Anthony Li

First of all, overall I really enjoyed Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Although initially discouraged by low ratings from critics, I have to say I do not understand what most of the critics were talking about. It was also way better then other recent superhero films like Black Panther 2 and Dr. Strange 2. This is also what led me to write my very first movie review. So here we go! I need to state upfront that everyone views a movie differently and are biased towards different things, and after reading a lot of reviews I can see why some people are disappointed. For me, those flaws just don't matter as much, even though I agree with them. *Spoilers Ahead* The movie is about a lot of themes: brotherhood (bromance), climate change, peace, and leadership. The most important one was definitely the brotherhood between Arthur and his brother Orm. After breaking Orm out from prison, Arthur tried to rebuild their relationship after all the fighting from the first movie. Although bitter and pompous at first, Orm gradually became less stiff and became more affectionate towards Arthur as they kick the bad guys' ass one place after another. The climax was when Orm was controlled for a while by the king of the lost kingdom Kordax, and his initial hatred towards Arthur exploded. It was Arthur's moving words that softened him, which led to Arthur defeating Kordax at the end. These were also the same sentiments Arthur expressed to Orm when he first met him in the first movie, that he always wanted to meet him and let him know he is not alone. All other protagonists were well portrayed in my opinion. For example, the scientist working for Black Manta, Stephen Shin played by Randall Park was a crucial figure. I could resonate with his goals as a scientist who just lives for wonder and scientific discoveries, and felt his struggle with his conscience to stop working for Black Manta and burning orichalcum to warm the planet. Even Mera, whom for reasons we all know that led to less scenes for her, had in fact enough screen time that doesn't make it feel inorganic. Admittedly, the villains were not so interesting. Black Manta returns and works with Kordax from the lost Kingdom to rise to power and kill aquaman. Black Manta too easily found the black trident and Kordax was killed within maybe 10 seconds after he resuscitated. Both of their backstory were shallow, but for me a shallow villain does not harm the film overall. The story of Kordax and Atlan as brothers and enemies, similar to Arthur and Orm, also fits into the plot well. There were many short dialogues and scenes throughout that touched me. The line, "True King builds bridges", which Orm found written on an ancient Atlantean sculpture resonated throughout the movie. In the end, Arthur did build the bridge between the land and the sea by revealing Atlantis to the world. Also, the part when Arthur tried to save Black Manta when he was about to fall into the deap ocean trenches showed Arthurs' empathy towards his enemies. Overall, this movie is a great mix of epic fight scenes, emotional dialogues between the brothers, and the dad jokes from our quippy Aquaman. This may not be as exciting as the first movie, but perhaps it is impossible to make a sequel better. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom successfully portrays the compounded difficulty of Aquaman being a Dad, a brother, a hero, and the King of a kingdom, and how he managed to stride forward with hope and mend wounds between people. I recommend reading this review from the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/movies/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review.html

I've never commented on any film before but this was absolutely fantastic. As someone who loves traveling and learning about sustainability, I love every aspect of this film. First of all, it is simply very inspiring and enjoyable to watch. Zac, the actor, and Darin, a health guru, go on adventures around the world to find healthy and sustainable ways of living. I've learned so much about the cultures, practices, values, and lifestyles of so many different groups of people. From Iceland to Peru, the duo interviewed countless people, interacted with the local residents, and experienced fantastic food and activities. The human interaction is so heart-warming and the experiences are so diverse. Basically, this documentary will make you rethink about your diet, your house, your modes of transportation, your neighborhood, your city, your communities, your means of getting medical treatment, and lots of aspects of your day to day life. Although the film doesn't go deep into the practices introduced, it certainly presents the purpose and vision behind all those people and places they've encountered. It will leave you full of hope and wonder. Can't wait for season 2 already. ps. There are 2 big events concerning Zac and Darin respectively. They listened to each other and were supportive. Even their friendship is down to earth!