Movies
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom: The End Of The DCEU
You’d not be surprised by this headline if you’ve seen this conventional cliche of a film. So hold up right there! Our beloved DC has returned once again, taking us through something close to a bio-science class, or maybe a UN conference about global warming (which would have been more impactful).
I’m not familiar with the narrative you have about DC or Marvel movies these days but you just gotta hang out with me on this one. This article might just confirm your suspicions on how mid this movie is (or not).
You definitely know something is fishy (pun intended) when a two hundred plus million dollar Aquaman film turns out to be a sequel to a Marvel Viking bros team-up, Thor and Loki, well known for their chaotic yet entertaining act, of which the DCEU have been grossly unsuccessful at copying.
You’d kinda agree with me that Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and his brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) just don’t make the cut, and are not “Ying and Yang” enough to have the same extremely funny and emotional bond Thor and Loki share. If DC wasn’t aiming for that, why make reference to them in the first place?
Black Manta returns, seeking revenge for the death of his father. Having failed in defeating Aquaman the first time, he now wields the power of the Black Trident to destroy everything Arthur holds dear. Aquaman, out of necessity, joins forces with his brother Orm, the former king of Atlantis, to stop the destruction of the world through Manta’s ill use of Orichalcum — a fancy name for fossil fuel and a copycat of Vibranium — clumsily used as a metaphor for climate change.
Diving deep into it, a five year old would confirm that it’s not so bad of a film, but that it could be much better. The film lacks substance because it does nothing special. There’s no intrigue because nothing catches you by surprise. It would be better off if they had just let the baby die like in the comic! That, in my opinion, would squeeze out more octopus juice on Arthur’s face!
However, certain elements in the film stood out. The action scenes were excellent. James Wan (director) has done quite a number on this one. He has a good reputation for that. From the action under water to that on land, the force and impact from every punch, blaster, and Trident were just spot on! Really cool.
Talking more on intrigue, just when you think you’re being dragged into a bore, the director covers up just in time to get your attention with really good action and slow motion scenes.
I’d lay special emphasis on the scene where Orm catches the black trident just before it hits Mera as she escapes with her child. That scene was goood! And of course, the trident fight scene between Arthur and Manta was remarkable.
There isn’t much character development given that the film was quite predictable. All characters remained the same throughout the movie except for Orm, who proved to the audience that anyone can change under the right circumstances and proper punishments. Lol.
Mera gave just the right portion of support in her role as Queen. Being the first person to get hit with Manta’s black Trident was unexpected and shocking because she really could have died — that would have added more drama to this film.
However, it is surprising to see Amber Heard cast for the role of Mera despite the whole controversy on her public dispute with her ex-husband Johnny Depp. Reports from Variety are that Warner bros had significantly cut her role and that the only reason she wasn’t entirely dropped was because Elon Musk, her former boyfriend, intervened.
Regarding to the dialogue, there are instances where it was weak and dry in the writer’s attempt to crack a joke, courtesy of the Brine King.
This review would be incomplete if the CGI wasn’t mentioned. Overall, this film has good visual appeal, evident in the great detail put into displaying present day Atlantis. But the whole film literally seemed to be drowning in too much VFX. There were scenes where the colors were too saturated, particularly the jungle scene.
The point of vfx is to make the film not hint, even in the slightest, that a green screen is being used. But this was evident in so many frames, particularly the jungle scene where the giant butterfly was eaten, the scene where Orm and Arthur were in some underwater shuttle, and at the very end when Arthur gives a speech about joining forces with humans to save the earth. What was that background?
The script for this film was structurally questionable, but instead of going back to the drawing board, the writers tried to ducktape everything together with pressing social issues like climate change, and the importance of protecting our oceans. The result is that the film ends up looking like a PSA for the ocean rather than an actual movie. And while I'm all in for cleaner oceans and less pollution, that's not really what I expected when I went to see a movie about a fish man who fights with a Trident.
My unpopular opinion is that “yahooo” sound Arthur makes throughout the movie, in an attempt to exude a lighthearted fun vibe, just didn’t do the trick (Only George of the Jungle makes that sound). Plus, the way the speech ended made the ending of the film seem rushed or incomplete. Not to mention just how unserious the movie portrayed Arthur (Orm was right about Arthur after all).
The ending seemed a little bit loose and not so “astounding” if you ask me.
But overall, it could still be categorized as a fun watch, just for the sake of the action-packed scenes and visual effects. But sadly, it’s a tragic goodbye to the Aquaman franchise.
“‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ might not be all that but it keeps its trident high even as the sea reclaims its hero.”
— Mark Kennedy, Entertainment writer and critic
