Aquaman Movie Review

3 reasons why you need to check out Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom

Although the Zack Snyder era of the DC Comics Extended Cinematic Universe or DCEU for short has come to a close, we are lucky enough to receive a sequel to the most successful film in the 10-year-old series, with Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom. In 2018, the James Wan directed Aquaman grossed over $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office, showing both, the height of the superhero genre, but the audience also wanting more of Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman after his appearance in Justice League in 2017. Regardless of where you stand on the DCEU overall, there is no denying, the casting of all of its stars remained a massive strength of the films and the cinematic universe as a whole. It only made sense that DC would re-assemble to team behind the success of Aquaman for a sequel with James Wan once again returning to direct and after COVID-19 delays, and production delays in general, we finally got Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom in December 2023.

Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom once again follows the king of Atlantis, Arthur Curry, played again by Jason Mamoa as he does battle with Black Manta, aka played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as he seeks revenge on Aquaman for his father's death. Wielding the Black Trident's power, he becomes a formidable foe. To defend Atlantis, Aquaman forges an alliance with his imprisoned brother, Orm played by Patrick Wilson. They must protect the kingdom and save the ocean. This film is the follow-up I wanted from an Aquaman sequel, it's toned down in terms of scope, but the more contained, personal story makes for an exciting and tense follow-up to the first film. This is a great bookend to the Zack Snyder era of DC, and ‘m very happy with how it has finished. So, to celebrate the film's release on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD, I will be breaking down 3 reasons why you need Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom in your collection. So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in shall we.

“Half a billion people from every known species in the sea call this place home. But that doesn't mean they all like me…” – The cast and the characters –

As mentioned, one of the strongest elements of this film and the DCEU in general, is the amazing cast assembled. Jason Mamoa oozes charisma or the rizz here. Here is so damn charming as the half merman, half human, or meta human. He brings an edge to the character of Arthur Curry that very few could. He has this rocker element to his portrayal of the character, which is a lot of fun. I hope the rumours are true, and this isn’t the last we see of Mamoa in a DC property, with rumours circulating of the popular actor taking on the titular anti-hero, ‘Lobbo’. My fingers and toes are crossed. The supporting cast here is insane as well. Patrick Wilson returning as Orm as an ally to Aquaman is a fun twist, giving off major Thor and Loki vibes, which I really enjoy. The two actors have amazing chemistry with one another and sharing witty dialogue with each other. It's also always fun seeing Wilson work with director James Wan, teaming up with him now 6 times with Wan as director (Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, Aquaman, Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom). Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the film's villain the Black Manta is also great. We got a small dose of the villain in the first film, giving the audience his backstory and motivation for hating Aquaman and seeking revenge. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does such a great job here, bringing this iconic villain to life, showcasing his acting ability and charm that has made him one of Hollywood’s most sought after talents in recent years (Candyman, Us, Watchmen). We also have returning cast members Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lungdren and John Rhys-Davies and additional members Martin Short and Randall Park in small roles. The cast is awesome, and definitely one of the reasons you need to check out Aquaman: The Lost kingdom.

“Oh, yeah, I finally got a job. I'm the King of Atlantis!” – The world and worldbuilding –

I am a sucker for amazing world designs and world building and Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom has some of the best world building and coolest worlds out of any superhero film. Very few films have explored the ocean, and Aquaman relishes in this fact, creating a lived in world, full of lore, cool characters and creatures that populate it. A huge reason as to why this works and is so effective here is the amazing visuals on display, granted the film cost a whopping $215 million to make, but unlike a lot of other major blockbusters of late, the level of detail and effects here is really impressive. The detail of each of the characters is wonderful, with little intricacies and details to each of the characters that help establish the world, making it feel real and lived in. Which sounds crazy when you take into account the film's fantasy elements and the central concept of a merman who can talk to fish, but in terms of the world, these details don’t go unnoticed. It all looks and feels wonderful, a big reason why you need to own this one on glorious 4K Ultra HD.

“I don't know what lies ahead…” – The conclusion of the DCEU –

In 2023 we received massive news as new DCEU CEO and The Suicide Squad director James Gunn announced a reset for the cinematic universe with ‘Superman: Legacy’ launching a completelky new universe, films already in production; ‘The Flash’, ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’, ‘Bluebeetle’ and ‘Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom’, were all up in the air, as we just didn’t know what was going to happen with these films. Whilst they were no longer a part of the broader DCEU, I along with most audiences, was still excited to see how these flicks turned out. It may not be the most satisfying ending to the overarching DCEU, but I think each of these films gives us closure with some of our favourite superheroes in recent years. Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom is a worthy conclusion, giving us the grand action we have come to expect for the series, but also leaves Arthur in a situation where we as an audience, can use our imaginations and hope he went on to rule Atlantis, with his family. It's really a bittersweet moment, as we have spent 10 years with these characters across 15 movies, really growing to love them. Whilst there have been many ups and downs across these adventures, there is no denying that DC got the characters right. So, whilst we may never see Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman again, at least we got a fitting conclusion to his character, which alone makes the film worth checking out.

‘Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom’ is a fitting conclusion to the character of Arthur Curry, giving audiences a solid conclusion to his character and the DCEU as a whole. The characters are all as likeable as ever and the action and world building here are truly impressive, with James Wan proving once again, he is the man for the job when it comes to directing action, using wide-angle shots and keeping the cameras moving, so the audience feels like they are amongst the action. I had a blast with this film and would urge you all to check it out. Secure your copy of Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K Ultra HD from Sanity today, but hurry, you won’t want to miss out. For everything else pop culture, make sure you stick with Sanity, they’ve got you covered!

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here