Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Almost a perfect superhero film

Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) has appeared in Justice League. He played his hand in defeating a threat to the world. Luckily, all that is ignored.

Hyderabad: The Lost Kingdom is almost a perfect superhero film. Though one could argue that there is no such thing as achieving perfection and it is always a learning curve, this sits comfortably near Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Jason Momoa deserves the credit for carrying it on his shoulders. This is a fitting farewell to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). With underperforming films like Black Adam and Shazam: The Fury of the Gods, Lost Kingdom gives the audience a glimpse of what is to come under the tutelage of James Gunn. James Wan has definitely delivered the best DCEU film.

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Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) has appeared in Justice League. He played his hand in defeating a threat to the world. Luckily, all that is ignored.

The film starts off where the earlier Aquaman had left – with Arthur as the king of Atlantis. He is happily ruling over Atlantis with his wife Mera (Amber Heard) and adores his newborn son. His arch enemy David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) wants revenge, and he comes across the Black Trident – a weapon that enhances Black Manta’s powers and is an answer to Aquaman’s (or rather King Atlan’s) Golden Trident. Who wins and what price must Aquaman shell out is what the remaining story is about.

Momoa shows and proves beyond doubt that he is a bankable star, nay actor. Though he was portrayed as a standalone guy in Justice League, he has performed beyond expectations in both Aquaman and here. They have been a visual delight, fun, and entertaining. This is a deviation from the general dark theme of DC. Kudos to Wan for bringing out the best in Momoa.

Kudos to Wan too for not falling back or giving in to the temptations of his Conjuring days. This is where Patrick Wilson as Orm Marius, Arthur’s half brother comes into play. The pairing of Orm’s serious and uptight persona to Arthur’s jovial and take it easy is spot on. Abdul-Mateen oozes villainism. Having said that, it does not hurt the eyes or ears.

This project on the whole has anything but smooth sailing. There were changes to the post of CEO, delays, reshoots, and not mention the much-publicised divorce of Amber Heard. It has navigated troubled waters and has finally made port with aplomb.

With cast like Nicole Kidman as Atlanta (Arthur and Orm’s mother), Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus (Mera’s father), and Randall Park as Dr Stephen Shin, a marine biologist obsessed with finding Atlantis, there is never a dull moment on screen. (Un) surprisingly, Amber Heard has nothing much to do.

This is not a typical superhero movie in more ways than one. The lead is not the serious brooding type – he is in fact jovial and laid back. Too much screentime is not earmarked for the backstory, which is short and crisp with a view time of just 120 minutes.

Perhaps Wan reaped the benefits of knowledge that this movie was no longer required to carry the burden of the next instalment. This also shows the need for standalone films. Hopefully this will not be last time we get to see Momoa play a DC hero (Lobo – may be).

Watch this. This will definitely make you look forward to Christmas!