Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
The first Aquaman felt very fresh to me. Jason Mamoa’s Arthur Curry didn’t take himself too seriously. The scenery was colorful and immersive, and the story was easy to follow. This was peak mainstream entertainment. Escapist fun if you will. Now that we know the fallout of anticipation following Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and it’s less than stellar critical and commercial response, I had to ask myself if that negative response was worthwhile or not… So, take a look at my thoughts below and if you feel so inclined, click the home media artwork at the end to get yourself a copy!
Film 
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
There it is, folks. The plot of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is very simple. I don’t need to delve deep into anything. Simplicity is key for this new entry into the Aquaman fold. I for one, am grateful for that. Jason Mamoa is as everyman as you can get as far as superheroes go, and here he is clearly having fun. For those who don’t know, he also had a hand in the creation of the story. Here the main draw is family bonding together, good overcoming evil, change bringing good things… Like I said, simple.
Now, why all the negativity? I can’t really be sure. The film is cheesy, and that’s to be expected. The first Aquaman was also cheesy. The effects run the gamut of fantastic and not so great. Also, to be expected. The actors all do a great job. Yes, even Amber Heard. Baby Aquaman is adorable too. Seeing Mamoa do the new dad thing feels like pure joy too. We also get an underwater bar brawl, a desert romp and a jungle paradise that I’d never want to visit. Finally, we get some solid laughs and fun if not revolutionary action. All the same, there is still nothing to complain about.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is not a game-changer. It borrows from other plots, has some strange segues, and some silly plot devices. But to the movie fan looking for a brief escape, this movie can definitely fill that bill. If we get another Aquaman film, I hope the creators keep it silly. I think superhero film fans forgot that comic books and superheroes were meant to be fun, campy and sometimes silly and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is just that. So, go into with lowered expectations and an open mind for simple and silly, and you just might have a great time with it.
Video
Stills are for promotional use only and are not screenshots from the 4K Blu-ray
Encoding: HEVC/H.265
Resolution: 4K
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
HDR: Dolby Vision
Layers: BD-100
Clarity/Detail: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes home with a stunning, nearly jaw-dropping 4K transfer. With the brightness of Dolby Vision arming the film with even more color space. Even though the film was shot at 2.39:1, we also get to see the full 1.78:1 image, which home media fans love. Detail is tack sharp and no softness is in any shot!
Depth: Foregrounds and backgrounds, indoors and outdoors, Aquaman and his world travels look incredible. Be it the desert, the jungle, the ocean or the arctic, everything is so full bodied and quite the visual showcase.
Color Reproduction: Colors here also look incredible, and perfect in each realm of the world.
Flesh Tones: Skin tones can at times look a little baked, but I think that’s artistic intent. This is a silly comic book movie after all!
Noise/Artifacts: Clean
Audio
Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Dynamics: The Dolby Atmos mix for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is rock solid. Whether it’s music, submersibles or a giant octopus, the soundstage is wide and immersive, and everything sounds incredible.
Height: Height channels hold dynamic sound like rushing water, ice falling, fire burning, or even light ambience. The heights are always holding sound and putting you right in the action.
Low-Frequency Extension: Music, oceans, ice, desert sandscapes and explosions are just a few things that bring bass to the mix. This one is a sub punisher!
Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds are always active just like the height speakers, with lots of moving sounds to go from left to right, just as a good surround mix should!
Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is exacting and spot on!
Extras
Extras for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are surprisingly informative and fun for a movie that supposedly so bad… They are as follows:
Finding The Lost Kingdom (4K, 21:22)
Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below (4K, 9:38)
It’s A Manta World (4K, 10:08)
Necrus: The Lost Black City (4K, 5:51)
Escape from The Deserter World (4K, 8:05)
Brawling at Kingfish’s Lair (4K, 4:07)
Oh, Topo! (4K, 2:12)
Features run the gamut of making of, development, story ideas, the lost city in the title, a fight sequence and its staging, and the campy octopus that accompanies Aquaman on his journey.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray ships with a slipcover and digital code. There is no bundled Blu-ray.
Summary
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom doesn’t make new rules or break old ones. It isn’t complicated or overlong. The actors look like they’re having fun. The underwater world of Atlantis does look like a blast too. It’s colorful and immersive and of course, this 4K UHD Blu-ray is the very best way to go about seeing it. If you liked the first Aquaman, this may be worth a look for you. Don’t let the negativity distract you, just have fun with it!
