Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom closes the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) era to make way for the new James Gunn-branded DC movies. We shall see whether it will be true glory; in the meantime, let’s see how the King of Atlantis bids farewell in this sequel.
Arthur Curry has become a father, married his beloved Mera, and divides his time between the depths of the sea, as King of Atlantis, and the mainland, where he changes diapers and tries to put the baby to sleep. But a superhero must always stay awake.
Black Manta, after his father’s death, seeks revenge, and he will find a powerful and dangerous ally from the past. Together, they will jeopardize the very existence of Atlantis, and only Aquaman can stop him. But not alone. He will need the help of his brother Orm.
Thinking that the last two films of cinematic DC as it was conceived a decade ago are The Flash and the second instalment of Aquaman is quite disappointing. Despite the very high literary level of the DC Comics production, these two are probably the best films in this headless hodgepodge that no one has been able to give a sense of.
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A pity to see Superman understood only in the first half of Man of Steel, a significant missed opportunity in the Cinecomics genre. Ben Affleck’s Batman was potentially the best possible, but poorly and poorly exploited. It is better to draw a veil about the two Wonder Woman films, and everything ancillary, from Shazam to Blue Beetle, certainly will not be regretted.
But these last two films have more than interesting ideas. The Flash reflects on the DCEU itself, a shapeless and masterless entity in which everyone has tried to get their hands and have a say, creating a crowded other dimension mostly of dreams that did not come true.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, on the other hand, is a leave-taking rich in irony and very accessible in form and substance, thanks mainly to James Wan, a director and producer who doesn’t need to get entangled in a feud, given his ability to turn any 30-euro budget horror film he gets his hands on into gold. Wan took advantage of the knowledge that the race was over to make a very personal, entertaining film, not hypertrophic in length but perfect in editing, from dry storytelling to fast pacing.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom tells everything that remains left to know.
It is spectacular and never dull. Wan mixes genres with almost Dadaist gusto. Aquaman is joined by his brother (the excellent Patrick Wilson), and together, they stage an apocryphal remake of Watch Out, We’re Mad, with only the Dune Buggy missing.
Maybe it could have been titled Aquaman is Still My Name, with Jason Momoa even making Bud Spencer’s bored face when a hapless lousy guy tries to nick him, receiving back a flying kick. All this is inscribed in the typical Bond Movie structure, with the villainous Manta wanting to destroy the world above and below the sea with a fantasy variation of Lord of the Ring style.
Wan also pokes fun at Marvel on a couple of occasions and purely takes the satisfaction of paying homage to an all-Italian hero dear to him, Dylan Dog. Momoa is genuinely priceless, Amber Heard has more scenes than the outcome of the trial would have allowed to imagine, and above all, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom effectively promotes an environmentalist message in a much more sincere and less hypocritical way than many other films, actors and directors, who tend to take themselves far too seriously.
In short, there is something for everyone in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Most of all, there is the right formula for multiplex entertainment and the correct number of shows to program.