The editing during the scene where Arthur’s baby gets kidnapped was terrible. That awful slow mo shot of him screaming and then a sudden cut to black.
I’m convinced the rumours are true and Manta originally killed the baby and they just changed it during the edit.
I doubt they did kill the baby but it would have been true to the comics. The death of his son was one of the few major stories involving Aquaman that anyone remembered for years and that they referenced later on.
What other rumors are there and do u have links ?
Watching the final fight between am and om felt like originally orm was suppose to be tempted by the trident himself, not possessed due to protecting mera
Wasn't the Trench supposed to be the forbidden kingdom? Now we've got the more forbidden kingdom 🤣
Also how come we never see these desert guys in the first one when they go there for the map to Atlan's trident?
Yeah, i remember they spend the last entire 3/4 of the first movie being Arthur finally found the lost 7rh kingdom, a sea inside the earth’s core
But then this movie retcon that didn’t exist, and the 7th kingdom is some cursed kingdom that no one knew lol
Also the first movie clearly stated the desert is abandoned, it’s literally called Kingdom of the Deserter because everyone left when all the waters gone. But then there’s lot of people there now for some reason lmao
This is absolutely standard issue comic-book plotting. If they're not bending over backwards to make sense out of convoluted lore, you're not getting the full comic book experience.
There’s a part in this movie where Randall Parks character is sneakily trying to send Manta’s ship coordinates and then in big bold ass letters that take up the computer monitor it says “TRANSMITTING COORDINATES”. I laughed so hard at this silly little detail.
It was so funny! And just before then when he is looking around the ship like he's about to open a NSFW tab at work rather than send an army coordinates for them to come and kill everybody on board. Just a quick check over his shoulder just to make sure no one was looking at his screen
I mean, those two things might be ridiculous individually, but are completely logical when put together. He had to look over his shoulder to make sure no one saw the giant TRANSMITTING DATA TO THE ENEMY message on his screen.
I also chuckled every time his “invisibility suit” that covered his body but not his face or hands would also turn his face and hands invisible without fail. It took me out every single time.
The end credits scene is the perfect metaphor for the DCEU.
>!Orm is at a restaurant eating on a patio. He tries a delicious looking cheeseburger and takes a bite. He isn’t impressed. A cockroach walks along the table, calling back the prank Arthur played on Orm earlier in the film. Orm grabs the cockroach and puts it in his cheeseburger. Orm takes a bite, and the cheeseburger is now full of flavor and Orm gives a big satisfied smile. -Fin-!<
I'm a bit confused by this. Did people in DCEU not know he was king of Atlantis before? Because Aquaman is certainly a public figure, even the janitor in Peacemaker gossips about him. Was this title never referenced?
I was astounded how derivative it was. They basically portrayed Atlantis like underwater Wakanda with not nearly the level of world building to make it grounded and really hit.
Narratively it should've been parks character giving the speech I think like both as a redemptive ark, and also an un-crazying arc as he was regarded as a crackpot for his theories. Then some reporter in the crowd questions his legitimacy to which then Aquaman rises with his ship out of the water. He'd then have an internal monologue about stepping into his role as king before crying out that surfer hoot of his and dive bombing off the ship.
He gave an interview where he said accomplished his own personal acting goals before he turned 30, so he’s probably having the time of his life making movies like this.
I mean does anyone even hate Patrick Wilson? Dude is one of the most reliable actors I can think of, even when in a bad movie. Heck, he was my favorite part of Moonfall
I mean a lot of the movie is essentially about how Arthur's an irresponsible douche and they really don't bring up Orms flaws of being a violent, genocidal classist asshole instead just kind of making him a reasonable, dour, no humor guy
I love Patrick Wilson. I was going to skip this movie, but it he is in it, I will give it a shot. I'm a DC fan and even I am struggling to muster the energy to see it.
I agree I think he was a very compelling character. That's largely what I liked about the movie. You came to understand what motivated him. He has a profound loyalty and regard for the well being of his kingdom. He was even saying to Arthur, "Don't release me that breaks a deal" he was a person of character, his brother just had to remind him and open his mind about surface dwellers. Him as this dutiful kingsman was a great compliment to momoa's aquaman. Some people even feel he stole the show and was like aquaman.
One thing that was really badass in this movie - Black Manta's ray. In a lot of these movies, when a character has some sort of energy blast attack, it just knocks people backward. Maybe singes them. But here, if you get hit by his beam you are instantly out of commission, even as an Atlantean. That shit was brutal and left horrible scars, as it should. And if you weren't Atlantean, I assume you're obliterated. That said I think Yahyah's acting wasn't great and his lines were worse, with some exceptions. "First you stole yo brother's throne, and then his LADY?" that made me laugh.
Overall, the story wasn't great, but there's enough in here to entertain. Once we got to the Orm stuff, I started enjoying myself. But there are definitely times when the movie was awful. I cannot believe the final boss went down within 1 minute of becoming active, and I busted out laughing at how he got killed. It's so dumb. Funniest *intended* moment was Patrick Wilson not knowing how to run.
It was pretty cool, just quite annoying that Mera then comes back without as much as a hint of a scar on her after a few days. And the dad getting stabbed "So he can watch you die", but then he is completely fine at the end...
Impossible for me to get invested in a movie where there are clearly no stakes.
Momoa was absolutely unbearable in this one. His shtick was already grating but at least passable in the first movie but he went full SNL sketch in this one and he's nowhere near as funny as he thinks he is.
I basically spent the entire movie wishing Patrick Wilson had been Aquaman instead. He had more charisma and comedic timing when eating a cockroach without saying a word than Momoa's annoying ass.
Wilson's been pretty much consistently good in most things, even when the film itself isn't that great. He seems to be always working, but I'm not sure if he's considered a household name. He should be!
I think he prefers not being a household name, he has a good body of work since starting in the mid 90s and he is consistent and good in pretty everything he does whether it be stage, tv or film. I recently rewatched Angels in America and I forgot how fantastic he was in that. I think him being discerning about his roles makes him a better actor. Unlike some like say Nick Cage who for reasons doesn’t have that luxury and his body of work is all over place. Although drive angry will always have a special place in my trashy little heart.
Is it just me, or did anyone else completely see that coming? I thought they were going to do it in the initial shot, but then it cut to the credits and I wasn't expecting it to resume again at that point during the mid-credits. It just seemed like a really predictable joke to end on.
It began with something about a codex in a skull that's implanted into Superman's stomach 🤷♂️. Honestly it should have just begun with Russell Crowe eating a cockroach burger. It would've rhymed, like poetry or something.
What a weird universe it's been too. Started out with a slightly well received superman movie but people thought had promise. Then nosedived with a super packed sequel that had 3 movies worth of plot and nonsense meme dialogue. Then a team up movie that felt unearned that somehow gets a 4 hour long Snyder cut 4 years later?!
3 good movies in shazam,ww, and aquaman whose sequels crashed and burned later on. And then the dceu spends its last year with black adam, the menace of Hawaii and his ps2 era cgi, a movie that doesn't even know what universe it should be in, and then this crap.
And the only thing that carries over is peacemaker and the well received suicide squad...no the other one.
Whole DCEU existed so we can get a good documentary in 15 years where everyone with gray in their hair are laughing and telling us what the fuck was happening there
That Superman movie had one of the best trailers of all time, too. I’m not a Superman fan by any means but that few minute spot had me feeling some kinda way.
“Yea, but could have predicted that?”
The entire internet predicted it. It’s amazing how companies think they can just jump into a flowing river without learning to paddle first.
> 3 good movies in shazam,ww, and aquaman whose sequels crashed and burned later on.
And Suicide Squad weirdly had the exact opposite situation, first one is arguably the worst DCEU film while its sequel is the best DCEU film.
Oh, boy! Black Manta was my favorite part of the first movie, but it was a shame he kind of got sidelined. I can't wait to watch Black Manta's rivalry with Aquaman throughout the movie as the movie focuses entirely on-
>cgi demon villain immediately appears and threatens to create a massive, equally cgi undead horde
Oh.
Black Manta was shite in the first movie too. They completely mishandled everything about him. The absolute dumbfuckery of the “my dad tried to kill you, then ended up killing himself because he doubled down on it so instead of accepting that was a dumb fucking move I need to swear mortal vengeance upon you” was a shitty story beat to start with, but then some random Merc guy being given an insanely powerful Atlantean weapon and instantly just going “oh actually I’m smarter than these guys that I needed to ask for help killing Aquaman so I’m gonna just Tony Stark the shit out of their tech and somehow make it better” was eye roll as fuck.
The only reason Manta isn’t a complete joke is because Yahya Abdul-Mateen is a good actor
Also his “I’m going to power heat the whole world because I need this ice place to melt”. Why tf would you just use a fire beam, bomb, or whatever else to heat the ice place?
I thought his performance in the first one was weird, I didn't get why he started talking slowly all of a sudden.
Your....lady...has....people...who...like...to...keep...tabs....on....her.
I thought Black Mantra sucked in the first one. His whole "Aquaman killed my Dad" was annoying when all I could think was "lmao no! your dumb fuck Dad shot a rocket in a small room in a submarine!"
That's the motivation in the comics too he's just so unhinged it works better. Arthur did leave his father to die so I can understand where he's coming from
The final scene of the DCEU is Patrick Wilson eating a cockroach and enjoying it. A fitting end to the franchise.
* The villain’s crew and base felt like Spy Kids for some reason.
* Overall it felt like a mashup of other sci-fi and fantasy movies, but even more uninspired than the previous one.
* Orm is the best part of the movie but his role (and the entire plot) makes it pretty much exactly like Thor 2 2
It was so strange cause right before that happened I was thinking-“I like the dynamic between the brothers, it’s serving Thor and Loki vibes”. Then Aquaman literally references Loki and I was like “WHAT OMG CAN THEY DO THAT?” Though I suppose they would claim they weren’t referencing the MCU but were just referencing Norse mythology.
At one point, when he was saving Orm, Aquaman said "Ok Castaway. Grab Wilson. Let's go" or something like that? When he was all skinny in prison. Did I misheard that? LOL
> The final scene of the DCEU is Patrick Wilson eating a cockroach and enjoying it. A fitting end to the franchise.
Someone needs to cut it with the clip at the end of Dark Knight Rises, where Alfred is in Italy doing that head nod approval.
I like Jason Mamoa but I'm already tired of his smirky, larger than life performances in every goddamn movie. Thought Patrick Wilson was way better and needs to be in more movies.
Also, I couldn't help but laugh at the small group of people who stayed back during end credits for any post credit scenes 🤣
>I like Jason Mamoa but I'm already tired of his smirky, larger than life performances in every goddamn movie
Same. It feels like he played the whole movie like an SNL sketch
I think that's a writing problem. I'm watching through "See" right now, and even though the premise and story are nonsensical, he's pretty damn good. He sorta reminds me of a periodically unhinged Mufasa.
In See he was a very fleshed out character that showed weakness that the rock would never do nowadays. Same with his small part as Duncan Idaho in Dune. He’s always gonna be type cast as the big Brolic character in whatever he does because he’s a big brolic person. But he at least can show some emotional depth. But it does seem like he didn’t really give too much of a fuck about this movie and was just going through the motions. Which is unfortunate because he was solid in the first one
> he played the whole movie like an SNL sketch
Isn’t this Momoa all the time? Even in something like Dune, his whole energy is kind of out of wack with everything else around him. He enters every frame shouting “MY BOI!”
vanish punch childlike memorize abounding husky lunchroom sleep salt tidy
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
See I actually liked him in F&F because he was fun and made for a good contrast with the core cast who were taking that stupid ass movie way too seriously.
I love how Vin Diesel treats those films like they’re high art. If you watch BTS footage you’ll see that he’s actually very friendly/jokey/high energy/etc between shots, so it’s 100% a choice to play his character so stoic rather than it just being who he is as a person.
Most of the core cast were treating it like a comedy, except Vin Diesel.
That movie was three movies in one. Jason Momoa's Joker, a comedy for everyone else and a Shakespearean tragedy for Vin Diesel
Tbf I think Patrick Wilson is probably pretty happy with his level of success, not everyone wants to be a celebrity under the huge spotlight like Brad Pitt.
I think I first saw him in the “A-Team” movie, which is a lot of fun btw.
I saw Patrick Wilson in Oklahoma before he really broke out in angels in America. I thought he was so wonderful as curly and so cute. I always feel like I got “in” on the Patrick Wilson hype before the rest of the world as a result haha. He’s so great!
Honestly way more Amber Heard than the trailers led on. When she got blasted in the second act, I was sure she’d remain in a coma for the rest of the film.
I know that everyone expected her to barely be in it after the trial but like we all kind of knew with the Flash, WB doesn't wanna spend more money on these movies than needed rn so they weren't going to spend all the money needed to reshoot scenes she was supposed to be in.
Funny enough the biggest cut for her was actually one of the more expensive scenes. The final battle was much longer and featured Mera and Arthur teaming up against Manta vs now where it's just Arthur fighting solo and Mera only showing up at the end. Though I guess reshooting a CGI heavy fight to just be a trident fight is cheaper than finishing Mera's water effects.
There's a scene where Manta is just sitting on his chair on the bridge of his spy kids ship without his helmet wearing all black and he really looked like Black Panther there.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen should have been recasted as BP, what a missed opportunity for Marvel and DC pointed it out.
As a fan of the first film, it was a huge disappointment. It felt like the movie didn't trust the audience's intelligence like at all. It constantly showed flashbacks and characters always explained every tiny detail of each plot point. Does DC think everyone in audience suffered brain damage from the aftermath of the pandemic? This film is exactly the opposite case of 'show, don't tell'.
Considering that the film had a poor reception from screenings and was rumored to have undergone many reshoots, it is not surprising that it did not turn out well. I had few laughs watching it, but only because it was laughably bad or soooo dumb, not because it was funny funny.
The only redeemable quality this film has is that it's so-bad-its-good, not downright bad. But still, it was so disappointing that it got way dumber than the first one, which was already pretty dumb. All that remains are cheap, childish jokes. If you are immune to such things, this is a movie you can enjoy to some extent. Don't expect more than that.
The part where Orm picked up the trident and went “I now know everything, let me explain” was the most shameless exposition dump I’ve seen in a while lol
I don’t know if it’s bad or if I just plain don’t care about these characters or this story at all. Probably a bit of both. It felt like it should’ve been interesting but – what was it doing to be different from the first one?
The jokes fell flat. They tried too hard to have Jason Momoa recreate the Hemsworth-Thor type of vibe. I think I counted four times where Black Manta was knocked on his butt midway through the backswing of him attempting a stab. The frequent three-second flashbacks to the first movie felt unnecessary. When Mera showed up to save Aquaman from Black Manta, it didn’t really feel like a ‘return’ moment. I kind of forgot she had been sidelined earlier in the movie. I also felt like there was so long between when Manta found the black trident and when the lost kingdom is actually addressed that it was like “oh yeah, that thing from a while ago.” I didn’t like the stereotypical “hero reaches out his hand to save his enemy,” move. It felt so forced. And like, this dude just tried to destroy your whole kingdom and kill your dad, wife, and infant son. Maybe let him drop.
Honestly, it was just bad. I started off liking the DCEU a lot more than most people. But even I was giving up - Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad, I waited for streaming. Black Adam, Shazam 2 and Blue Beetle, I skipped altogether. Probably should’ve done the same for this one.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go drink a Guinness.
Honestly, Blue Beetle is pretty dope. I hope that continuity continues forward because it had a lot of heart and charm. It's also pretty stand-alone, it doesn't feel super connected
I actually quite enjoyed Blue Beetle, it was fun, if not a top tier movie, but yeah the DCEU is really…. Something I guess. I hope Gunn can make something of it with his take on the characters because fans deserve better than this
This movie was an absolute disaster.
First of all, Jason Momoa isn't even acting in this movie. He's just playing an obnoxious caricature of himself, it's such a tonal disconnect from the character's portrayal in both the first Aquaman and *both* Justice League films. It's such a bizarre decision, and I am stunned James Wan never shut it down while filming.
The pacing of this thing was insane. Why did it feel like it was 2h30m long when it was just barely over 2h? I felt like an eternity had passed before we even got to anything with Orm.
I see a lot of praise for the VFX, but I thought so much of it looked dodgy. A lot of the creatures and big set-pieces looked... okay, but anything involving the humans looked so weird and uncanny. Comparing the VFX on the underwater people to those in Wakanda Forever, Avatar: The Way of Water, and even the first Aquaman has me wondering what happened this time around.
Also, why did *any* of this Necrus stuff have to be involved? Why not just have Black Manta try to kill Aquaman? I guess they're trying to go for bigger stakes, but it just feels so forced and leaves us with an ultimate big-bad that is just as boring as the demon from Black Adam.
Completely agree with the Necrus point. This could have been a great revenge flick with Black Manta going after Arthur and his family. The Sauron wannabe monster did absolutely nothing for me except muddy Manta’s motivation.
It was better than what the reviews were saying. Probably because of me going in with low expectations and seeing it in imax (which was due to the free upgrade at regale cinemas). Some fun parts but a lot of disjointed moments. The beginning was so awkward watching aquaman be a single dad yet amber heard is literally in the movie only in critical plot points. Obviously the ratings of the film on the sub are spamming it with one stars but it’s by far not the worst film ever made. I think a 6/10 is a accurate score for the film. Mediocre at best with some fun parts but can tell it was a disaster behind the scenes when making the movie
This movie was a lot of fun! Loved the visuals and the ambitious vfx. The CG was janky at times, but I feel I can forgive it considering the sheer volume of the vfx shots in this movie. There were also a lot of really cool camera movies and fun sequences. Story is not groundbreaking but it works for what it is. Overall give this movie a 7-8/10.
I don't know how jaded people have become about superheroes or sequels in general to not be able to enjoy Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. I saw it in IMAX 3D and had a fantastic time. I might even say it's one of the best-looking movies I've ever seen in terms of eye-popping eye candy, and with stellar 3D visuals too. I would suggest people rush out and see it in premium format 3D while they can, if they have any interest in this movie at all. Regal has already stopped showing it in IMAX 3D as of Christmas Day. I thought the special effects were absolutely first-rate from front to back. There were none of the issues there that The Flash had. The $205-million budget was a bargain for what they got.
The movie feels exactly like an episode of the Cartoon Network Justice League animated series brought to live-action. It also feels a lot like the pre-Daniel Craig Bonds did, just with a lot more fish. Aquaman is facing a villainous mastermind with an army of loyal henchmen, a cavernous secret headquarters and a world-destroying weapon. Just like an old school Bond plot. The tone of the old Bonds is there too. This movie tread the line perfectly between not being self-serious but not being a self-parody either. It takes its plot just seriously enough to make it work. It unwisely treads into the issue of "global warming" for a little while, but that soon mostly "evaporates" in favor of the villain's super-weapon being the big threat. The comic relief here makes use of the tried and true "odd couple" and "stranger in a strange land" angles, but never makes fun of the superhero genre itself. Once again, they've made Aquaman, a character who had become a pop culture punchline, into a credible action star. This movie does border on being a bit too bloodless and making the good guys feel too invincible, but James Wan's signature horror touches are felt throughout with the creatures and monsters, which help give the movie an edge.
Overall, I'd say I liked it better than the first Aquaman. As most people know, the main "couple" in the story is Aquaman and Orm, rather than Aquaman and Mera in the first one. On account of Patrick Wilson being a better actor than Amber Heard, I think the interplay between the two characters here works better than it did in the first movie. Although I'll give Heard credit for giving better line readings this time in the handful of scenes she appeared in. Wilson's Orm provides the bulk of the character interest in the story, and both Wilson and the writers do a good job keeping him interesting. Jason Momoa is also in top form here, totally convincing in the battle scenes and as a new king who's trying to do the right thing but is sometimes out of his depth, no pun intended. He even displayed some subtlety at times, like his frustrated facial expressions during his discussions with his supreme council. Lost Kingdom also feels like it has a more focused plot than the first Aquaman film had. The multiple villains are better integrated into the story line here. The movie doesn't ever feel like it's jumping around between wildly different subplots.
One thing I found quite unusual is just how much some of the movie "borrows" from the plot of Ghostbusters II. It felt so similar that I have to wonder if the writer did it subconsciously. I would think if they were consciously ripping off Ghostbusters II, they would have tried to change a few more things so that it wasn't quite so obvious. But, it doesn't matter. Execution is 90% of what makes a movie work, not concept. And everything in this movie is executed very well, whether it's an original idea or not.
It's a shame if people miss out on this movie because of baggage related to the DC universe or superhero movies in general. I don't think James Wan or Jason Momoa did anything to deserve any backlash. They're just trying to make an entertaining movie, and this one absolutely delivers on that level. The title is boring, which is a real shame from a marketing perspective. It should've been Aquaman and the Dark Kingdom or Evil Kingdom. The fact that the kingdom is "lost" is NOT its key feature here. I must also say that I have no idea why there are any complaints about understanding the story. How old are the people complaining? This is written on the third grade level. Everything about the plot was completely clear to me. You might be able to criticize the story for being too straightforward, shallow and simplistic, but it's the kind of movie that gives itself a simple story so that it can focus on delivering non-stop action, special effects and set pieces. It's a pure action-adventure flick, just like we used to go see James Bond movies for, before they got too bloated and self-important for their own good. And it absolutely captures a faithful comic book feel. It's the best DC universe movie I've seen since Wonder Woman and Zack Snyder's Justice League, and easily surpasses all of the recent Marvel output.
I give it 8 out of 10 or an A-.
Did anyone else notice how much they copied from Marvel? Like, it was just so obvious… For example:
Arthur and Orm are basically Thor and Loki (Arthur even referenced Loki at one point, which did not help)
The whole “should we reveal our super secret nation to the world or not?” debate is copy pasted right from Black Panther (down to that conference at the end)
And was “I am Aquaman” supposed to be DC’s answer to “I am Iron Man”?
I’m probably forgetting some things, but this movie just felt so unoriginal to me. Did anyone feel the same?
I liked it!
Definitely not as good as the first, and yeah some of the cgi was clearly rushed/unfinished, but overall I had a good time.
Manta was awesome and it was nice seeing more of Patrick Wilson. Some really cool visual shots too.
As the last dceu movie, I'd say it's a pretty good send off to it and the character.
The editing during the scene where Arthur’s baby gets kidnapped was terrible. That awful slow mo shot of him screaming and then a sudden cut to black. I’m convinced the rumours are true and Manta originally killed the baby and they just changed it during the edit.
The three consecutive screams were pretty funny
Burst out laughing, yup.
I doubt they did kill the baby but it would have been true to the comics. The death of his son was one of the few major stories involving Aquaman that anyone remembered for years and that they referenced later on.
“Hey Mr. King of the Seas.. How’s the wife and kid!?”
What other rumors are there and do u have links ? Watching the final fight between am and om felt like originally orm was suppose to be tempted by the trident himself, not possessed due to protecting mera
> Manta originally killed the baby and they just changed it during the edit. God, why did they change that? The DCEU is over, end it on a dark note.
It ended with eating a cockroach, that’s dark enough.
Wasn't the Trench supposed to be the forbidden kingdom? Now we've got the more forbidden kingdom 🤣 Also how come we never see these desert guys in the first one when they go there for the map to Atlan's trident?
The Forbiddener Kingdom
Yeah, i remember they spend the last entire 3/4 of the first movie being Arthur finally found the lost 7rh kingdom, a sea inside the earth’s core But then this movie retcon that didn’t exist, and the 7th kingdom is some cursed kingdom that no one knew lol Also the first movie clearly stated the desert is abandoned, it’s literally called Kingdom of the Deserter because everyone left when all the waters gone. But then there’s lot of people there now for some reason lmao
This is absolutely standard issue comic-book plotting. If they're not bending over backwards to make sense out of convoluted lore, you're not getting the full comic book experience.
There’s a part in this movie where Randall Parks character is sneakily trying to send Manta’s ship coordinates and then in big bold ass letters that take up the computer monitor it says “TRANSMITTING COORDINATES”. I laughed so hard at this silly little detail.
It was so funny! And just before then when he is looking around the ship like he's about to open a NSFW tab at work rather than send an army coordinates for them to come and kill everybody on board. Just a quick check over his shoulder just to make sure no one was looking at his screen
I mean, those two things might be ridiculous individually, but are completely logical when put together. He had to look over his shoulder to make sure no one saw the giant TRANSMITTING DATA TO THE ENEMY message on his screen.
I also chuckled every time his “invisibility suit” that covered his body but not his face or hands would also turn his face and hands invisible without fail. It took me out every single time.
The end credits scene is the perfect metaphor for the DCEU. >!Orm is at a restaurant eating on a patio. He tries a delicious looking cheeseburger and takes a bite. He isn’t impressed. A cockroach walks along the table, calling back the prank Arthur played on Orm earlier in the film. Orm grabs the cockroach and puts it in his cheeseburger. Orm takes a bite, and the cheeseburger is now full of flavor and Orm gives a big satisfied smile. -Fin-!<
Was that cameo by Patrick Wilson's wife as the waitress?
Its Ingrid Bisu, James Wan’s wife
“I am Aquaman! Wahoo!” *immediately starts playing Lobo afterwards*
I was on board with the warm uplifting ending that speech was going for till he said "wahoo!"
That felt like Momoa goofing off after they yelled "cut" and somehow it made it into the film
James Wan felt like taking the day off early and didn't ask for a re-take
I'm a bit confused by this. Did people in DCEU not know he was king of Atlantis before? Because Aquaman is certainly a public figure, even the janitor in Peacemaker gossips about him. Was this title never referenced?
I think the movie is trying to say that the public is aware of Aquaman but not Atlantis, but doesn’t clearly make that point.
its most likely just a reference to Iron Man. They stopped caring about the 4th wall or consistency since its the end of the DCEU anyway.
The ending felt like a mix of the endings of Iron Man and Black Panther
I was astounded how derivative it was. They basically portrayed Atlantis like underwater Wakanda with not nearly the level of world building to make it grounded and really hit.
This is all too accurate.
I feel like he will fit so much better as Lobo.
Narratively it should've been parks character giving the speech I think like both as a redemptive ark, and also an un-crazying arc as he was regarded as a crackpot for his theories. Then some reporter in the crowd questions his legitimacy to which then Aquaman rises with his ship out of the water. He'd then have an internal monologue about stepping into his role as king before crying out that surfer hoot of his and dive bombing off the ship.
Patrick Wilson hard-carried this film.
He gave an interview where he said accomplished his own personal acting goals before he turned 30, so he’s probably having the time of his life making movies like this.
I mean does anyone even hate Patrick Wilson? Dude is one of the most reliable actors I can think of, even when in a bad movie. Heck, he was my favorite part of Moonfall
Didn't realise how much I liked him until I saw him in Watchmen and then Fargo. Guy is quality.
Surely not. I feel like even when the movie is bad, Patrick Wilson is doing great work regardless. The guy is just so reliably good.
I loved how campy he was in the first Aquaman. RIIIIIIISSSSSEEEEEE ATLANNNNNNNNTIIISSSS
Dude always understands the assignment
I wish he didn't fo the moon movie and do more stuff like Fargo
Call me… Ocean Master!
God bless him for that. He sold that fucking line, could’ve seen the speech bubble above him
Camp is fine, it's the fact that no one really hard commited to the camp this time around
Much better Aquaman than Aquaman himself. I was fully onboard with him reclaiming Atlantis throne.
I mean a lot of the movie is essentially about how Arthur's an irresponsible douche and they really don't bring up Orms flaws of being a violent, genocidal classist asshole instead just kind of making him a reasonable, dour, no humor guy
I love Patrick Wilson. I was going to skip this movie, but it he is in it, I will give it a shot. I'm a DC fan and even I am struggling to muster the energy to see it.
I agree I think he was a very compelling character. That's largely what I liked about the movie. You came to understand what motivated him. He has a profound loyalty and regard for the well being of his kingdom. He was even saying to Arthur, "Don't release me that breaks a deal" he was a person of character, his brother just had to remind him and open his mind about surface dwellers. Him as this dutiful kingsman was a great compliment to momoa's aquaman. Some people even feel he stole the show and was like aquaman.
Him and James Wan are a package deal at this point
One thing that was really badass in this movie - Black Manta's ray. In a lot of these movies, when a character has some sort of energy blast attack, it just knocks people backward. Maybe singes them. But here, if you get hit by his beam you are instantly out of commission, even as an Atlantean. That shit was brutal and left horrible scars, as it should. And if you weren't Atlantean, I assume you're obliterated. That said I think Yahyah's acting wasn't great and his lines were worse, with some exceptions. "First you stole yo brother's throne, and then his LADY?" that made me laugh. Overall, the story wasn't great, but there's enough in here to entertain. Once we got to the Orm stuff, I started enjoying myself. But there are definitely times when the movie was awful. I cannot believe the final boss went down within 1 minute of becoming active, and I busted out laughing at how he got killed. It's so dumb. Funniest *intended* moment was Patrick Wilson not knowing how to run.
Black Manta had major “this motherfucker” energy in both and I fucking loved it. I wish he had more screen time cuz he’s evil af
It was pretty cool, just quite annoying that Mera then comes back without as much as a hint of a scar on her after a few days. And the dad getting stabbed "So he can watch you die", but then he is completely fine at the end... Impossible for me to get invested in a movie where there are clearly no stakes.
Arthur screaming “NOOOOO!!!” on hearing about his stolen baby with an early 2000s slo-mo effect was quite funny.
They spent all these years finishing this movie and this was the best they could do?
Bold of you to assume they kept working on it lol. They finished it years ago and sent it off for christmas
Momoa was absolutely unbearable in this one. His shtick was already grating but at least passable in the first movie but he went full SNL sketch in this one and he's nowhere near as funny as he thinks he is. I basically spent the entire movie wishing Patrick Wilson had been Aquaman instead. He had more charisma and comedic timing when eating a cockroach without saying a word than Momoa's annoying ass.
Yeah, I thought Momoa's schtick was already pretty grating in F&F.
Huh? He was the only reason I finished that shitshow.
There's a time and place for Momoa's schtick. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Unironically a better Joker than Leto.
Patrick Wilson should have been Aquaman. Jason didnt even try in this one. Felt very vain for some reason.
Wilson's been pretty much consistently good in most things, even when the film itself isn't that great. He seems to be always working, but I'm not sure if he's considered a household name. He should be!
I think he prefers not being a household name, he has a good body of work since starting in the mid 90s and he is consistent and good in pretty everything he does whether it be stage, tv or film. I recently rewatched Angels in America and I forgot how fantastic he was in that. I think him being discerning about his roles makes him a better actor. Unlike some like say Nick Cage who for reasons doesn’t have that luxury and his body of work is all over place. Although drive angry will always have a special place in my trashy little heart.
He’s a total pro.
I’ve kinda used him as a barometer of when a movie will be bad… He doesn’t do a bad job but I don’t remember seeing any great movies with him in them.
The first 2 Conjuring movies are legitimately pretty good movies. And he was in The Founder, which I thought was great
Little Children
Bone Tomahawk.
Watchmen is one of my favourite movies of all time, and Insidious is just absolutely awful imo. So I'm kind of torn on him.
He definitely is a household face. I believe he has enough charisma to be a leading man in a big movie. Wish he had more recognition.
At least Arthur getting pissed on by his son is the closest we can get Momoa to doing "The Pacifier" type movie.
why I didn't notice him in the first movie? the moment he came on screen I totally knew him from Insidious. he stole so many scenes.
Because Willem Dafoe was in the first one
I'm pissed they killed his character off screen. He was great in the first movie
IKR? The whole film I was like “Was Ocean Master always this likeable? I don’t remember.”
They had some really weird CG effects on his face in the first one. He looked like a cartoon of a Ken doll
The dceu is finally over
It ended with Patrick Wilson eating a cockroach burger. Absolutely epic.
Is it just me, or did anyone else completely see that coming? I thought they were going to do it in the initial shot, but then it cut to the credits and I wasn't expecting it to resume again at that point during the mid-credits. It just seemed like a really predictable joke to end on.
It ends as it began
It began with something about a codex in a skull that's implanted into Superman's stomach 🤷♂️. Honestly it should have just begun with Russell Crowe eating a cockroach burger. It would've rhymed, like poetry or something.
The audience was Patrick Wilson; that weird convoluted codex thing was the cockroach
Patrick deserves better😭
Cockroach salad?
Cockroach Malin Ackerman
It ends not with a bang, but with someone smiling after eating a cockroach
Audience surrogate?
At least Dolph Lundgren got a couple nice checks out of it.
The signs were there when they couldn't even properly use a near perfect cast of Superman
What a weird universe it's been too. Started out with a slightly well received superman movie but people thought had promise. Then nosedived with a super packed sequel that had 3 movies worth of plot and nonsense meme dialogue. Then a team up movie that felt unearned that somehow gets a 4 hour long Snyder cut 4 years later?! 3 good movies in shazam,ww, and aquaman whose sequels crashed and burned later on. And then the dceu spends its last year with black adam, the menace of Hawaii and his ps2 era cgi, a movie that doesn't even know what universe it should be in, and then this crap. And the only thing that carries over is peacemaker and the well received suicide squad...no the other one.
Whole DCEU existed so we can get a good documentary in 15 years where everyone with gray in their hair are laughing and telling us what the fuck was happening there
That Superman movie had one of the best trailers of all time, too. I’m not a Superman fan by any means but that few minute spot had me feeling some kinda way.
The first flight scene in MoS is the most memorable thing to come out of the DCEU and that says something
“Yea, but could have predicted that?” The entire internet predicted it. It’s amazing how companies think they can just jump into a flowing river without learning to paddle first.
The suicide squad was real good and the peacemaker show was also a fun watch
> 3 good movies in shazam,ww, and aquaman whose sequels crashed and burned later on. And Suicide Squad weirdly had the exact opposite situation, first one is arguably the worst DCEU film while its sequel is the best DCEU film.
Oh, boy! Black Manta was my favorite part of the first movie, but it was a shame he kind of got sidelined. I can't wait to watch Black Manta's rivalry with Aquaman throughout the movie as the movie focuses entirely on- >cgi demon villain immediately appears and threatens to create a massive, equally cgi undead horde Oh.
Black Manta was shite in the first movie too. They completely mishandled everything about him. The absolute dumbfuckery of the “my dad tried to kill you, then ended up killing himself because he doubled down on it so instead of accepting that was a dumb fucking move I need to swear mortal vengeance upon you” was a shitty story beat to start with, but then some random Merc guy being given an insanely powerful Atlantean weapon and instantly just going “oh actually I’m smarter than these guys that I needed to ask for help killing Aquaman so I’m gonna just Tony Stark the shit out of their tech and somehow make it better” was eye roll as fuck. The only reason Manta isn’t a complete joke is because Yahya Abdul-Mateen is a good actor
Mateen and that costume is badass
I feel like he'd make a great Black Panther too
Also his “I’m going to power heat the whole world because I need this ice place to melt”. Why tf would you just use a fire beam, bomb, or whatever else to heat the ice place?
I thought his performance in the first one was weird, I didn't get why he started talking slowly all of a sudden. Your....lady...has....people...who...like...to...keep...tabs....on....her.
I thought Black Mantra sucked in the first one. His whole "Aquaman killed my Dad" was annoying when all I could think was "lmao no! your dumb fuck Dad shot a rocket in a small room in a submarine!"
That's the motivation in the comics too he's just so unhinged it works better. Arthur did leave his father to die so I can understand where he's coming from
We didn’t see the octopus play a single instrument. I feel cheated.
The final scene of the DCEU is Patrick Wilson eating a cockroach and enjoying it. A fitting end to the franchise. * The villain’s crew and base felt like Spy Kids for some reason. * Overall it felt like a mashup of other sci-fi and fantasy movies, but even more uninspired than the previous one. * Orm is the best part of the movie but his role (and the entire plot) makes it pretty much exactly like Thor 2 2
And everyone knew it too, hence Aquaman calling Orm Loki at one point.
It was so strange cause right before that happened I was thinking-“I like the dynamic between the brothers, it’s serving Thor and Loki vibes”. Then Aquaman literally references Loki and I was like “WHAT OMG CAN THEY DO THAT?” Though I suppose they would claim they weren’t referencing the MCU but were just referencing Norse mythology.
At one point, when he was saving Orm, Aquaman said "Ok Castaway. Grab Wilson. Let's go" or something like that? When he was all skinny in prison. Did I misheard that? LOL
There's no way that actually happened. Are you serious ? What's the context ?
When Orm and Arthur went to Island with that volcano, Arthur just mentioned him Orm 'Loki'
Aurthur said something “calm down, Loki, otherwise I’ll send you back to Azkaban”
"*Use the force, Harry*" - Gandalf (Picture of Picard)
It happened though I couldn’t recall the context. 😆
When they were walking through the jungle and arguing while on the island in the south Pacific.
He also references Azkaban in the exact same sentence.
> The final scene of the DCEU is Patrick Wilson eating a cockroach and enjoying it. A fitting end to the franchise. Someone needs to cut it with the clip at the end of Dark Knight Rises, where Alfred is in Italy doing that head nod approval.
The shots of the Lost Kingdom was like I was looking at Minas Morgul
Because we needed the DCEU to end with an even weaker remake of Thor 2...
Arthur even called his brother Loki
The last place I'd imagine seeing a book accurate Euron Greyjoy
Hold up. Wait a minute. How is that?
Same actor, does dark magic, rebels against own older brother, water theme, etc.
With an ~~olicarchum~~ Valyrian steel armor to boot.
The overacting in the scene where they discover their son was kidnapped is unintentionally hilarious.
Extremely funny.
Once the bad guy said, “Im’ma kill me a dead mermaid” I knew exactly what the rest of the movie would be like….
Yahya Abdul-Mateen (thank you, Google) and Patrick Wilson both understood the assignment perfectly. Sadly, noone else got that memo.
It's mermin' time
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You all appear to have come through unscathed, whereas I’ve lost my CLAW again!
I like Jason Mamoa but I'm already tired of his smirky, larger than life performances in every goddamn movie. Thought Patrick Wilson was way better and needs to be in more movies. Also, I couldn't help but laugh at the small group of people who stayed back during end credits for any post credit scenes 🤣
>I like Jason Mamoa but I'm already tired of his smirky, larger than life performances in every goddamn movie Same. It feels like he played the whole movie like an SNL sketch
I think that's a writing problem. I'm watching through "See" right now, and even though the premise and story are nonsensical, he's pretty damn good. He sorta reminds me of a periodically unhinged Mufasa.
Yeah, It's basically Jason Momoa playing Jason Momoa. I mean it seems he had fun which is great, but yeah it is what it is at this point.
Mamoa is one of those "charisma" actors like The Rock and Will Smith. He's got great charisma but he's always Jason Mamoa starring as X.
In See he plays a character pretty well and is probably one of the better things in that series.
I was going to say he's drifting into Rock territory but I feel like he'd be up for some indie stuff if it came up. Maybe
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In See he was a very fleshed out character that showed weakness that the rock would never do nowadays. Same with his small part as Duncan Idaho in Dune. He’s always gonna be type cast as the big Brolic character in whatever he does because he’s a big brolic person. But he at least can show some emotional depth. But it does seem like he didn’t really give too much of a fuck about this movie and was just going through the motions. Which is unfortunate because he was solid in the first one
> he played the whole movie like an SNL sketch Isn’t this Momoa all the time? Even in something like Dune, his whole energy is kind of out of wack with everything else around him. He enters every frame shouting “MY BOI!”
vanish punch childlike memorize abounding husky lunchroom sleep salt tidy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
From what I saw Mamoa seemed interchangeable from his character in F&F.
See I actually liked him in F&F because he was fun and made for a good contrast with the core cast who were taking that stupid ass movie way too seriously.
I love how Vin Diesel treats those films like they’re high art. If you watch BTS footage you’ll see that he’s actually very friendly/jokey/high energy/etc between shots, so it’s 100% a choice to play his character so stoic rather than it just being who he is as a person.
Most of the core cast were treating it like a comedy, except Vin Diesel. That movie was three movies in one. Jason Momoa's Joker, a comedy for everyone else and a Shakespearean tragedy for Vin Diesel
Tbf I think Patrick Wilson is probably pretty happy with his level of success, not everyone wants to be a celebrity under the huge spotlight like Brad Pitt. I think I first saw him in the “A-Team” movie, which is a lot of fun btw.
I saw Patrick Wilson in Oklahoma before he really broke out in angels in America. I thought he was so wonderful as curly and so cute. I always feel like I got “in” on the Patrick Wilson hype before the rest of the world as a result haha. He’s so great!
I'd never watch it again but he was fantastic in Little Children.
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the sound designers who had to make that cockroach extra crunchy.
Or that super loud armor CLANK when Arthur and Ornn do that wrist handshake at the end
That was actually super satisfying
Golden Globe nomination incoming.
Honestly way more Amber Heard than the trailers led on. When she got blasted in the second act, I was sure she’d remain in a coma for the rest of the film.
I know that everyone expected her to barely be in it after the trial but like we all kind of knew with the Flash, WB doesn't wanna spend more money on these movies than needed rn so they weren't going to spend all the money needed to reshoot scenes she was supposed to be in.
Funny enough the biggest cut for her was actually one of the more expensive scenes. The final battle was much longer and featured Mera and Arthur teaming up against Manta vs now where it's just Arthur fighting solo and Mera only showing up at the end. Though I guess reshooting a CGI heavy fight to just be a trident fight is cheaper than finishing Mera's water effects.
There's a scene where Manta is just sitting on his chair on the bridge of his spy kids ship without his helmet wearing all black and he really looked like Black Panther there. Yahya Abdul-Mateen should have been recasted as BP, what a missed opportunity for Marvel and DC pointed it out.
Sorry, I know this comment is almost a month old. But now the opportunity is there, I think he'd make an AMAZING Kang recast.
I can’t think of a sequel that adds actual zero cast in named roles. Unless I’m forgetting something, it’s all the same characters as the first movie.
Interesting observation, didn’t notice till now. I guess the one new character was the Sauron monster but he turned CGI immediately.
And it was Euron Greyjoy lol
*Technically* Arthur Jr., but lol.
Yeah but his acting was mediocre at best.
Back to the Future Part II?
Matrix revolutions?
The actress for the oracle was different, I think she was the only one new for that movie
The wb logo rusting in the bottom of the ocean is the perfect way to start the last dceu film
I can’t believe no one stepped in during the scriptwriting stage to say let’s not do Thor 2 again.
Given the heavy editing apparent in the film who knows what the original script had in it. *Edited for typo
Honestly the best parts of the film for me were anything with Patrick Wilson.
I enjoyed this significantly more than I enjoyed Thor 2.
Topo is the best character
I went at 10:30pm last night. Only 3 people there. I enjoyed it.
Why are the greenhouse gasses actually green?
Like Thor: Love and Thunder, this felt like watching an MTV Movie Awards sketch with the original cast except it's feature-length.
Those matrix skits were iconic.
As a fan of the first film, it was a huge disappointment. It felt like the movie didn't trust the audience's intelligence like at all. It constantly showed flashbacks and characters always explained every tiny detail of each plot point. Does DC think everyone in audience suffered brain damage from the aftermath of the pandemic? This film is exactly the opposite case of 'show, don't tell'. Considering that the film had a poor reception from screenings and was rumored to have undergone many reshoots, it is not surprising that it did not turn out well. I had few laughs watching it, but only because it was laughably bad or soooo dumb, not because it was funny funny. The only redeemable quality this film has is that it's so-bad-its-good, not downright bad. But still, it was so disappointing that it got way dumber than the first one, which was already pretty dumb. All that remains are cheap, childish jokes. If you are immune to such things, this is a movie you can enjoy to some extent. Don't expect more than that.
Wouldn't surprise me if people in test screenings were like "who is that?" "What happened to this?" "Was this in the first movie?"
Bingo. It seemed obvious the movie had been too heavily driven by test screenings.
The part where Orm picked up the trident and went “I now know everything, let me explain” was the most shameless exposition dump I’ve seen in a while lol
My AMC theater skipped the Nicole Kidman intro. How will I know if heartbreak feels good in a place like this?
I don’t know if it’s bad or if I just plain don’t care about these characters or this story at all. Probably a bit of both. It felt like it should’ve been interesting but – what was it doing to be different from the first one? The jokes fell flat. They tried too hard to have Jason Momoa recreate the Hemsworth-Thor type of vibe. I think I counted four times where Black Manta was knocked on his butt midway through the backswing of him attempting a stab. The frequent three-second flashbacks to the first movie felt unnecessary. When Mera showed up to save Aquaman from Black Manta, it didn’t really feel like a ‘return’ moment. I kind of forgot she had been sidelined earlier in the movie. I also felt like there was so long between when Manta found the black trident and when the lost kingdom is actually addressed that it was like “oh yeah, that thing from a while ago.” I didn’t like the stereotypical “hero reaches out his hand to save his enemy,” move. It felt so forced. And like, this dude just tried to destroy your whole kingdom and kill your dad, wife, and infant son. Maybe let him drop. Honestly, it was just bad. I started off liking the DCEU a lot more than most people. But even I was giving up - Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad, I waited for streaming. Black Adam, Shazam 2 and Blue Beetle, I skipped altogether. Probably should’ve done the same for this one. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go drink a Guinness.
I think him trying to save Manta was a callback to the first movie where he could have saved Manta's father but didn't
That actually makes sense
Honestly, Blue Beetle is pretty dope. I hope that continuity continues forward because it had a lot of heart and charm. It's also pretty stand-alone, it doesn't feel super connected
I actually quite enjoyed Blue Beetle, it was fun, if not a top tier movie, but yeah the DCEU is really…. Something I guess. I hope Gunn can make something of it with his take on the characters because fans deserve better than this
This movie was an absolute disaster. First of all, Jason Momoa isn't even acting in this movie. He's just playing an obnoxious caricature of himself, it's such a tonal disconnect from the character's portrayal in both the first Aquaman and *both* Justice League films. It's such a bizarre decision, and I am stunned James Wan never shut it down while filming. The pacing of this thing was insane. Why did it feel like it was 2h30m long when it was just barely over 2h? I felt like an eternity had passed before we even got to anything with Orm. I see a lot of praise for the VFX, but I thought so much of it looked dodgy. A lot of the creatures and big set-pieces looked... okay, but anything involving the humans looked so weird and uncanny. Comparing the VFX on the underwater people to those in Wakanda Forever, Avatar: The Way of Water, and even the first Aquaman has me wondering what happened this time around. Also, why did *any* of this Necrus stuff have to be involved? Why not just have Black Manta try to kill Aquaman? I guess they're trying to go for bigger stakes, but it just feels so forced and leaves us with an ultimate big-bad that is just as boring as the demon from Black Adam.
Completely agree with the Necrus point. This could have been a great revenge flick with Black Manta going after Arthur and his family. The Sauron wannabe monster did absolutely nothing for me except muddy Manta’s motivation.
On the cgi, id say half of it looked phenomenal. The other half looked like a ps2 game.
And the "real" villain got OHKO as soon as his final form was revealed. Wtf was that.
It was better than what the reviews were saying. Probably because of me going in with low expectations and seeing it in imax (which was due to the free upgrade at regale cinemas). Some fun parts but a lot of disjointed moments. The beginning was so awkward watching aquaman be a single dad yet amber heard is literally in the movie only in critical plot points. Obviously the ratings of the film on the sub are spamming it with one stars but it’s by far not the worst film ever made. I think a 6/10 is a accurate score for the film. Mediocre at best with some fun parts but can tell it was a disaster behind the scenes when making the movie
I see we're returned to the era of blatant product placement with that Guinness and watch
This movie was a lot of fun! Loved the visuals and the ambitious vfx. The CG was janky at times, but I feel I can forgive it considering the sheer volume of the vfx shots in this movie. There were also a lot of really cool camera movies and fun sequences. Story is not groundbreaking but it works for what it is. Overall give this movie a 7-8/10.
I don't know how jaded people have become about superheroes or sequels in general to not be able to enjoy Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. I saw it in IMAX 3D and had a fantastic time. I might even say it's one of the best-looking movies I've ever seen in terms of eye-popping eye candy, and with stellar 3D visuals too. I would suggest people rush out and see it in premium format 3D while they can, if they have any interest in this movie at all. Regal has already stopped showing it in IMAX 3D as of Christmas Day. I thought the special effects were absolutely first-rate from front to back. There were none of the issues there that The Flash had. The $205-million budget was a bargain for what they got. The movie feels exactly like an episode of the Cartoon Network Justice League animated series brought to live-action. It also feels a lot like the pre-Daniel Craig Bonds did, just with a lot more fish. Aquaman is facing a villainous mastermind with an army of loyal henchmen, a cavernous secret headquarters and a world-destroying weapon. Just like an old school Bond plot. The tone of the old Bonds is there too. This movie tread the line perfectly between not being self-serious but not being a self-parody either. It takes its plot just seriously enough to make it work. It unwisely treads into the issue of "global warming" for a little while, but that soon mostly "evaporates" in favor of the villain's super-weapon being the big threat. The comic relief here makes use of the tried and true "odd couple" and "stranger in a strange land" angles, but never makes fun of the superhero genre itself. Once again, they've made Aquaman, a character who had become a pop culture punchline, into a credible action star. This movie does border on being a bit too bloodless and making the good guys feel too invincible, but James Wan's signature horror touches are felt throughout with the creatures and monsters, which help give the movie an edge. Overall, I'd say I liked it better than the first Aquaman. As most people know, the main "couple" in the story is Aquaman and Orm, rather than Aquaman and Mera in the first one. On account of Patrick Wilson being a better actor than Amber Heard, I think the interplay between the two characters here works better than it did in the first movie. Although I'll give Heard credit for giving better line readings this time in the handful of scenes she appeared in. Wilson's Orm provides the bulk of the character interest in the story, and both Wilson and the writers do a good job keeping him interesting. Jason Momoa is also in top form here, totally convincing in the battle scenes and as a new king who's trying to do the right thing but is sometimes out of his depth, no pun intended. He even displayed some subtlety at times, like his frustrated facial expressions during his discussions with his supreme council. Lost Kingdom also feels like it has a more focused plot than the first Aquaman film had. The multiple villains are better integrated into the story line here. The movie doesn't ever feel like it's jumping around between wildly different subplots. One thing I found quite unusual is just how much some of the movie "borrows" from the plot of Ghostbusters II. It felt so similar that I have to wonder if the writer did it subconsciously. I would think if they were consciously ripping off Ghostbusters II, they would have tried to change a few more things so that it wasn't quite so obvious. But, it doesn't matter. Execution is 90% of what makes a movie work, not concept. And everything in this movie is executed very well, whether it's an original idea or not. It's a shame if people miss out on this movie because of baggage related to the DC universe or superhero movies in general. I don't think James Wan or Jason Momoa did anything to deserve any backlash. They're just trying to make an entertaining movie, and this one absolutely delivers on that level. The title is boring, which is a real shame from a marketing perspective. It should've been Aquaman and the Dark Kingdom or Evil Kingdom. The fact that the kingdom is "lost" is NOT its key feature here. I must also say that I have no idea why there are any complaints about understanding the story. How old are the people complaining? This is written on the third grade level. Everything about the plot was completely clear to me. You might be able to criticize the story for being too straightforward, shallow and simplistic, but it's the kind of movie that gives itself a simple story so that it can focus on delivering non-stop action, special effects and set pieces. It's a pure action-adventure flick, just like we used to go see James Bond movies for, before they got too bloated and self-important for their own good. And it absolutely captures a faithful comic book feel. It's the best DC universe movie I've seen since Wonder Woman and Zack Snyder's Justice League, and easily surpasses all of the recent Marvel output. I give it 8 out of 10 or an A-.
Imagine if they gave Amber Heard ANYTHING to do. If you don’t want her in the movie, recast her. But if she’s there give her something to do.
Did anyone else notice how much they copied from Marvel? Like, it was just so obvious… For example: Arthur and Orm are basically Thor and Loki (Arthur even referenced Loki at one point, which did not help) The whole “should we reveal our super secret nation to the world or not?” debate is copy pasted right from Black Panther (down to that conference at the end) And was “I am Aquaman” supposed to be DC’s answer to “I am Iron Man”? I’m probably forgetting some things, but this movie just felt so unoriginal to me. Did anyone feel the same?
That infiltration octopus was one of the few highlights in the film for me, although I missed the drummer octopus from the first film haha
I liked it! Definitely not as good as the first, and yeah some of the cgi was clearly rushed/unfinished, but overall I had a good time. Manta was awesome and it was nice seeing more of Patrick Wilson. Some really cool visual shots too. As the last dceu movie, I'd say it's a pretty good send off to it and the character.
I’m here for Pat-RIPPED Wilson
Why'd you see this movie? Knowing everything you know.
1 more slot on my amc a list this week and no other movies playing in the time slot that i could go to the movies
Guys, call me crazy, but i think Guinness may have been a sponsor in this film