We’ve been back to the DC Extended Universe for the 15th and film in the DCEU as we bring you our review of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in IMAX at Cineworld Broughton.
Director James Wan, Jason Momoa, and a star-studded cast return in the highly-anticipated sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”. Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman round out the cast.
After being defeated by Aquaman in their previous encounter, Black Manta is still determined to avenge his father’s death by taking Aquaman down once and for all. This time, Black Manta is even more powerful, possessing the mythical Black Trident, unleashing an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will need to team up with his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, despite their past differences. Together, they must work to protect their kingdom, save Aquaman’s family, and prevent the irreversible destruction of the world.
In the new movie, all the actors return to their respective roles. Jason Momoa will play Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now the King of Atlantis and a new father. Patrick Wilson will portray Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his enemy who must now become his reluctant ally. Amber Heard will play Mera, the Queen of Atlantis and mother of the heir to the throne. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will reprise his role as Black Manta, who is more determined than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family, and Atlantis. Nicole Kidman will play Atlanna, a fierce leader, mother, and warrior. In addition, Dolph Lundgren will return as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a movie that will be known for being the last in the current DCEU run of movies and it’s a shame that the franchise couldn’t go out with a bang rather than a slight puff of smoke, it’s by now means as bad as The Flash, the movie does look and sounds amazing on the IMAX screen as the entire movie is filmed for IMAX and has is in a 1:78 ratio from start to finish.
The movie also doesn’t hold back on the action scenes, but sadly Aquaman 2 doesn’t pull you in as much as the first movie did, there weren’t any moments when I was o[n the edge of my seat or laughing loudly at scenes that did seem to attempt some kind of humour, to be honest I felt disappointed with the overall story that the new movie was trying to bring to the big screen.
Yes, it’s great to see characters return to the big screen, but you get the feeling that everyone knew that this was going to be the last movie in the DCEU and they had just lost any interest in it. Plus I don’t think it helps when you see Amber Hurd in the movie and she shows the same facial expressions that she used in a certain courtroom with Johnny Depp, but that’s all I’ll say about that.
The soundtrack from Rupert Gregson-Williams does sound great in the cinema and there are some great tunes included that work well in the scenes, such as Born to be Wild and Spirit in the Sky.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in IMAX
As I mentioned earlier I went to see the movie on the IMAX screen at Cineworld Broughton which not only gives us a crystal clear image but also the sound is stunning with quiet scenes so perfect you can hear the slightest sounds in the movie to the massive booms of the explosions etc in the action scenes.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was filmed as part of the Filmed for IMAX program. The movie was shot with IMAX-certified digital cameras and features IMAX exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio (EAR) throughout the entire film. The filmmakers have designed the movie in a 1.90:1 aspect ratio, providing up to 26% more picture only in IMAX. In IMAX’s largest cinemas, the movie will be presented exclusively in the full 1.78:1 aspect ratio, offering even more image area exclusively in IMAX. This means that moviegoers will find themselves immersed in the movie, experiencing an even more captivating viewing experience.
If you are going to see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom then I would recommend seeing it in IMAX for the experience it’s just a shame that the movie didn’t end the DCEU with something so special that we would all be praising it for the right reasons.
Does Aquaman and the Lost Kindom have an End-Credits Scene?
Yes, it does have an end-credits scene although it does not stand up, it’s just one that continues something from earlier in the movie. Seeing that we don’t have any more movies to come it’s a scene that you don’t need to see. All we get is Orm (Patrick Wilson) sitting down eating a burger, then he picks up a bug and puts it in the burger and “crunch”! So that’s all there is to it, it’s rather a gross scene.
Directed by James Wan, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is produced by Peter Safran, Wan and Rob Cowan. The executive producers are Galen Vaisman and Walter Hamada.
The screenplay is by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Jason Momoa & Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, based on characters from DC, Aquaman created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.
Joining Wan behind the camera is his sterling team of “Aquaman” artisans: director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“Jumanji: The Next Level”), editor Kirk Morri (“Furious 7”), composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Wonder Woman”) and music supervisor is Michelle Silverman (“Malignant”). Visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Clash of the Titans” films, “The Dark Knight”) and costume designer Richard Sale (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Ready Player One”) also join.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is in Cinemas now.
Not so much a splash in the ocean but more of a drip!
Movie title: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Movie description: After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force.
Date published: December 23, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 4m
Director(s): James Wan
Actor(s): Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Summary
A sad bowing out of the DCEU, Aquaman 2 isn’t a patch on the first movie and it’s a shame that it didn’t end the current DCEU with a bang rather than a slightly subdued pop!
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
