superhero movies are becoming more commonplace, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are like a fish out of water, being unpredictable yet thirsty and demanding for meaning. James Wan has directed the $205 million-spectacle film, which is expected to mark the end of the DCEU’s final curtain call before undergoing a much-needed facelift by James Gunn and Peter Safran. But this underwater adventure serves as a reminder that even though the DCEU is about to reboot, it doesn’t mean that creative fatigue can be expelled from every ship: at least Atlantis can’t hide its creative fatigue.
As it turns out, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” gets a much worse 3D experience than its predecessor, “Aquaman” (2018). Even though the movie was mostly a generic depiction of DC’s origin story, it wasn’t badly told and the underwater scenes, which were central to the film’s plot development, had a luminescent screensaver-like quality. The experience of being in the dazzling ocean world of Atlantis, with its glowing creatures and manta ray-like ships, was enjoyable, as was the sight of Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Johnson Momoa, the son of Jason, a fierce and powerful Aquaman, who held his royal title as the ultimate ruler. However, he had to face King Orm, his half-brother, who was portrayed by Patrick Wilson with slick blonde hair that gave him the Katy Perry-esque androgynous appeal.
Jason Momoa returns as Arthur Curry, the sea-going Adonis, in a film that portrays his character confronting an ancient power that threatens Atlantis. Although there is a high demand for production, the budget is even more substantial. However, the sequel to the 2018 film struggles to compete with the superhero genre. Although Momoa’s charisma is reminiscent of a tide, his massive biceps are insufficient to rescue this ship. In their quest to save the ship, returning actors Amber Heard (Mera), Nicole Kidman (Atlanna), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta) are rearranging the deck chairs on board Titanic. Dolph Lundgren takes on the role of King Nereus, while Dr Shin (Randall Park) switches between his comedic style and a more serious one, but the film still feels like a sequel that desperately wants to get back to its former glory.
Momoa is the most worthwhile in this movie to watch. With his alpha-cool and jerk-like attitude, he’s the ultimate “maverick” action star, but also manages to maintain a character that is fundamentally good and knows when it’s too much to take. It’s possible for him to have a range. One minute Momoa will provide his own smart and sly commentary on the movie he’s watching, while the next moment he may cry with bitterness or scream out in anguish or revenge for some bad guy action, as though it were part of a silent film melodrama with title cards.
Rather, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is about a brotherly relationship, with protagonist looking for his jailed relative of his former enemies Orm (Patrick Wilson) as a possible friend. Even though Wan aims to turn Orm into a Loki-like hero of uncertain loyalty, he never allows him any time for reflection.
