Nerdly » ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Blu-ray Review

19th Mar2024

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Blu-ray Review

by Matthew Turner

Stars: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Martin Short, Nicole Kidman | Written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick | Directed by James Wan

Directed by James Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is both a direct sequel to 2018’s Aquaman (also directed by Wan) and also the fifteenth and final film in the DCEU (the DC Extended Universe). As such, it does the occasional bit of floundering, but it just about treads water, thanks to a mostly seaworthy plot and suitably salty character work.

The plot picks up a few years after the events of the first film, with Arthur Curry / Aquaman (Jason Momoa) now married to Mera (Amber Heard), raising a young son, Arthur Jr. and dividing his time between ruling as the King of Atlantis (complete with shiny orange armour), and fighting crime on the surface world. However, there’s an old enemy waiting in the wings, and when revenge-obsessed David Kane / Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) gets hold of a Black Trident, he’s possessed by its creator and given significantly increased powers.

Months later, Black Manta has plundered the undersea kingdom’s reserves of a dangerous element called orichalcum, and is using them to power ancient Atlantean machines, rapidly polluting the planet in the process. With Atlantis under threat, Aquaman realises that he needs the help of his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to find Black Manta’s secret location, so he stages a jailbreak, and the pair form an uneasy alliance.

The plot is pleasingly comic-book-like in tone, and has a relatively stream-lined structure to it. Crucially, it pays off both its superhero movie elements and its buddy-comedy elements, getting a decent amount of emotional mileage out of the shifting relationship between Arthur and Orm, and the latter’s redemptive possibilities, after he was the villain in the previous movie.

Credit is due to the performances of the two leads for making that buddy-comedy element work – Momoa and Wilson spark off each other nicely (at one point Arthur calls Orm “Loki”, which should get a big laugh with superhero-savvy audiences) and the subtle changes in their relationship (or rather, in the thawing of Orm’s character) are effectively handled.

Similarly, Abdul-Mateen II brings palpable charisma to the role of Black Manta (who was a second-string villain last time round) and proves a formidable foe. There’s also strong support from Randall Park (one of the few actors to pull off Marvel / DC double duty) as Atlantis-obsessed scientist Stephen Shin (a supporting character in Aquaman comics), and an amusing cameo from Martin Short as Kingfish, an undersea crimelord.

However, it’s a shame that Amber Heard is so poorly short-changed as Mera this time round – despite her total absence from the trailer, she is indeed in the movie and has a handful of key moments, but a suspiciously convenient plot contrivance keeps her offscreen for a large part of the film. In addition, Nicole Kidman still feels a little miscast as Arthur’s mum, former queen Atlanna, and there are moments where you can sense her trying to keep a straight face while delivering some of the dialogue, particularly any time she has to say “orichalcum” (which is actually a historical thing, not a made-up comics thing).

As for the action sequences, they are something of a mixed bag. The larger scale ones – such as an attack on Atlantis – are occasionally confusing and there are moments where you can’t tell what’s meant to be happening, but the individual fight sequences are much more satisfying, and credit is due to the fight choreographer for squeezing so much trident work.

That’s not to say Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is without problems. For one thing, the CGI work is very poor in certain segments, most notably Nicole Kidman’s underwater action scenes, but also generally when it comes to depicting people moving underwater. The 3D effects are also pretty dodgy in places, though there are a couple of good things-sticking-out-of-the-screen moments that make up for it.

On top of that, though it’s not without humour, the film could still have been a lot funnier. There are hints of the much crazier film it could have been (an octopus sidekick with a lot of untapped potential, Aquaman’s fiercely loyal seahorse, only glimpsed in two scenes, underused sea creature characters etc), but the script largely plays it safe in that regard, restricting those elements to disappointingly small doses. The humour is also a little misjudged in places – we probably didn’t need quite so many jokes about characters weeing in Aquaman’s mouth, for example.

In short, the Aquaman sequel is a fair bit better than you were probably expecting, thanks to strong semi-comic performances from the two leads, though it’s let down by poor effects work. Oh, and stick around for a mid-credits sting, if you like that sort of thing.

Special Features:

Finding the Lost Kingdom – Go behind the scenes as director James Wan reveals how he and the cast and crew pulled off their biggest endeavor yet, an epic sequel to the highest-grossing film in the history of DC.
Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below – When the filmmakers set out to create a sequel that eclipsed the original in scale and scope, they knew they would have to send Arthur and the rest of the characters to all kinds of new wild and wonderful worlds both above and below the sea.
Atlantean Blood is Thicker than Water – At its core, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is about brotherhood. Explore how Patrick Wilson and Jason Momoa bonded over the unexpected alliance between Arthur and Orm and came together both as characters and as friends on and off set.
It’s a Manta World – Black Manta is more powerful than ever now that he has discovered the Lost Kingdom, Necrus, and taken possession of the Black Trident. From inspiration to execution, filmmakers reveal how they leveled up Black Manta to the status of Super-Villain!
Necrus, the Lost Black City – Ages ago, the great battle for the Earth took place in this legendary lost Atlantean city. Discover how the filmmakers created the Black City, from conceiving its “surface city” and undead inhabitants (zombies) to its execution.
Escape from the Deserter World – From idea to execution, explore how the filmmakers created this barren desert landscape and the Deserter prison, how its creatures and inhabitants were brought to life, and how they shot the daring Orm breakout sequence.
Brawling at Kingfish’s Lair – The Sunken Citadel is the last frontier of the ocean, a deep trench filled with old ships stacked high like a rusty city. From concept to completion, discover King Fish’s Lair, a bar where the worst of the worst hang out.
Oh, Topo! – The Tactical Observation and Pursuit Operative octopus: a living legend and all-time fan favorite. James Wan and the filmmakers discuss the decision behind bringing Topo back in the sequel and his promotion to Arthur’s on-screen sidekick.