After years of delay, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is finally arriving in theaters to deliver a sequel to the surprisingly well-received Aquaman. Buoyed by Jason Momoa‘s charisma and bright visuals that leaned into pure comic book fun, the film went on to gross a billion dollars and give the DC Extended Universe a much-needed jolt of energy.
The Lost Kingdom apparently does none of that.
The film’s box office tracking is below sea level, and Momoa isn’t even pretending that his time as the character will continue once The Lost Kingdom finally puts the DCEU out of its misery. Judging by the reviews, the film lacks the fun of its predecessor, and like too much superhero content these days, does nothing to justify its existence.
You can see what the critics are saying below:
Mike Ryan, Uproxx:
This run of DC movies had to end eventually, one way or another. And, frankly, it was probably always going to be like this: an overwhelming spectacle of a thing, with a plot that doesn’t really approach coherent, that I’m pretty sure isn’t even finished, in a movie Aquaman gets peed into his mouth three times.
Owen Gleiberman, Variety:
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is less lyrical and wonderstruck, more battle-ready than “Aquaman” was. To defeat his nemesis, David Kane, a.k.a. Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the glowering pirate whose face was scarred at the climax of “Aquaman” (he wears a red-eyed helmet that makes him resemble a digital-age version of The Fly), Arthur and his comrades must journey to corrupt kingdoms and dingy mines that look like discarded James Bond sets from the ’70s. They spend most of their time fighting: face to face, spear to spindly CGI monster, trident to trident. Does the 3D heighten the action? Not especially, but the real answer is: Nothing could heighten it.
Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent:
There was once a time when a film as nakedly terrible as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would become its own spectacle. It’d be celebrated, ironically, as another Highlander II: The Quickening or Battlefield Earth – a banquet of nonsense for future inebriated university students to feast on. But the superhero market has thoroughly annihilated that joy. Now, it’s somehow possible to watch Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman straddle a CGI robot-shark and feel… nothing at all.
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter:
I can recall a handful of impressively trippy shots, scenes filmed from angles that remind you that these heroes and villains are duking it out underwater. But for the most part Wan sticks to the video-game aesthetic of his first film. Rupert Gregson-Williams returns as composer and his score encourages audiences to feel emotions the story doesn’t actually inspire. Even the actors seem worn out by the ridiculousness of this sequel.
Nicholas Barber, BBC:
The only actor who seems to be enjoying himself is Momoa (who also receives a “story by” credit), and that’s because he sticks to the hearty, beer-guzzling, motorbike-riding surf-dude persona that is familiar from his interviews and social-media posts. He has plenty of cocky charm, and plenty of mountainous muscle, so if the film had been about him brawling with bikers in a bar, it might have been a hoot. But a film about him throwing a magical trident at computer-generated demons at the bottom of a computer-generated ocean? That just seems like a waste. He’s too earthy to be the king of the sea.
Siddhant Adlakha, Mashable:
Gone is the Saturday morning cartoon sensibility of the first Aquaman, a fun (if half-baked) undersea romp that went on to gross a billion dollars. Ticket sales are by no means the arbiter of quality, but the tides are clearly turning. When it comes to big IP, mainstream audiences are no longer willing to settle for mediocre output, which would be a kind way to describe The Lost Kingdom.
Valerie Complex, Deadline:
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom struggles with inconsistent character portrayal, subpar CGI, and a lack of narrative direction. A crucial aspect of any franchise is its ability to make the audience invested in what’s next. There is none of the care put forth here. This universe is over, why should anyone care? Ultimately, it’s a film that has its moments but ultimately struggles to find its footing in the expansive ocean that is the superhero genre.
David Ehrlich, IndieWire:
“The Lost Kingdom” becomes more and more formulaic as it digs into its mythos, as if the movie were caught between being its own thing and being nothing at all. If only Wan and co. had seen the writing on the wall a little earlier, perhaps they could have found a way to ensure that the DCEU went down in a blaze of glory. Instead, it just sinks to the bottom of the sea, with Aquaman pushing to bring his world to the surface at the same time as Warner Bros. Discovery consigns his entire universe to the ocean floor.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom swims into theaters on December 22.