“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” takes you under the sea to see Aquaman fight to save Atlantis and his family.

The DC Comics Extended Universe, also known as DCEU, has had a less-than-heroic record at the box office.

From “Man of Steel” (2013) to their latest, “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom” (2023), DC has chronicled some of the most recognizable superheroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Most of these films have been both critical and commercial duds.

The Aquaman movie franchise has been the exception, as the 2018 film “Aquaman” was DC’s highest-grossing and beloved superhero film. With that as the background, hopes are high for the Aquaman sequel.

The movie begins showing Aquaman (played by Jason Mamoa) as his earthly persona, Arthur Curry.

Since the last film, Arthur has become a father that dotes on his newborn son. The scenes showing Arthur interacting with his son are funny and engaging and help build Arthur/Aquaman’s character as a decent man who wants an everyday life while also raising his family and keeping his kingdom safe.

That moment of peace slips away when duty calls, and Arthur is brought back to his underwater kingdom to deal with the crisis brought on by David Kane (who is also known as Black Manta in this film).

Black Manta has discovered the lost city of Atlantis and the fuel source used to power this world. The problem with this discovery is that the fuel source causes massive global warming and begins to melt the ice, freeing some pretty evil characters and monsters from their frozen state.

To battle Black Manta and the other villains, Aquaman frees his brother, Orm, and together, they act as a dynamic duo. This is the movie’s heart, and it makes Aquaman play out as a buddy comedy. 

Patrick Wilson plays Orm, and he has some very funny lines in the film (be sure to stick around for Orm in the closing credits – it’s a good laugh).

The two brothers bicker, play pranks and ultimately fight before uniting to battle Black Manta and the others.

The special effects in this film are stunning, and the action was non-stop (to be fair, I saw this movie in IMAX 3D, and the giant screen was immersive). The underwater buildings and machines were highly detailed, and the above-ground footage was gripping. 

This was one of the better looking 3D movies I’ve seen, and it didn’t have the typical dark tint that is usually required to create 3D effects.

The plot and the accompanying dialogue are where the film sputters. This isn’t a condemnation of this film, oftentimes the action element of superhero films takes priority over the plot and the actors.

The producers have announced that they’ll take a different path forward, so enjoy “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom” as the last time you will see Mamoa as the underwater king. Many viewers are sad to see Mamoa leave the silver screen, including myself.

Does Aquaman 2 sink or swim? It does both.

At least he goes out with a splash!