Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
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The story
Four years after becoming king of Atlantis, Arthur Curry balances his life between land and sea while raising his son. His peace is shattered when the villainous Black Manta seeks to use a powerful, cursed artifact known as the Black Trident. The artifact's use threatens to trigger a global catastrophe by overheating the planet. To stop Manta and protect his family, Arthur is forced into an uneasy alliance with his half-brother, Orm. Together, the two brothers must navigate dangerous territories and uncover the secrets of the lost kingdom of Necrus to prevent the destruction of both the underwater world and the surface world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Four years after becoming king of Atlantis, Arthur Curry lives a double life on land and sea with his wife Mera and son Arthur Jr. Meanwhile, Black Manta seeks revenge for his father's death by searching for Atlantean artifacts. After Manta finds the Black Trident in Antarctica, he becomes possessed by its creator, Kordax. The trident's power is being used to power machines that threaten the planet's climate. To stop him, Arthur frees his half-brother Orm from prison. The pair travels to the Sunken Citadel and then to a volcanic island in the South Pacific, where they face Manta's forces. During their journey, Orm sees visions of the lost kingdom of Necrus and realizes Manta has kidnapped Arthur's son. They travel to Antarctica to reach the lost kingdom. In a final confrontation, Arthur and Orm must overcome their hatred to stop Kordax and destroy the Black Trident. After the threat is neutralized, Orm is redeemed, and Arthur decides to reveal the existence of Atlantis to the human world at the United Nations to ensure the protection of the oceans.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Wan
- Writers
- David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jason Momoa · Arthur Curry / Aquaman; Patrick Wilson · Orm Marius; Amber Heard · Mera; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II · David Kane / Black Manta; Randall Park · Dr. Stephen Shin; Dolph Lundgren · Nereus; Temuera Morrison · Thomas Curry; Martin Short · a gigantic piscine humanoid; Nicole Kidman · Atlanna
- Genres
- superhero; comedy; action; fantasy
- Themes
- climate change; family; brotherhood
- Tone and mood
- buddy comedy; action-fantasy; retro sci-fi
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; fantasy; adventure; buddy comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- DC Comics
- Franchise connections
- DC Extended Universe (DCEU)
- Reception
- The film received negative reviews from critics but was noted for the strong chemistry between the lead actors and its high production values.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 33% · scale: percentage · review count: 212; Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film's budget reached $215 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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