Rebuilding Rob

It seems only appropriate that I would end the final day of 2023 with the final entry into Warner Bros. “DCEU” AKA “The Snyderverse”

Honestly, it’s not even so much that Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom was a bad movie. I wouldn’t say it was an amazing movie, but it was entertaining for two hours.

The biggest problem with this movie, aside from the fact that Warner Brothers spent zero money to marketing it , was the fact that it is seemingly an afterthought. An announcement made over a year ago that Pete Sarafin and JJ Abrams would be taking over the DC comics films. To make matter even worse, Abrams prematurely made the announcement that he would resetting the DC film universe. All of the characters and stories we have been introduced to in the last 10 years would be recast. Such an announcement rendered Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and A&TLK meaningless.

So the DCU ends that not with a bang, not even with the whimper. The franchise essentially tucked its tail between its legs on The Walk of Shame.

For what it’s worth, A&TLK features the return of Black Manta, a side villain from the first Aquaman movie. Manta has stumbled upon an ancient seventh society of Atlanteans. This race has been frozen in ice for millions of years. Releasing them would bring about ecological disasters for the rest of the world. To that end, Aquaman is reluctantly forced to team up with his brother Orm to save the day.

The one pleasantly surprising bright spot in the movie was Patrick Wilson’s return as Orm/Ocean Master. Sprung out of prison by Aquaman, he is reluctantly forced to help his estranged brother defeat Black Manta. I found myself cheering for the character, constantly fearing that he would eventually turn on Arthur. Sadly, Orm’s story was about as emotionally invested as I got in this film.

I’m tempted to go into more detail about the plot, but I don’t see the point. WB Discovery’s decision to perform a hard reset on the DC movie universe made this movie irrelevant.

Most of the elements of that led to the first Aquamn’s success our present, including returning Director James Wan. Jason Momoa returns, lovable, half human, half-Atlantean , Arthur Curry. The character seems to be growing slightly more comfortable with his role as the king of Atlantis. The one main absence from the first film is Amber Heard as Mera. The character is present. But it is fairly obvious when viewing the film that she was most likely removed from certain scenes resulting from the fallout her lawsuit with Johnny Depp.

For me, the one thing that I kept thinking about watching this movie was the potential of the DC universe. Here, in the first Aquaman movie, and in the first wonder, woman film, the DC earth is present. An incredibly rich and diverse world full of wonder. The DCEU simply could not get out of its own way. Zach Snyder, to his credit, had a vision that, it seemed to fruition, I think, would have it in a very prosperous movie franchise. However, Warner Brothers was too impatient, insisting on trying to re-create the Marvel formula too quickly.

I think that Jason Momoa has Aquaman could have been successfully inserted into the new “DCU”. At the same time, I also understand gun and Serafin decision opt for a hard reset.

FINAL TAKE: Aquaman in the lost Kingdom was entertaining enough. Unfortunately for all parties involved however, the movie was dead on arrival. Wait for it to stream on Max.

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The article “Rob Reviews: Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom“ first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.