Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Spoiler Review: End Of DCEU
In this epic conclusion to the DC Extended Universe, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" delivers a thrilling and action-packed adventure. The Movie was not good overall, but who's complaining? As we saw last time, Jason Mamoa is wearing an Aquaman Suit.
PS: Amber Heard has a fully pledged role in the Movie.
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Title: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Director: James Wan
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman
Release Date: December 21, 2023
Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
Overview:
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 blockbuster Aquaman. The film follows the titular character Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) as he goes on a quest to save the world from irreversible destruction. With the help of his brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), and his arch-nemesis, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), Aquaman must find the Lost Kingdom and stop an evil force from unleashing chaos upon the world.
Full Plot (Spoiler Ahead):
Several years after the events of the first film, Arthur Curry / Aquaman married Mera (Amber Heard) and had a son, Arthur Jr. (TBA). Arthur splits his life between land, where he lives in the lighthouse of his father, Tom (Temuera Morrison), and the sea, ruling as the King of Atlantis. However, Arthur finds the diplomatic and bureaucratic royal duties boring. He is always entering conflict with the Atlantean council, who are particularly opposed to Arthur's intent of making Atlantis contact with the surface world.
Meanwhile, Black Manta continues to seek revenge against Aquaman and follows the research of marine scientist Stephen Shin (Randall Park) to look for Atlantean artefacts. Once in an Atlantean ruin underneath the Arctic ice, David (Black Manta) finds a black trident that leads him to be possessed by its creator, who promises that if David helps his Atlantean tribe recover, David will receive the power he desires to destroy Aquaman, his family, and his kingdom.
Five months later, global warming had worsened, with the surface's climate experiencing extreme weather and ocean acidification, causing diseases in the sea population. Atlantis is attacked by Black Manta, who takes the kingdom's orichalcum reserves to power his ancient Atlantean machines restored by Shin, injures Mera and proves himself capable of fighting Arthur on equal terms.
Reconvening with his mother Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and Mera's father Nereus (Dolph Lundgren), Arthur discovers that David is behind the rising temperatures, as he went after all the hidden reserves of orichalcum, which emits high quantities of greenhouse gases and nearly caused a planetary extinction when used by an ancient Atlantean kingdom. Arthur decides that the way to find out where Black Manta is hidden is to go after one of David's allies, Arthur's half-brother Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), who was held captive by the Fisherman kingdom since the first film ended for having killed their king.
Arthur releases Orm from prison and, after a meeting with Crimelord Kingfish, discovers David is based on a South Pacific volcanic island. Arriving on the island, Arthur and Orm discover monstrous fauna and flora that had been mutated by an orichalcum furnace where Black Manta's base is located. Before Atlantis attacks and destroys the island, Orm gets hold of the black trident and has visions revealing its creator was Kordax, the brother of Atlantis founder King Atlan (TBA) and ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus, that wound up sealed in an icy prison after losing a war with Atlantis. Given the seal was created by Atlan with blood magic, the blood of any of his descendants could release Kordax, leading David to attack Tom Curry's lighthouse and kidnap Arthur Jr. before heading to Necrus's hiding place, that the Atlanteans discover with Shin's help to be underneath the ice of Antarctica.
In Necrus, Arthur attacks David to stop him from injuring Arthur Jr., and David almost defeats Arthur before Orm arrives and disarms him of the black trident. As Orm gets hold of the trident, the spirit of Kordax leaves David for Orm, who proceeds to fight Arthur and use his blood to thaw the ice, imprisoning the body of Kordax. With his half-brother freed, Arthur throws the black trident at Kordax, who catches it in mid-air, before throwing his trident to destroy the black trident and fatally impale Kordax. With Kordax's magic vanishing, Necrus starts to collapse, and as David hangs from a fissure, he refuses Arthur's help and throws himself down the cliff to his death. The Atlanteans and Shin escape to safety, and Arthur and Mera decide to let Orm go and tell the rest of Atlantis that he died on the condition he remains hidden.
Post Credit Scene
In the post-credit scene of Aquaman 2, there is a moment where Orm is eating a burger. Suddenly, he spots a cockroach nearby and decides to eat it too! This is meant to be a funny reference to what happened earlier in the Movie and is sure to make you laugh. This is the last post-credit scene in the DCEU and can also refer to future DC projects as Gross.
Watch The Post Credit Scene Here.
Cast Performance:
Jason Momoa delivers a strong performance as Arthur Curry, bringing his signature charm and charisma to the role. Amber Heard is also impressive as Mera, Arthur's love interest. Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II both deliver solid performances as Orm and Black Manta, respectively.
James Wan Direction:
James Wan's vision for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" showcases his unique blend of horror and adventure, drawing inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft and Steven Spielberg. The film's darker themes and the introduction of water zombies and Necrus, the lost underwater kingdom, allowed Wan to lean into his love for the horror genre while still maintaining a sense of fun and adventure.
Technically, the film's visual effects and creature designs are a testament to Wan's commitment to creating a rich and immersive world. The underwater kingdom of Atlantis is a visual marvel that rivals the likes of Middle-earth and Pandora. The attention to detail in the landscapes and the creatures that inhabit this world is a testament to the technical prowess of the team behind the film.
Verdict:
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is an exciting and action-packed epic adventure. The cast delivers a strong performance, and the story is well-paced and engaging. The bonding between Arthur Curry and Orm is satisfying to watch. People can be pissed to see Amber Heard as Meera in a fully pledged role, but she is not bad in the movie. Overall, if you are a DCEU fan, go to the theatre, enjoy the last movie in the franchise, and bid adieu to the DCEU.
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