Review - Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday. And, as promised, here's my review of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final film in the DC Extended Universe. This film is directed by James Wan, and stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren, Randall Park, and Martin Short. I saw the film this past Saturday, and here I am with my thoughts. 

         So, the movie sees Arthur Curry/Aquaman dividing his time between being King of Atlantis, and being a family man, along with his parents Thomas and Atlanna, his wife Mera, and his infant son Arthur Jr. Unfortunately, a couple of issues arise when the Atlantean Council vetoes his desire to have Atlantis make peace with the surface world, and even worse when Black Manta returns with ancient Atlantean technology. The source? The Lost Kingdom of Necrus. So, Arthur must set aside old rivalries and team up with his younger brother Orm/Ocean Master to stop Manta and save both the land and sea. 

        So, how does this movie fare? Does the DCEU go out with a bang or a whimper? Well, it's actually a bit of both. Where the movie works well is as a sequel to the 2018 film Aquaman. The movie succeeds in continuing Arthur's adventure, this time paired up with Orm, and seeing more unique locations such as a prison in the Deserter Kingdom, the Sunken Citadel, which is a haven for pirates and scum of all kinds, and of course Necrus. I also find some of the technology of Necrus to be unique, as it feels very reminiscent of the power wielded by the Black Lantern Corps. in the DC Comics. Whether it's just technology with similar properties or not is really anybody's guess. 

         The performances were really good, especially those of Jason Momoa as Arthur and Patrick Wilson as Orm. Both Temuera Morrison and Nicole Kidman as Thomas and Atlanna were fantastic, as was Dolph Lundgren as Nereus. And, with the limited screen time she got, Amber Heard was really good as Mera. Honestly, the few scenes she had in this movie were really enjoyable, because she was pretty much on screen with Arthur and their son for a lot of the movie. But, the biggest standouts were Randall Park as Dr. Shin and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. Honestly, Yahya as Black Manta was genuinely terrifying in this movie, and is much more of a threat than he was in the first movie. 

        The visual effects, costume design, and overall production quality were thoroughly enjoyable. Director James Wan did a really good job making a worthy sequel to the original Aquaman. I had a good time with it, and I found it to be a lot of fun. THAT BEING SAID, I do find it to fall short as a conclusion to the DCEU. Honestly, as the film meant to close out an entire cinematic universe, it falls quite short in that regard. Honestly, I think that Warner Bros. should have given this film the June release, and saved The Flash for the final film of the DCEU, as it would have fit much better as the closing chapter of a cinematic universe. 

        So, do I recommend seeing this one? Yeah. Do I recommend seeing it in a theater? Not really. In all honesty, check it out in the theater if you really want. Otherwise, wait for it to start streaming on Max. So, I'm giving Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom a rating of 3.95/5. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys on Friday to rank my Favorite New Series of 2023. 

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