When Thor: Ragnarok was released in 2017, it received mixed reviews. Even the biggest Marvel superfans left cinemas befuddled at the megabrand’s foray into metafiction, but it turned out to be a raging success.
Chris Hemsworth managed to perfectly balance a humorous performance rooted in contemporary references with the weight of his character’s overwhelming history and responsibility. Aquaman’s sequel, in the rival DC universe, has attempted to copy this format, with a budget surpassing that of Ragnarok ($180 million versus $205 million) and has failed miserably.
Much like the most recent film in the Thor series, Love and Thunder, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens with a montage of the King of Atlantis’ new and improved domestic life. We’re given a helpful recap of the events of the first film, with action-packed stings juxtaposed with ‘comedic’ clips of Momoa in the early days of fatherhood.
From this, we understand that Aquaman’s not-so-evil half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), remains imprisoned for attempting to destroy the surface world. This doesn’t last long, because Aquaman needs his ‘little bro’s’ help to save both the surface and the underwater world from imminent destruction.
Black Manta is back (played menacingly by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) with a cowardly hostage scientist in tow (Randall Park) and is on a one-way mission to find and destroy Atlantis once and for all. However, he doesn’t get the power boost he needs until over halfway through the film, when we finally understand just what 'The Lost Kingdom’ part of the title is actually referring to.
What ensues is a convoluted mess of recycled references from various successful franchises which converges to create a series of cringe-worthy moments, saved only by some pretty cool CGI work.
Semi-possessed by the ancient ruler of an evil lost kingdom destroyed by Aquaman’s father, Black Manta’s storyline attempts a recreation of the Eye of Sauron trope from Lord of the Rings. With the help of the Aquamen’s undead uncle, our villain now has the physical power to fight Atlanteans with ease.
Perhaps the most frustrating element of the film is the barbaric misuse of the score. It switches dramatically between a seemingly Guardians of the Galaxy-inspired mix of feel-good hits and a classic, orchestra-led superhero soundtrack in a manner that works to undercut any shred of emotion that we see on screen.
Nevertheless, saving grace Nicole Kidman returns as the Aquamen’s mum, proving once again that a truly brilliant actor can do anything with decidedly awful dialogue.
You'll forgive me the spoiler, because believe it or not, the boys succeed in their mission. The King of Atlantis’ family is safe, the world is saved from climate disaster and the ancient underwater city is revealed to the general public after millennia of hiding – an entirely unsurprising ending given that the protagonists are never put in any believable jeopardy. Overall, it’s another dead weight to add to the drowning world of superhero movies.
