Since Arthur became the King of Atlantis, he married and had a son, Arthur Jr. However, he still declares himself Aquaman for the surface dwellers. Arthur loves being a dad, but the job of King disenchants him. He dislikes the political aspects of the job, and a council stops his ideas. One idea is revealing themselves to the surface and sharing the knowledge. They are upset that Arthur splits his time between the surface and Atlantis.
Dr. Stephen Shin works with David Kane to find Atlantis. David's Black Manta power suit doesn't work. It needs Atlantean technology to energize it. Stephen travels to the icy corners of the globe and falls into a cavern. David Kane finds Stephen in shock. They follow a trail to a cavern pool and dive in. David finds a broken black trident and puts the pieces together. The creator of the trident promises to help David kill Aquaman, everyone Aquaman loves, and everything Aquaman loves. But only if David frees the creator. David wages this unholy alliance. He starts raiding ancient Atlantean artifacts and a fuel source called orichalcum. Soon, David raided all the stockpiles except for the one in Atlantis.
Arthur sees news reports for the surface world that the climate is haywire. Then, he goes to Atlantis and discovers something is poisoning the sea life. The council blames the surface, but Arthur assures them that the surface isn't to blame because they are feeling it also. Then, David strikes Atlantis and injures Aquaman's wife, Mera. He steals their stockpile of orichalcum before making his escape with a sonic weapon. Arthur's mother, Atlanna, and Mera's father, Nereus, uncover that David has been stealing the orichalum for five months. Using the fuel caused greenhouse gases to emit at an exponential level. An evil king used it years ago, but Atlanna's husband, Atlan, stopped using it after he discovered its irreversible effect on the planet. Arthur wants to find David and stop him from destroying the plant, but only one man would know where David hides: Orm. Arthur must break his brother out of the Fisherman Kindom's prison undetected, find David, and save the world.
This sequel is more concise than its predecessor. It introduces viewers to new worlds while building on beloved characters. While the script doesn't state it, this film is a redemption story for Aquaman. He sees the past mistakes with his brother, Orm, and nemesis Manta and tries to fix them, albeit for a hot minute. Other times is a rock star King of Atlantis. He loves to party, drink, and be a dad. However, Arthur questions his ability to rule at Atlantis and tries to prove himself with every decision. When David unearths the lost kingdom, Arthur realizes how little he knows about his mother's home world. The opening scene gives viewers a synopsis of the first film and swiftly introduces Arthur's updated roles. The dialog has a quick wit and doesn't force an unnecessary love story. The graphics have improved in this film, but 3D isn't necessary. There is one cringy mid-credit scene, but nothing in the post-credits. The conclusion opens the door for part three but doesn't promise it. See this movie if you are a DC fan. Otherwise, wait for streaming.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Sorry, Pops. My bad - Aquaman
What the hell happened to you - Manta
Astounding - Dr. Shin
This changes nothing - Orm
