Randall Park’s Dr. Shin, an audience surrogate who accidentally works for supervillain Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), notes in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (2023) that various sites are “astounding.” This is a risky proposition for an actor, because he can’t see the world that will later be created digitally.
The world-builders back him up, though. As in 2018’s “Aquaman,” the underwater cities are amazing. Arthur/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the reluctant King of Atlantis who doubles as a land-based family man, notes that the world is shrinking in political terms. But to a viewer it feels vast and ripe for exploration. In the climate-change-themed “Lost Kingdom,” again helmed by James Wan, this ranges from an opening discovery beneath the crumbling ice sheets to a titular locale steeped in mythology.
The ”astounding” nature refers to sights, which is not nothing, but if the other stuff lags behind, a superhero movie can be a slog. All the actors are at the mercy not only of the locations but also of the other people creating their performances – the stunt team, the animators who embellish the action, and the editors. “Lost Kingdom,” the 15th and final DC Extended Universe film, sometimes shows its seams, granted.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (2023)
Director: James Wan
Writers: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (screenplay, story); James Wan, Jason Momoa, Thomas Pa’a Sibbett (story)
Stars: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
All in the family
Momoa’s Aquaman is an alpha character, someone who wants to dominate every scene; but he can’t always do that because there are many other characters (his wife, his dad who raised him, his baby, his mythological mom and dad, his brother, various allies, the villain) and that niggling thing that is plot. David Kane/Black Manta is on a vengeance mission against Aquaman and he’ll speed up global warming – pumping super-greenhouse-gas Orichalcum into the air – to draw him out. The film balances everything as well as could be expected.
Patrick Wilson seems much more engaged than when he was a straight-ahead villain in the 2018 entry; now his disgraced ex-King Orm and brother Arthur have an almost Thor-and-Loki vibe. We get good comedy with Orm learning about surface world food from cheeseburgers to cockroaches, and their reconciliation is heartfelt. Dolph Lundgren and Nicole Kidman – as veteran Atlantis leaders – have “Oh yeah, they’re in this saga” roles. And the not-quite-canceled Amber Heard has so little chemistry with Momoa that it’s actually a good thing that Aquaman regularly refers to her as “my wife”; having forgotten the details of the 2018 film, I almost wonder if Atlantis arranges royal marriages.
I also appreciate the brief flashback reminder that Aquaman killed Black Manta’s father in the first film. Abdul-Mateen II is a scary presence, and that enhances our connection to Dr. Shin, who provides a sense of human peril in what’s largely an animated kids’ film where deep down we know everyone except the really bad guy will be fine.
Can Shin finagle a way to switch sides? One of the funniest scenes finds him trying to do that. Then it’s interrupted by an action scene. The action is not memorable, and I wish the music matched the visuals better; we get classic rock to match Momoa rather than an adventurous score to match the new worlds. But it’s paced well, and the arenas of battle – such as Manta’s large mountainous cavern on a newly discovered island – are worth looking at if you’re not into the battle.
A fishy farewell to the DCEU
“Lost Kingdom” finds Arthur – in a weirdly obvious parallel to “Iron Man” – announcing to the human public that “I am Aquaman!” It’s not necessary in the film’s narrative; everyone knows he’s Aquaman.
This is the final film of the 11-year DCEU continuity, but some actors have already moved over to the new branch. For instance, Peacemaker (John Cena) is in the DCEU’s “The Suicide Squad” and cameos in the DCU’s “Superman.” (Plus, “Peacemaker” will continue into Season 2 despite the multiversal issues.) Momoa is one I’d like to see continue into the DCU; interestingly, it seems like he will have the role of Lobo, with Aquaman perhaps retired.
Looking back at the DCEU, its big stumble was orderly storytelling: Aquaman and the Flash got solo films after “Justice League.” And it failed to serve the big names properly: After “BvS,” Superman never got a third film outside of the “JL” team-up and cameos; Batman never got a second.
Aquaman fans got something: a screen presence in Momoa who undercut the notion that the superhero who talks to fish is ridiculous. And two films of elite production design.