CNN
—
That speeding sound is “Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom” taking up water, because the five-years-later sequel to DC’s biggest box-office hit reunites the important thing gamers earlier than dousing them in questionable selections. Missing the sense of discovery and world-building that powered the unique, director James Wan settles for a sort-of misguided buddy comedy. Regardless of the intent, this doesn’t really feel like the reply to raise superhero motion pictures out of their hunch.
Certainly, as disappointing DC sequels go, “Aquaman” provides “Wonder Woman 84” a run for its cash, though whereas the villains dragged that 2020 movie to its personal depths, the absence of a fresh-water foe creates completely different issues, missing novel parts to differentiate this film from its superior predecessor.
Having two villains within the first film left one, the revenge-minded Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), to select up the heavy lifting, having found a darkish trident that brings with it unbelievable powers and creates an environmental menace to the world.
As for Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), he’s basically coping with the hangover of getting develop into king of Atlantis, wrestling with household calls for and bureaucratic pink tape that in poor health befits his origins as a short-tempered brawler.
The hazard fueled by Black Manta, in the meantime, compels him to take a daring step: Turning to his imprisoned half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to assist discover and defeat him. If that remembers one other sibling rivalry, hey, it’s not like Marvel invented messed-up mythological households.
The interaction between Momoa’s smart-alecky hero and his critical, hostile one-time enemy in concept establishes a mechanism to loosen up the film, however their “48 HRs.”-style relationship doesn’t muster sufficient sparks to anchor this visually relentless train.
Director James Wan once more fills the display screen with spectacle, a few of it erratically rendered, although even eye-popping digital results couldn’t compensate for the frequent flatness of the dialogue and conditions. (Though David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, a veteran of “Aquaman” and certainly one of Wan’s “The Conjuring” sequels, will get sole screenplay credit score, he shares credit score for the story with Momoa, Wan and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, which is likely to be a case right here of too many cooks spoiling the fish stew.)
The movie’s fraternal focus additionally doesn’t depart a lot to do for Nicole Kidman as Aquaman’s Atlantean mother and Amber Heard as his spouse Mera, though hypothesis that the latter would have a considerably diminished function based mostly on advance teasers seems to have been exaggerated.
The underside line is whereas the primary “Aquaman” delivered a number of enjoyable, a lot of that resting on Momoa’s brawny shoulders, this one doesn’t almost as persistently. Abdul-Mateen will get saddled with a one-note villain, and the thought of the grudging bond between Arthur and Orm wades by too many clunky moments to succeed in the few good ones.
As famous, this has already been a rough year for both Marvel and DC, so industrial expectations for “Aquaman” ought to have been tempered accordingly. However even permitting for that tidal pull the movie and its stewards have executed themselves few favors by coming again this late within the sport with one thing so uninspired.
Sure, everyone knows Aquaman can speak to fish, a expertise he jokes about on the outset. However to borrow a phrase related to “The Godfather,” a conspicuously waterlogged sequel could make the case to let the franchise sleep with the fishes for some time, too.
“Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom” premieres December 22 in US theaters. It’s rated PG-13. The film is being launched by Warner Bros., like CNN and DC, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.