‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’: Review

Dir: James Wan. US. 2023. 124mins

Aquaman may have to save the world yet again, but he is going to have a good time doing it. Director James Wan’s sequel to his hit 2018 original is similarly breezy, placing the King of Atlantis in an adventure full of freaky monsters, buddy-movie comedy, and uncomplicated heroics featuring a title character who seems like he would be fun to hang out with. But despite Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’s unpretentious tone, it is held back by a nagging familiarity — the sense that this is the umpteenth comic-book picture involving titanic fight scenes and nonstop special effects. At a moment when DC Films is pivoting to a new era, which will involve rethinking its iconic characters, this vestige of the previous regime cannot help but feel like an underwhelming afterthought.  

An underwhelming afterthought

The 2018 Aquaman is still the highest-grossing DC picture, bringing in $1.2bn worldwide. But this Warner Bros. sequel is coming up against a perception that recently-installed DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran will be starting from scratch, leaving Jason Momoa’s future in the role in doubt. Those factors may dampen audience enthusiasm, and The Lost Kingdom may continue the recent trend of superhero films misfiring at the box office. 

Now married to Mera (Amber Heard) and raising a young son, Arthur (Momoa) — also known as Aquaman — has adjusted to domesticity while reluctantly accepting his position as King of Atlantis. But his old foe David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) has returned, harnessing an ancient power that he believes will allow him to kill the mighty Aquaman. Needing help, Aquaman turns to his scheming half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to forge an uneasy alliance.

In contrast to the more solemn DC films helmed by Zack Snyder (Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman), Aquaman was a welcome change of pace, offering an irreverent, boisterous everyman hero. But in the five years since, the studio has gone on to produce other lighthearted pictures such as Shazam! and Blue Beetle and, as a result, The Lost Kingdom’s impishness does not feel quite as novel. 

It helps that Momoa remains an appealing Aquaman. With his long hair and sarcastic style, he lacks the stoic, tortured pathos of a Batman, exuding an ultra-macho persona that explains why he has little interest in the politics and bureaucracy involved with being king. But when Atlantis is threatened by David, better known to comic-book fans as Black Manta, Aquaman springs to life – and so does The Lost Kingdom, especially once Momoa and Wilson reunite, their biting back-and-forth a consistent mild amusement. 

Much like the original, The Lost Kingdom boasts a gleeful exuberance, whether through Bill Brzeski’s eye-popping production design or in Rupert Gregson-Williams’ knowingly overdramatic score. There is a boyish zeal to Wan’s filmmaking, which is not afraid to embrace the goofy or the playful. References to Star Wars and 1980s buddy-cop films abound — in this sequel, Wilson takes over for Heard as Momoa’s verbal sparring partner — and the scary creatures, elaborate ships, and more-is-more approach to large-scale action sequences all suggest a director who wants the story to feel like the product of unbridled imagination.

The innocence of that vision, matched with Momoa’s bro-friendly jauntiness, makes The Lost Kingdom pleasantly diverting, although it cannot distract from an overcomplicated narrative involving a mysterious civilisation, which might hold the key to destroying our planet — or, conversely, repairing its imperilled climate. As much as the film radiates good cheer, the plot boils down to predictable life-or-death stakes and strained gravitas, all accompanied by a mediocre villain. Abdul-Mateen II is a commanding presence, but he fails to break free of his character’s cliched trappings.

The same goes for Randall Park as the nerdy scientist Dr. Shin, who, having devoted his life to finding Atlantis, becomes the sub-par comic relief as Black Manta’s unwilling accomplice. Nicole Kidman returns as Aquaman’s noble mother Atlanna, although she has little to do other than look regally at her son.

Screened for critics in 3D, The Lost Kingdom makes decent use of the technology, with cinematographer Don Burgess lensing some arresting shots on land that complement the enjoyably silly underwater sequences. (Fans of the original film who wonder whether the popular drum-playing octopus is back for the sequel will be pleased to know the cephalopod’s role has greatly expanded.) But what once felt like a necessary countermeasure to DC’s reign of superhero seriousness now feels slight — a likeable aquatic crimefighter who may no longer factor into the studio’s plans. Aquaman rules his domain, but that kingdom is not as glimmering as it once was.