Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (4K UHD Review)

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the sequel to 2018 film. Jason Momoa is back in the lead role as the titular underwater hero awaiting a rematch with Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who has a Black Trident in his possession, powered by a potentially world-destroying energy that killed the until now secret rival kingdom to Atlantis. Aquaman turns to his brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) seeking an alliance to help fight this new threat, putting aside the difference between the siblings.

DC has long been trailing Marvel in the quality of their theatrical releases unless it was something related to Batman (see The Batman or Joker) or even squeezing out a surprisingly good Wonder Woman film. In recent years, it seems they have managed to catch up to Marvel, not because they have improved, but because Marvel has dropped off drastically in quality. This latest entry is sadly not a film that helps to raise the bar and take DC (or superhero movies) to a new level.

James Wan, known mostly for his horror films (Saw X, M3gan, Malignant) takes the reins of this sequel and gives us a story that is disconnected in its plot and awash in some of the gawdiest CGI ever put to screen. The $205 million budget for this film has resulted in visual effects that push you out of the suspension of disbelief. How is it that Godzilla Minus One with a $15 million budget win an Oscar for special effects and put this film to shame?

The film is certainly fun, but too mind-numbing to be memorable, and too visually fake to allow one to escape into its world. Momoa is the standout in the film with his charisma, while the other members of the cast do their best, but seem a bit wooden and unable to shift between Wan’s tone in his screenplay of drama and fun actioner.

Purchase Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 4K Ultra HD + Digital on Amazon.com

The Video

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was shot on a Panavision Millennium DXL2 IMAX with Panavision Primo 70 lenses in DXL RAW 8K. A 4K Digital Intermediate was utilized in the mastering stage. Despite the horrendous CGI, the film, presented on 4K in a 1.78:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision. It is colorful and full of detail and contrast. Highlights look brilliant in the numerous weapons blasts, the bronze color on the torso of Aquaman’s suit stands out with excellent vibrancy.

The Audio

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes with a very perplexing lossless Dolby Atmos audio mix. Perplexing because the dynamic range and low-end seems to be curtailed by some very odd choices at the very least and crippling incompetence at the worst. There’s the moment where the sonic cannon is fired toward the Atlanteans, and, well, the “boom” one may be expecting goes practically silent. Or when the iceberg collapses in the opening scenes, and we hear barely a thump in the LFE. Huh? Okay, but the mix does have clarity in the dialogue and some good use of the surround channels, but not much discrete use of the overhead channels either, and the dynamic range is middling.

The Supplements

Warner Bros. presents the usual type of ‘making of’ and behind-the-scenes featurettes with interviews of cast and crew.

Bonus Features:

• Finding the Lost Kingdom (1080p; 00:21:22)
• Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below (1080p; 00:09:38)
• Atlantean Blood is Thicker Than Water (1080p; 00:04:17)
• It’s a Manta World (1080p; 00:10:08)
• Necrus, the Lost Black City (1080p; 00:05:51)
• Escape from the Deserter World (1080p; 00:08:05)
• Brawling at Kingfish’s Lair (1080p; 00:04:07)
• Oh, Topo! (1080p; 00:02:12)

The Final Assessment

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a disappointing sequel that looks stunning on 4K but has a perplexing Atmos mix. This one will be strictly for fans of Momoa and DC completists.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is out on 4K Ultra HD + Digital March 12, 2024 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

Purchase Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 4K Ultra HD + Digital on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: PG-13 (for sci-fi violence and some language.)
• Studios & Distributors: Warner Bros. | DC Entertainment | Domain Entertainment | Atomic Monster | The Safran Company | Québec Production Services Tax Credit | Australian Film | Icelandic Film | Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
• Director: James Wan
• Written By: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick | James Wan | Jason Momoa
• Run Time: 124 Mins.
• Street Date: 12 March 2024
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
  • MaxLL: 988 nits
  • MaxFALL: 249 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: English DD 5.1 | English Descriptive Audio | French DD 5.1 | Spanish DD 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH | French | Spanish