Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Review: A Soggy End to the DCEU
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, was meant to be a grand finale for the DC Extended Universe, but instead, it sinks like a stone. This sequel, continuing Aquaman's story as a king and a father, promised to build upon the first movie's legacy with high-stakes conflicts and underwater spectacle. However, what we got was a disappointing, shallow puddle of a film.
The storyline lacks any semblance of depth or innovation, which is a cardinal sin for a modern superhero film. Predictable from start to finish, it squanders every opportunity to explore richer, more complex themes. This predictable script made it feel like a rehashed tale we've seen a hundred times before, with nothing new to offer.
Even the attempts at humor, which could have added a much-needed lifeline, barely manage to elicit a few forced chuckles. It's like throwing a lifebuoy to someone stranded in the middle of a vast, uninspiring ocean. The pacing is off-kilter – painfully slow to begin with, then hurriedly rushed towards the end, as if the filmmakers suddenly realized they needed to wrap things up.
About the final boss battle – a pivotal moment in any superhero movie. In "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," it's as anti-climactic as they come. Instead of an epic showdown, we get a lackluster skirmish that wouldn't look out of place in a low-budget TV special. It's a damp squib that fails to deliver any of the promised thrills or excitement.
