‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ review: Good riddance to the DCEU

nypost.com:

the popular 2018 original.DC heads Peter Safran and James Gunn are hard at work on revamping the entire stumbling franchise, starting with a shiny new “Superman,” but first they had to waste precious time finessing the problem-plagued and oh-so-five-years-ago “Aquaman 2.”Adding to their headaches, the studio was forced to deal with Amber Heard, who played A-man’s girlfriend, Mera, in the first film, but is now best known for her pass-the-popcorn Johnny Depp defamation trial.

What did director James Wan do? He kept Heard, but gave her character a sidelining injury within the first 40 minutes.The lazy “Lost Kingdom” is built on such compromises and dodges.

For instance, no mention is made of any other DC superheroes, because Aquaman as played by Momoa is obviously about to not be one anymore.

He might not even be king very long. Now on the throne of Atlantis, Arthur — a k a Aquaman — hates the job, whining, “It’s just meetings all day and politics!” So, he spends half his time on the surface — like an NYC mayor who lives in New Jersey — with Mera, their new baby (who’s already able to talk to fish) and his dad.