Review: “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom” ★★★★
In the second release of Aquaman directed by James Wan has become a new top box office film for DC, this has maintained high expectations for upcoming releases, such as Superman Legacy, which has a 2025 release date, this was confirmed by the new CEO of DC Studios James Gunn.
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is the sequel starring Jason Momoa where he teams up with Patrick Wilson who stars as the villain Orm in the first movie. Also Black Manta (Yaya Abdul-Mateen II) returns stronger than before.
The release of Aquaman caps a difficult and transitional year for DC superhero films filled with box office disappointments. The film was expected to open between $32 million and $42 million but was estimated at $28 million by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. also had a No. 2 movie of the weekend, "Wonka" and one of the top holiday releases, "The Color Purple" a buffet of big movies that theaters badly needed especially without any new Walt Disney Company or Paramount films. On Monday, Warner Bros will likely hold 3 spots in the top 5.
It's never good for Hollywood or movie theaters when Christmas Eve falls on a weekend day, but the last time Christmas fell on a Monday, in 2017 "Star Wars The Last Jedi" dominated the four-day charts with $71.5 million in its second weekend.
The latest chapter in the current iteration of the DC Comics Universe got off to a less than splashy start, with $13.7 million opening day grosses at 3,706 locations thanks to screenings in large-format theaters like IMAX.
If we add to this news of a production with many problems (including those from Variety) growing rumors of superhero fatigue and poor viewer response, as indicated by a b-grade from research firm Cinema Score, there is little expectation that "The Lost Kingdom" will achieve a multiplier 5 times that of the original "Aquaman" film, with $355 million in North America and over $1 billion worldwide.
In spite of expectations, "Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom" is a recommended sequel for fans of the DC Universe. It has incredible visual effects that make it appealing to all audiences and an action-packed story for Warner Bros and the DC Universe, is a smooth ride with more to come as the third part of Aquaman, which is still possible and expected to be starring Jason Momoa again.
