The DCEU’s mediocre conclusion with Aquaman 2 is a surprise to no one.
Directed by former horror film maker James Wan (Saw, Conjuring, Insidious) Aquaman 2 fails to deliver a satisfying end to the already plummeting DC film series. It’s a fine enough sequel to the first film but doesn’t feel like a proper finale to a movie series. It’s another forgettable superhero movie from DC, they’ve had a lot of those recently and this isn’t any different.
A highlight of the film to me however, was the acting. Jason Momoa is fantastic as Aquaman and his time on screen with Patrick Wilson is very entertaining. Wilson’s character growth in this movie compared to the first was also something that I enjoyed a lot. There was a bit of controversy surrounding this film with one of the cast members, Amber Heard. Her situation with Johnny Depp had left many wanting her fired from this film, Heard even claiming that co-star Momoa and director James Wan both wanted her off the project. She didn’t have much screen time and reportedly only had 11 lines throughout the film.
The real star of the show for me was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. Manta had a minor role in the first movie serving as a secondary antagonist, he certainly takes the spotlight in the sequel. Manta was a very intriguing character to watch and Yahya’s acting was a huge part of that. He makes the character likable and I was more interested in seeing him than Momoa. Manta’s design was my favorite part of the film, it’s amazing that the costume designers were able to make his helmet both so silly and incredibly cool, it perfectly encompasses the feeling of a comic book.
Overall, Aquaman 2 was a decently fun enough movie but I don’t think it’s worth a watch. The amazing cast can only carry your attention for so long before you realize how boring the plot actually is. The only time I cared about what was happening in the movie is when Manta was on screen, the rest failed to hold my attention. It’s an alright movie that didn’t do anything special to end a cinematic universe.
