Film Name: 海王2：失落的王国 / Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom / Aquaman 2
Yesterday, I went to see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as Aquaman 2), which was just released in theatres, and it was a real treat.
The film’s venue and gesture is huge, visual wonders appear one after another, special effects scenes are stuffed with corners and corners, and I saw it in the IMAX hall, the audio-visual stimulation feeling is more obvious, and it’s not too much to say that the viewing experience and effect is a lot of food and water.
As for the story, Aquaman 2 is a bit more modest, following the plot of the previous film closely, this time choosing to follow the family line of King Arthur and focusing on the rebuilding of Arthur’s brotherly bond with his brother Orm…. -It’s a bit clichéd and outlandish.
It may sound clichéd and outrageous, but after watching the film, I realise that it’s really like that, and that dealing with family matters is the same as ruling a country.
[Friendly reminder: there will be spoilers below].
As usual, I’d like to start by praising the performance of Aquaman 2 in terms of ‘hardware’, which has once again given the audience a little industrial shock.
The biggest impression I got from the film this time is that the story scenes have been enriched greatly: the icy Antarctic realm, the magnificent underwater world of Atlantis, the sandy desert cave, the outlawed land full of undersea cyber wasteland, the mutated island where all the creatures have been enlarged like a fantasy paradise, and the dark and dead ancient land of the lost ocean… …
With the different landscapes and environments, and the corresponding visual styles, Aquaman 2 keeps its ‘ocean theme’ intact, but it also adds a lot of new life, providing a sense of familiarity and strangeness.
And thanks to the new maps, there are a lot of realistically shot open scenes, and even part of the film’s green-screen filming has been washed away, making the images look more natural and realistic.
At the same time, Aquaman 2 continues the pacing of its predecessor in terms of special effects and action sequences, cramming many of the popular elements and strengths of the genre into key moments that will make you ‘can’t stop’.
In addition, Wen Ziren’s signature thriller scene in ‘Aquaman 2’ also has arrangements, such as the opening scene of the tentacle monster in the ice cave, giving the atmosphere is very positive …… words, the film is tentacle and octopus, ‘grams’ flavour is quite a lot, in the A-grade production can also see these B-grade elements, director Wen is really forgetting the first ah. In the A-level production can still see these B-level film elements, Wen director can really not forget the original intention ah.
All in all, if you’re looking for a ‘Hollywood blockbuster that will bomb the screen’, you can go and see it without worrying, the film has done its job.
It’s time to talk about the plot of Aquaman 2. The film opens with a brief synopsis, which even those who haven’t seen the first film will understand: Arthur becomes the new king of Atlantis, has a child with Meera, and has to play the role of king in the sea while playing the role of a father and son on land.
Even as king, Arthur maintains his reckless, blunt, and somewhat mischievous personality (which is the basis of the protagonist’s likable persona); he’s tired of the red tape and hand-holding, and enjoys the thrilling freedom of guarding his kingdom and underwater adventures, and being a king isn’t much different from doing a job you love to hate.
The biggest change in the character line/family line aspect of Aquaman 2 this time around is that it shifts the narrative focus to the forging of a brotherly relationship, taking the opportunity of Arthur’s father, Tom, wanting his son to have another child to bring the subject to the forefront – yes, you read that correctly, even the King of the Seas is going to be hyped up about having a second child.
Honestly, the subject is rather stale, but it has room to be explored no matter what time of year it is, and looking at the members of Arthur’s family reveals a very typical character relationship: both Arthur and Orm grew up as only children, waited until they were old enough to learn that they had a half-brother, and had to deal with restructuring their family on top of being used to being an only child.
Of course, a commercial film like Aquaman 2 won’t delve too deeply into such serious issues, but that doesn’t stop Arthur and Orm, who were originally at odds with each other, from going on an adventure to rebuild their friendship amidst all the hilarity.
The temperament of the two brothers, Arthur and Orm, belongs to the very classic ‘brainless and unhappy’ persona, Arthur is responsible for the big, bold, fussing, disobedience and ‘reckless on the end’, Orm is responsible for the seriousness, seriousness, learned and memorised and ‘can’t stand you’. ‘I can’t stand you’.
In addition to personality differences, this is also caused by the two people’s growing up environment and experience, Arthur grew up mainly on land, there has been little ideological baggage, unassuming, generous, and always live in the ocean Aum from childhood in the inheritance of the throne and live, high pattern, but narrow vision, and temperament is not big.
In other words, in the duet between the two brothers, the eye of the play seems to be focused on the comic Arthur, but the comic Orm has more to see.
The journey of the villainous Black Manta is both an exercise in brotherhood and a rebirth of Orm’s understanding of the world.
When Orm learns of Arthur’s plight after his escape from prison, he tries his hardest to mock the other man for not acting like a king, which is very old-fashioned, and when he goes to the land of the outlaw to ask for clues, he is also determined to take the upper route and engage in the underground dealings, which is not as dry and effective as Arthur’s heartless rogue’s behaviour.
The most iconic scene is undoubtedly the adventures of the two brothers after landing on the mutated island, where, with plenty of laughs and Arthur’s foul mouth, Orm begins to try to understand the wonders and exoticism of the terrestrial world for the first time.
Take Arthur tricking Orm into eating a cockroach, although the plot is very badass and bad taste, for Orm who has never tasted land food before, everything is brand new, and the crunchy, protein-packed cockroach is a real delicacy without any beauty or ugliness (it reminds me of when I was in college and a guy in the dorm room across the hall tricked his first-time northern classmates into not eating crab yolks, but only crab legs). –Although this is not a very good start, but ‘start’ is the most precious.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the homage to Arthur calling his brother Orm ‘Loki’… I guess he knows he’s got the same tone as Thor and Loki in Thor 2!
In this context, the end of the duel brothers pick up the dark trident respectively by the villainous evil king compulsion and arch fire, also has a new meaning and value: should they raise their hearts and let hatred, or should they disregard the past and re-try the friendship?
The answer is undoubtedly yes. Because of this, even though Aquaman 2’s story flow doesn’t have much to offer, it succeeds in getting its primary heart in the right place.
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