---
title: "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom"
critics_score: 42
critics_reviews: 22
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023): what the critics said

Critics' score 42 from 22 reviews: 4 positive, 5 mixed, 13 negative.

Most critics find Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom a tired end to the DC Extended Universe, and the reviews lean firmly negative: thirteen of twenty-two are unfavourable, and only four call it a good time. What praise there is clusters almost entirely on one thing, the bickering between Jason Momoa’s Arthur and Patrick Wilson’s Orm, which even the harsher reviews tend to single out as the film’s one working part. James Wan’s energetic direction and the busy underwater design draw a second, smaller round of approval.

The reservations gather around the plot, which many find muddled and recycled, and around the computer-generated imagery, which several describe as fuzzy, garish or plainly unfinished. The spread is wide. The AV Club, Paste and /Film rate it as brisk popcorn fun, while The Guardian and The Telegraph judge it close to worthless. The middle ground is thinly populated; critics either forgive it or they do not.

## The AV Club — Matthew Jackson

Rating B. 21 December 2023. 

The critic calls it a kinetic and entertaining popcorn movie that swings for the fences with fun, thanks to strong buddy chemistry between Momoa and Wilson and Wan’s energetic direction. They note the scattershot plotting as a drawback but emphasize its overall charm and spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review-1851116790)

## Los Angeles Times — Michael Ordoña

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2023. 

The critic finds the sequel an improvement over the original due to its lighter buddy-cop tone and focus on family, while noting the franchise’s uncertain future.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-12-22/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review-jason-momoa-patrick-wilson-amber-heard)

## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic calls it a fun but not great movie, praising Jason Momoa’s self-aware performance and his chemistry with Patrick Wilson as the best reasons to watch.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-movie-review-2023)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic describes the sequel as breezy and unpretentious with fun buddy-movie elements and exuberant design, but ultimately underwhelming and familiar, feeling like an afterthought in the shifting DC landscape.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review/5188994.article)

## Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The review notes the DCEU's last outing should have tried to make more of a splash, implying it falls short as a finale.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review/)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic finds the film grandly scaled yet rote and glumly standard, with less wonder than the first and action that feels flat despite 3D.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review-jason-momoa-patrick-wilson-amber-heard-1235848235/)

## Empire — James Dyer

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic finds this a disappointing DCEU send-off that ignores broader mythology and loses the first film's charm in a muddled eco-fable/revenge plot. They single out the fun frenemy banter between Momoa and Wilson for praise amid the weary CGI and leaden dialogue.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom/)

## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall

Rating 2/5. 21 December 2023. 

The critic finds the sequel a serviceable but unremarkable slice of comic-book nonsense, with the bromance between Aquaman and his brother Orm providing some light relief amid familiar superhero tropes and effects.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/scifi/aquaman-lost-kingdom-review/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic finds the sequel frustratingly committed to formula with few surprises or inspired moments in the screenplay and a lack of real stakes or risks. They single out the predictable storytelling about family and geopolitics that feels done better elsewhere.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-jason-momoa-james-wan-1235767228/)

## The i Paper — Christina Newland

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic concludes it's no wonder audiences are sick of superheroes, as this confusing sequel drowns in baffling plotlines and derivative storytelling. They single out the stodgy CGI and convoluted intra-tribe politics for complaint, while noting Momoa's charisma.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review-sick-superheroes-2816960)

## Time Out — Dan Jolin

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2023. 

The critic sees the final DCEU film as both fishy and foul, complaining of garish CGI, clunky dialogue and an enthusiastic but misguided bang that ends the franchise on the wrong note despite some octopus-related fun.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-2023)

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Rating 1/1/2. 21 December 2023. 

The critic calls the film aggressively unmemorable and a fumbled collage of fuzzy CGI, criticizing the unlikeable hero and rote blockbuster approach that fails to deliver any meaningful engagement.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic calls the film a terrible sequel that flatlines with tired tropes, a forgettable plot and a cast going through the motions. He singles out the blandly self-admiring performance by Jason Momoa and the dreary underwater setting for complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/21/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review-jason-momoa-terrible-sequel-pollutes-the-dcu-ocean)

## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic deems it the most numbingly moronic film of 2023, with brain cells dying during ugly CGI battles and poorly rendered underwater scenes. He singles out the messy computer-generated action and visual failures for complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review/)

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Rating ★★☆☆☆. 21 December 2023. 

The critic finds the sequel deeply uninspired and symptomatic of everything stale in comic-book movies, though notes a few minor positives like Nicole Kidman on a motorised shark. He singles out the overuse of CGI and diminishing returns from Momoa’s performance for complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-film-review-jason-momoa-730x033m2)

## Paste — Jesse Hassenger

Rating 7.1/10. 21 December 2023. 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ends the DCEU on its own chaotic terms with plenty of colorful spectacle but little connective tissue to a larger universe. Wan’s energetic direction and visual flair provide the main pleasures despite a disjointed production feel.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/james-wan/aquaman-and-the-last-kingdom-review)

## /Film — Rafael Motamayor

Rating 7/10. 21 December 2023. 

The critic finds it a fun but flawed adventure that excels in its family-focused road trip elements and world-building but is bogged down by a weak opening and environmental messaging. Praises the Arthur-Orm dynamic and fantastical locations.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1475671/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review/)

## Collider — Ross Bonaime

Rating 5/10. 21 December 2023. 

The film embraces the silliness of the original Aquaman while highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the DCEU as a whole. The buddy comedy dynamic between Momoa and Wilson stands out as a highlight amid uneven execution.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/aquaman-2-review/)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 2/5. 22 December 2023. 

The critic calls the film soulless and inept, a pathetic epitaph for the DCEU that feels like a studio obligation rather than a real movie. He praises the chemistry between Momoa and Wilson as well as James Wan's visual style.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aquaman-2-buries-dceu-at-sea/)

## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The critic describes the sequel as a fittingly messy and choppy end to the DCEU, with a rushed plot and wasted talent despite some strong performances and visuals. He notes the tonal inconsistency and lack of substance in the action and story.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a46185629/aquaman-2-review-lost-kingdom/)

## Deadline — Valerie Complex

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The sequel veers into cartoonish territory with faulty CGI, particularly an ill-fitting Aquaman suit, and inconsistent character portrayal. It lacks narrative direction and fails to make audiences care about the franchise's future.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/12/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom-review-james-wan-struggles-anchor-cartoonish-sequel-1235678398/)

## Polygon — Matt Patches

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The sequel flounders with repetitive lowbrow humor and spectacle that lacks tempo or impact, feeling like a step down from the first film. Climate themes and action sequences fail to cohere into a satisfying whole.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/24010892/aquaman-lost-kingdom-review/)

## The Wrap — William Bibbani

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2023. 

The film is a hacked-up mess with choppy editing, a tediously recycled plot, visual noise, laughable dialogue, and a story that makes little sense. It ends the DCEU on a low note that barely clears the low bar set by other recent entries in the universe.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/aquaman-2-review-jason-momoa/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/aquaman-and-the-lost-kingdom.md