The latest adventure of the DC superhero is now available in theaters and this represents the end of the DCEU that began 10 years ago with Man Of Steel, but will he have managed to conclude the saga at least in a decent way? Let’s find out in this review of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
ORIGINAL TITLE: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. TYPE: action, science fiction, fantasy, adventure. NATION: United States. REGIA: James Wan. CAST: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, Vincent Regan, Pilou Asbæk, Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, Martin Short, John Rhys-Davies . DURATION: 124 minutes DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. EXIT: 20/12/2023.
Let’s answer this question right away: yes, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom it is a worthy final farewell to the DCEU. It’s not only decent, but it’s the best film in the DCEU and the reasons are many, both in terms of the technical aspect and in terms of the writing of the characters and the plot ideas (apart from a few solutions that sped up a bit ‘too many things and they were thrown out there a bit). The director of the first chapter returns to direct the film James Wan (here is the complete filmography) and obviously our beloved Jason Momoa, that in this new chapter you can clearly see how much fun he had with this film and how much he was part of it. Let’s take a detailed look at why this is the best film the DCEU has created.
A feast for the eyes | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review
Let’s analyze the technical side: on a directorial level the film has no equal in the DCEU, James Wan managed to play so neatly, cleanly and “delicately” with the camera even in the underwater fight scenes, despite the hundreds of explosions and enemies coming from every corner. It wasn’t easy at all to do something like this, especially in action scenes where multiple things happen at the same time, it was difficult not to create confusion and yet the director managed it. Speaking of Atlantis, we see a lot more of the kingdom of the Atlanteans in this movie and the design makes it immensely fascinating, realizes the dream of those who believe in the existence of Atlantis and would really like to visit. The city is gorgeous, the CGI is excellent and doesn’t give the impression of being fake. Everything is real, everything is in motion and the fighting is jaw-breaking.
The charm of creatures | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review
Another aspect of the film that deserves to be analyzed in a separate section is creature design. Every creature that plays a role in the film has its own charm, whether it’s a threat to face, a shady guy to do business with, or an ally in battle, every creature is noteworthy. But the creature we appreciated the most is definitely the Mouse octopuswho already appeared in a cameo in the first film, has an important role here: he accompanies the protagonist Arthur Curry to the place where they imprisoned his brother Orm, alias Ocean Master, played by Patrick Wilson.
Even though Mouse doesn’t speak, he manages to be loved for his funny and adorable behavior. Another difficult thing was to make an octopus adorable, but James Wan succeeded in this too. He also makes himself very useful in helping Aquaman, whether it be freeing him from a trap or just warning him of dangers via messages. You could say that Topo is a bit like Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. These sea creatures make up a world that was worth showing again and exploring in other films, entrusting everything to James Wan, because he was able to create a world as fascinating as that of Star Wars, with bizarre, funny and different creatures among them. They.
Black Manta: a truly menacing villain | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review
Now let’s talk about the main antagonist of the film: Black Manta. This villain particularly surprised us, the DCEU has never kicked out villains that are remotely memorable, but this is an exception to the rule. He also returns directly from the first film, having survived an initial battle against Aquaman, in which his father died to save his life. From that moment David Kane assumes the identity of Black Manta and vows revenge against Aquamanwith the sole purpose of ruining his life, killing his friends, his wife Mera, his one-year-old son Arthur Jr, his father and destroying Atlantis.
But how can an ordinary human do all this against Aquaman? Simple: seize the Black Trident, an ancient dark weapon that belonged to the famous Lost Kingdom. This weapon gives him extraordinary powers that allow him not only to face him, but also to put him in serious difficulty. Furthermore, the Black Trident even keeps him in contact with the creator of that weapon with an unknown identity, but demonic appearance, this adds horror tints to the antagonist. What makes him the best villain in the DCEU, however, is his anger and hatred which makes him extremely determined to make our hero suffer, feeling no pity for anyone and without any scruples.
The couple that explodes | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review
We saved the highlight for last, are you ready? The strong point of this new film is the pair of brothers formed by Arthur e Orm. Orm also picks up his story where we left him in the first Aquaman film, imprisoned for risking sending Atlantis against Earth. Orm becomes fundamental for Arthur because he is the one who knows Black Manta best, which is why the protagonist finds himself forced to free him and the two together form a duo that transforms a comic book into a real buddy movie. The best thing about this couple? Simple: the couple works. Their completely opposite characters bring out comic gags that make you laugh, they work, they have a comedy that however perfectly reflects the writing of the characters.
Seeing the two brothers argue and at the same time help each other face dangers together, with the common goal of saving Atlantis and their family, warms our hearts, as well as making us die of laughter. However, there is obviously also no shortage of dramatic moments, in which we discover who Arthur and Orm really are, what they really want and what pushed them to make those choices that led them to that moment. Both face a growth path, they learn from their mistakes, but above all they learn to love each other, like the brothers they are. The Arthur and Orm pairing, therefore, works great, a journey full of laughter and fun, but also of reflection.
Long live the king of Atlantis!
In the end we got there, with this review we officially say goodbye to the DCEU, which will be reset with the new one DCU on James Gunn. So what has this Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom left us? Why should we spend money to see it if there won’t be a continuation? Perhaps this may also be true, but over the years, cinecomics have transformed into a gigantic TV series that we see at the cinema, with episodes lasting two, two and a half or three hours, forgetting something that characterized the first cinecomics: self-conclusion.
Yes, because this Aquaman film does not resume the events of any other DC film, if not those of the first film, as if it were a single world. This is the type of cinecomic that we were missing, a cinecomic that focuses its story only on the protagonist, without making continuous references and citations to other DCEU films, remembering the times when we watched a film without thinking about the films of other superheroes, to the fact that there was a shared universe. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is what the DCEU should have been from the beginning: a story in its own right, which develops its characters without throwing too much fanservice into the mix and which tells the story of the protagonist, not the world around him. If Warner had given the directors carte blanche, as in the case of James Wan, then perhaps DC would not have needed any reboot. A big shame, but at least our Aquaman came out of it with his head held high. Thank you James Wan, and thank you Jason Momoa.
And you? Have you seen Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom? If you haven’t seen it yet, give it a chance and buy your ticket to enjoy Aquaman’s latest adventure. Continue to follow us on TechGameWorld.com for all the news from the world of cinema and TV series!
Points in favor
- Dynamic duo of Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson
- Clean and clear direction
- Very fascinating creature and world design
- Black Manta is a memorable villain
- Topo
Points against
- Some of the ideas are a little far-fetched
- Final fight too fast
- Ambear Heard monoespressiva
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