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Writer's pictureKen Silvers

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom



Jason Momoa first burst onto the big screen as Aquaman in 2018, and he returns as the famous comic book character in the sequel, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom". The film picks up several years after Arthur Curry (Aquaman) was crowned King of Atlants, which occurred after he dethroned his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson). Arthur and wife Mera (Amber Heard) now have a son, Arthur Jr., and as a result the King splits his time between land and sea. While Arthur is living his happy life, David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the Black Manta, is plotting to kill Aquaman and his family in order to seek revenge for the death of his father. Kane has teamed with Stephen Shin (Randall Park), a marine biologist, in an attempt to find ancient Atlantean artifacts, which could be used against Aquaman. Kane does manage to find a black, but extremely dangerous trident, which his plans to use against our underwater hero. The trident Kane has in his possession was used by an evil leader, and was hidden by Atlanteans so it could never be used again. As several months pass, Kane attacks Atlantis, with an ancient Atlantean ship he and Shin found in their undersea explorations. Kane is after orichalcum, which can be used for deadly purposes in his battle with Aquaman and his kingdom. As if his theft of orichalcum isn't bad enough, the metal emits large qualities of greenhouse gases, which is causing extreme weather across the planet. Arthur is not able to find Kane, so he breaks Orm out of prison to help in the effort. While Orm is not thrilled to help his half-brother, who took his crown and Mera, he finally agrees to assist. The two manage to find Kane's location, a volcanic island in the South Pacific, and head out to confront the pirate/mercenary. At this point the plot involves kidnapping, a trip to Antarctica, bantering between Arthur and Orm, and exciting fights and battle sequences. The film ends on a happy note for all involved, and the lone post credits scene is humorous, but leads to no sequel, as the world of DC movies is about to be re-booted. The performances in the film are all enjoyable, with Momoa once again having a blast as Aquaman. He and Wilson have great chemistry as the half-brothers, and Nicole Kidman is again very effective as Atlanna. As for Heard, despite all  the off-screen controversy that has surrounded the actress, she is still great in the role of Mera. Abdul-Mateen II, is given more time in the sequel to keep the revenge seeking Black Manta in villainous form, and does so effectively. Plus, we have the return of Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, the king of Xebel and Mera's father. The film's special effects are on par with the first film, and I will never understand why the original film wasn't nominated for the Best Special Effects Oscar, as the underwater scenes are beautiful and often amazing. The story has heart, humor, thrills, and the giant seahorse Storm, which all add up to a great superhero film in my book. This is apparently Momoa's last appearance as Aquaman, and I'm sure he will miss the role, as the aforementioned DC film reboot takes flight with "Superman Legacy", scheduled for 2025. Overall, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is an enjoyable story for those seeking a good time at the theater, and I do recommend you catch the film on the big screen. (Rated PG-13)

4/5

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