- Jainam Turakhia
Diving back into the world of Aquaman with 'The Lost Kingdom,' director James Wan brings us another visually dazzling adventure. The film looks amazing, and the costumes, especially for characters like Manta, have seen a major improvement from the first movie. The underwater scenes are breathtaking, but honestly, I wish we had more of them! The action is great when it happens, but there's just not enough of it.
However, despite the stunning visuals, this sequel struggles with its story. It feels like there are some missed opportunities from the first film that weren't explored here. The villain's motives from the previous movie, especially about protecting the oceans, take a back seat. Orm's reasons for his actions could've added depth to the story, but sadly, they didn't dig into that much.
Arthur's character feels like it took a step back. Instead of growing into a strong leader, he comes off as more of a superficial, less serious version of himself. It's like they tried too hard to match Jason Momoa's personality with Arthur, and it didn't quite work. Some of the attempts at humor also fell flat and distracted from the main story.
While some performances, like Patrick Wilson's Orm and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Manta, were good, their characters didn't get the development they deserved. And can we talk about that 'cockroach burger' thing? That felt like a weird side story that didn't belong.
Mera and Atlanna played by Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman respectively have very less screentime but they stole the show everytime they were on screen. The film suffers from not having them present much, especially Amber.
The story over-all that started from the first film itself making absolutely no sense with what it tries to bring in. Character motivations are treated as a joke and frankly, this version of Aquaman IS officially a joke as they acknowledge themselves. There couldn't have been a worse treatment for the king of Atlantis than what WB did to him in his last two appearances (The Flash and Aquaman 2).
Overall, 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' is visually impressive, but it struggles with storytelling. It's like they missed the chance to dive deeper into the characters and their motives. The movie has its moments, but it doesn't quite come together well. I'd say it's a mixed bag, leaning more towards disappointment. Despite its looks, this one gets a 1.5/5 from me.
So, if you were to go in for a fun time, try checking this one out on a big screen like IMAX or maybe just wait this one out for streaming