It has not been a great year for superhero movies. Both DC and Marvel have failed to deliver, and it has shown in the box office figures. Only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 made significant money, while The Marvels, possibly the most enjoyable Marvel movie this year, still failed to connect with audiences. So can DC’s last film before James Gunn takes the reins, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, bring some cash to what looks like a dying genre? Having watched the movie in a screening of three people, I don’t think that will happen. To be honest, it’s not that great either.

Aquaman has to balance life as King of Atlantis and fatherhood, and he’s finding things difficult. To make matters worse, Black Mantis is back, still gunning for revenge, and now he has the power of mystical Black Trident. He also wants a mysterious energy source that could cause catastrophic environmental disaster for the earth. Aquaman cannot battle him alone, so he has to get help from his imprisoned brother, King Om.

To finally see the film released is a bit of a miracle. Having been savaged by test audiences and having three reshoots, something unheard of with a big blockbuster, as well as the tricky issue of Amber Heard, who had just come out of the infamous court case with Johnny Depp, the film had to be pushed back for release several time. Sadly, it shows on the screen with all the issues it suffered.

The first issue is the plot. This is a film that doesn’t have any real direction to it. This confused storyline is led by a villain who brings no real menace to the film. You wonder if you are missing something with the storyline or if it’s just a case of bombarding the screen with enough visual effects that you won’t pay any attention to the muddled and lacklustre plot. This leads to problem number two: the effects.

Some films throw every effect at the screen, hoping one or two of them work well. Here, it doesn’t. It’s what I call a Magpie Production. Place as many colourful, flashy moments on screen, and you can dazzle the audience into forgetting everything else. However, when the effects are this poor, and you can see the joins, even that won’t help hide all the other imperfections. There are moments when you recall just how bad the para-surfing scene was in the James Bond film Die Another Day. Getting the effects team, who I am sure worked extremely hard to do their best work, to rush things to meet a release date doesn’t help. I’m also guessing they had already produced enough effects for the first three reshoots, only to have their work dumped; they would feel a little exhausted trying to make it work.

Then there are the endless fight scenes and set pieces. One of the major complaints about superhero movies is the overlong battles. They seem continuous here, with quieter moments between the next fight. Perfectly fine, but they are so confusing to watch you have no idea what is going on, and this only just makes you bored instead of excited. When you think of The Avengers’ finale, you are having your breath taken away. Here you are, looking at your watch.

Then we have the issue with Amber Heard. Rumours abound about her being recast (Emilia Clarke was in line to take over) and removed from the film were everywhere in the press. Well, she is still here as Aquaman’s wife, Mera. So what do you do? You give her as little to do as possible. She doesn’t speak until halfway through the film; then, it is minimum dialogue. Tough for a character who was so crucial in the first film. The rest of the cast fairs just as bad. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, so good in Candyman and The Trail of the Chicago 7, is given nothing to do as the villain, Black Manta, with cheesy, cliched lines, is not a great baddie. Please give the man another decent script, as he’s a good actor. Here, he is wasted.

If there is one, the saving grace is Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson. Momoa is back as Aquaman, throwing all his energy at the film, desperately trying to make it work. The film does pick up once Wilson appears as the prisoner Om and the two leads make a good team, with their banters and one-liners, but not enough to save this disaster.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is what Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was to Christopher Reeve’s years as the Man of Steel. It’s a film that should have been put away and forgotten. Instead, Warner Bros and DC desperately need some of its overblown budget. This could be the biggest disaster for a superhero movie, making it harder for James Gunn to save the genre.

1 out of 5

Director: James Wan

Starring: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Randell Park, Temuera Morrison, Martin Short

Written by: (also story) David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, (story) James Wan, Jason Momoa, Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, (Aquaman created) Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris.

Running Time: 124 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 21st December 2023