Don Reviews "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom"

We may have talked about this on the show, but just in case we have not: I am PADI certified to scuba dive; in fact, I have a ocean dive set up in my upcoming vacation.  There is nothing like being in a whole different world where man was not meant to be, and being able to see fish and the ocean floor for extended amounts for time is one of my favorite things.  With all of that, imagine what it must be like to be Aquaman, who has a foot in both worlds.

It has taken five years to get Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to the big screen with James Wan returning to direct. In the wake of the events of its predecessor, Arthur (Jason Momoa) is trying to balance the responsibilities of being the king of Atlantis with being a husband to Mera (Amber Heard) and a father.  Black Manta (Abdul-Mateen II) has returned to finish what he started after finding a trident of black magic that could release an ancient evil in Kordax, who promises to give him the power to vanquish Aquaman by collecting a mass amount of an element called Orichalcum, which he also uses to try and destroy the planet.  Arthur must reunite with his exiled brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), and as a family they must stop Black Manta before it’s too late for everyone.

At just over two hours long (which is a little short for a blockbuster superhero film nowadays), this film did not seem too short or long.  Sure, they could have added another fifteen to twenty minutes of mindless action scenes, but I am glad they did not.  The script itself has a great mix of action and drama, and while the plot is not the best from the DCEU, it still had some predictable parts (which is to be expected).   The cast is on par to what has come before this film, but I did enjoy the growth in the relationship between Momoa’s and Wilson’s characters.

Visually, there were quite a few scenes where I was blown away.  At the screening I attended, this film was presented in 3-D, and I really believe it enhanced the overall experience.  I never felt it was overdone, and even may have looked a bit better than the first one.  With all of that, I will recommend Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as a 3-D showing in the theaters on a weekend afternoon showing.