Aquaman 2 - How to Build a Terrible Conclusion | Anatomy of a Failure

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Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom pits Aquaman against an old enemy: Black Manta. The movie has good visuals at times, but overall it fails at being what it's supposed to be... a conclusion. It concludes the DCEU - Snyderverse, all other movies - yet it doesn't feel like a proper finale at all. So, in today's Anatomy of a Failure, let's dive into the topic of sequels and conclusions to see how this movie fails at it, and what to learn from it. One last DCEU video before we move onto James Gunn's cinematic universe. RIP sweet prince.
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#aquaman #anatomyofafailure #dceu
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Director James Wan and Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa-along with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman-return in the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction. All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber aquaman 2 full movie watch online free 4k clip hd everything wrong with aquaman 2 lost kingdom honest trailer aquaman 2 funny moments best moments aquaman vs black manta aquaman 2 dark trident moments aquaman 2 explained post credit scene Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin. The executive producers are Galen Vaisman and Walter Hamada.

[@Filmento]

Next up... Madam Web :) Oh, and you can get the browser I use, Opera, for FREE here: opr.as/Opera-Filmento

[@DOOMStudios]

Webbing time LETS GOOOOO

[@MexicanDumbsville]

Oh brother I can't wait for the anatomy of a failure that will be Madame Web

[@josho7138]

Lol so quick

[@oksanapashenko]

Hey, Fil. Would you make Arcane season 1 video or what’s your predictions on season 2 and will it be a successor to The Last Of Us 2?

[@NekoTrain.]

*Oh Yeah!*

[@TheKaijuKing54]

Filmento puts more effort into his sponsor segments than the people writing these movies.

[@meatbleed]

both getting skipped

[@shanel4294]

@@meatbleedas soon as I clock it gets skipped but I admire the seamless integration

[@nnnp634]

​@@shanel4294I respect the effort, but it's not seamless at all. Often I would prefer a clear cut because it would feel less forced

[@pwl2992]

Just get addon that skips them

[@shanel4294]

@@nnnp634 I personally disagree, I’ve watched wayyyyy worse integration where I clock it instantly at least filmentos catch me off guard from time to time and is usually relevant to the movie.

[@vinnietheprinceofboredom9525]

They literally spent the whole movie building up the main villain, only to kill him a minute after he came back to life lol.

[@g.d.graham2446]

That part was particularly disappointing to me

[@stormempire51]

Hey that reminds me of a certain show... something with a undead king too

[@Magnet_Chaos]

DnD campaigns with power gamers be like

[@somecallmejeremy]

​@@stormempire51 What show is that?

[@stormempire51]

@@somecallmejeremy Game of Thrones season 8

[@cybersoldierforever]

Goodbye DCEU. Sad it has to sink like this.

[@foxfire9124]

I hate how I can't tell if this pun is intentional or not.

[@12XxXHandlesAreStupidXxX123]

It's deserved at this point. I hope the DCEU crumbles and disappears.

[@w1-em4nq]

@@12XxXHandlesAreStupidXxX123 iaquaman getting woken up lol

[@kenthomas7471]

I really really wanted them to succeed. Lile damn the animated movies were good

[@gooberbyleth7063]

Was it ever really floating to beging with ?

[@RorikH]

Is that "I am Aquaman" line real???????? How badly do you have to screw up to make the last line in your entire failed Cinematic Universe just a shout out to a better movie from your rival company???

[@squidmanfedsfeds5301]

That’s what’s baffling me right now, just looks like it ripped off and combined iron man and Thor with the bickering brothers

[@mephistoxd2627]

The line is real, but thankfully the music is not. So in the real version it's not quite as much on the nose. Still pretty bad though.

[@HighPingDrifter1]

@@squidmanfedsfeds5301 He literally calls Orm "Loki" at one point as a gag. So I guess they're not exactly hiding their influences, but it's probably not smart to reference the better, more established relationship you're copying :)

[@bofawhatsbofa4593]

Leave it to dc to make their flag ship character, Superman, last seen as a horrendous cgi cameo in flash

[@corbinowens2437]

I loved it, thought that was a fun way to go out

[@KoongYe]

The fact that they kept Amber Herd for this movie at all, while Johnny Depp was fired for Pirates is absolutely disgusting. Really shows the double standard of Hollywood.

[@mejuliie]

They also released the Flash movie, with someone who continues to break the law, and is arguably a predator, playing the role of the main character. Not really a double standard. Just a matter of convenience and level of exposure the public has to the actor's/actress's shitty behavior.

[@purgetheXYs]

​@@mejuliieThank you. Male perpetual victimhood is insane!

[@seraxx1973]

@@mejuliienothing arguable about it. But Hollywood shields predators, we’ve known that for decades.

[@MrJesus4132]

@@purgetheXYs Lmao your name is literally hate speech towards a gender.......

[@mejuliie]

@@purgetheXYs Yeah. At first I did my best to try and empathize, but now it just becomes a default excuse for someone having to take responsibility for their actions. But I try my best to stay as objective as possible, although there is definitely a lot of eye-rolling happening lol.

[@alexiscool__]

that ad segment was a million times more impressive than anything in this movie

[@Darkseidsolosfiction]

Come on now the action was great

[@GEMINIEARTHWALKER]

The DCEU franchise ending on Orm eating a cockroach is a fitting metaphor. . My only positive take from this film was actually Orm, and I finally understood something about the character, as portrayed in the DCEU, Orm is the traditional image of Aquaman, blonde goofy, socially ignorant, but somehow still a badass.

[@Narcan885]

...and that's why they went out of their way to kill his image and persona, just like they did with Thor.

[@christianmaio7443]

My problem with this movie was aquaman having trouble being king or at least didn’t seem interested. And when he breaks his brother (who was king and still wanted to be) out of his prison, instead of the brother showing him what it takes to be king and how to be king and even building a relationship between the 2 through that, the movie instead makes dad jokes…

[@shanel4294]

This would’ve been lovely, I feel like movies aren’t trying to teach or send a proper message anymore. They just barely entertain

[@walmorcarvalho2512]

@@shanel4294 For me, the main problem is that the more recent batches of super hero movies are all made by committee and driven by profit. And In Warner/DC's case this drive got so fierce that it just hit it's logical - and dumb - conclusion: The best move is not to play; the best way to maximize profits is to eliminate all the risk and shelf the movies for the tax write-off.

[@Netherwolf6100]

Its so sad how Aquaman and Wonder Woman both fall pray to the same sequel mistakes. Seriously, WB has no idea what they're doing, rushing to play catch-up with Marvel-Disney.

[@user-so1yi2tm2r]

Who is also going down the drain btw

[@spuriousgeorge7233]

​@@user-so1yi2tm2rI guess they've caught up in that way, at least

[@nicolasbolas2247]

I wouldnt say this movie was necessarily bad, but it was about as medicore as it gets. Feels like a movie that wouldve done pretty well about 10 years ago

[@egoborder3203]

yeah it was weird. It didn't put me to sleep, but it did just enough to keep me awake and when it was over I was happy to take a nice nap

[@DoomguyIsGrinningAtYou.]

Better when you have Vodka in system

[@asellandrofacchio7263]

No. People were not d-u-m-b 10 years ago.

[@idagergely6235]

This movie literally melted every last one of my braincells with its vast and bottomless pit of utter stupidity. How did it not melt yours??!😮

[@upfulsoul826]

It was a good comic book movie period.

[@LeonardoKlotz]

James Wan should've left DC after the first movie

[@Bentley7Cruize]

Easier said than done bro lol. Might have already had a contract, and if you turn down that much money there's no guarantee of another big Check... especially with how quick Hollywood black balls people

[@RashaadGenie]

I wish he read this comment before he signed on for the sequel.

[@Jeffrey314159]

James Wan was a sellout to the anti-Amber mob. He is a coward!

[@mc1993]

@@Bentley7Cruize Is Hollywood black balls people comparable to tossing the salad in prison?

[@Vor567tez]

He is good. But I wished they let him do the Trench horror movie. That scene when Mera and AM dive in ocean with red flare is absolutely epic! He gets the horror vibe right.

[@egoborder3203]

it's too bad this movie wasted a genuinely great performance from Patrick Wilson, he cracked me up the entire time

[@mac19999x]

Dont think its fair to treat this move as the conclusion to the DCEU. Its not, its just the last movie of this cancelled universum. They decided to not make a conclusion cause it simply wasnt worth it.

[@antonak4763]

Exactly and I kind of feel bad for it. I hate the fact that Aquaman 2 will forever be remembered as "the film that ended the DCEU" where it was just meant to be a fun follow up to the first film.

[@Narcan885]

In other words, it IS the conclusion, just for even worse reasons.

[@senny-]

Since this is the last movie, they should've at least made the effort

[@lordmontymord8701]

The Flash could have easily been that conclusion, if they planned ahead. It's already an adaptation (a bad one) of The Flashpoint Paradox, which DC used as an in-universe-explanation for the New 52-reboot. Would have drawn a lot more people to that movie if it was a proper finale. They could have even kept Zod in the story, since Man of Steel was the first DCEU-movie. Make it really wild, have Flash travel back to WWI and meet Wonder Woman from her own movie and so on. And then in the end tease the new universe with guest appearances from some of the new actors. People woud have gone mad. But i guess just having the DCEU end this way is much more fitting. It shows the level of care WB has. And for me it's a good indicator of what's to come. Yes, James Gunn could create a great Nu-DCEU - if he's really allowed to do what he can ...

[@ninjanibba4259]

It’s VERY fair cuz it is Stop coping

[@oboretaiwritingch.2077]

One major criticism I have for Aquaman 2 and many other stories like it trying to have an environmentalist theme, is that it's a super corporate way of tackling environmentalism that it rang super hollow, cheap and cowardly. Like the movie tries to antagonize manmade pollution twice, once with the mention of the Atlantean plague caused by regular climate change, then Black Manta intentionally pumping out greenhouse gas to thaw out the zombie kingdom from the ice. Yet on both instances, Aquaman barely gives a shit about climate change on both instances. On the first one he was literally shown snoring away and brushing it off as "boring politics", then the other it also came off too much as generic "villain just wanna destroy the world just because" that it loses the actual discussion of climate change as the result of capitalism. No discussion of greed, no discussion that pollution is burnt to fuel human activities and not just for the lulz like Manta did, no discussion of exploitation of the world and its people, no discussion of complacency of the people that allow the problem to fester. It felt like trying to score brownie points by trying to show a progressive theme, but chickens out on actually going any deeper beyond using some buzzwords. The shallowest form of attempt pandering that if anything, it's insulting. Which is really to be expected because ultimately, it does feel like Hollywood cashgrab written by a board of capitalist class out of touch suits who themselves are afraid to actually criticize the system they're benefiting on.

[@corygoverno4323]

One of the best aquaman story lines from the comic has Manta killing Arthur’s son and the consequences that follow and it flips the characterization and their dynamic. I’m not saying they were sitting on the a pile of gold, but they definitely didn’t look too hard for creative direction.

[@Sylfaemo]

Would you when you know it's the last piece? The movie could have been better, but I would not have started anything I can't finish in the same movie either. To me the whole movie reeks of the staff having fun, like students in the last class before summer.

[@thepubknight6144]

Wb plants

[@skrumbl3186]

I sure do love it when a villans main threaten is stabbing them and they die yet he gets interrrupted every single time he tries to stab someone and even if when he does stab someone they still live

[@barney7822]

Everything that made the first movie suck was double down with the sequel

[@nordicohahah]

The first movie didnt suck tho

[@Emmanuel_Rocha]

​@@nordicohahahit was meh.

[@mityakiselev]

nice pfp

[@brandonjones5879]

@@nordicohahahit very much sucked

[@AbnerFXProductions]

@@brandonjones5879 It was literally one of the best DCEU movies 🤨

[@maxxpower3d6]

When people say "AI art will only get better" the correct response is "Yeah, just like CGI".

[@Jose-se9pu]

That's...accurate

[@grfrjiglstan]

I’ll adapt a review I once read of Grown-Ups 2 for this movie: “Within the first five minutes of Aquaman 2, a baby has peed in Aquaman’s mouth - twice. It’s all downhill from there.”

[@nhmooytis7058]

Metaphor for what Hollyweird has done to fans 😂

[@jemeljordan-butler4510]

The Brine King: “Come on, you spineless worms!” “Sir, you know that crustaceans are invertebrates, right?”

[@neenee1257]

Worms are also invertebrates... I think you meant to say arthropods.

[@jemeljordan-butler4510]

@@neenee1257 I know arthropod is a more inclusive term, but the Brine King is specifically a crustacean or some kind. That’s why I chose that one.

[@neenee1257]

@@jemeljordan-butler4510 I meant it should've said “Sir, you know that crustaceans are arthropods, right?” Saying they are invertebrates is pointless since, again, worms are also invertebrates. It's like saying: “Come on, you spineless dogs!” “Sir, you know that cougars are mammals, right?” Doesn't work.

[@thisisfyne]

Bro they choke a fish by the head in this movie. A fish that visibly has gills on its body. They didn't care about anything.

[@user-bt9yh8jn1q]

WB when handling DCEU: 🤪🤤😵‍💫🥱🥴 WB when handling a cinematic universe with a Giant Lizard and a hairy Monke: Real Shi

[@Godzillafan78]

Tbf toho might have some involvement in it so

[@phabiorules]

Honestly, I could see them taking it so seriously because of how big of a disaster the DCEU was.

[@NorthStarBlue1]

@@Godzillafan78Oh they absolutely have a measure of creative control there, the last thing Toho wants is a repeat of Godzilla '98 (aka the movie so bad it was literally bitchslapped out of canon in a later movie).

[@walmorcarvalho2512]

@@Godzillafan78 "Some"? It was probablysomething very close to "Total". Toho became REAL protective of the Godzilla franchise after Godzilla '98

[@Narcan885]

Not really. It's just that the quality standards of a Gozilla movie are so low even WB struggles to mess it up, and not for a lack of trying.

[@jamesbritton635]

The way filmento explains whats right and wrong with a film is always incredible.

[@BlackNeverLeft]

They drink Guinness straight from a can in this movie,and as an Irishman thats exactly where i turned it off.

[@FreeFree-ur4zq]

You went easy on this film. The Rock actually tackled some complicated acting roles, before Hollywood gave up and just stopped asking him to act, whereas Momoa is no longer asked to deliver a performance anymore.

[@user-tw3rh9po4t]

Even in Central Intelligence he had plenty of character.

[@rodrigobogado8756]

Momoa was pretty good in Dune, i guess in cases like this the character and story writing plus maybe a lot surrounding the production are so bad that he just don't care

[@gazem_3211]

Tbh, I just thought it was an OKAY movie. It's DEFINITELY a step down from the first movie. But I didn't think it was as bad as the critics were making it out to be. I do agree the humor wasn't great, it was hit or miss for me. In the end, I just felt it was a 6/10 movie.

[@alexandredesouza3692]

Yeah, I agree. I liked the movie. It had it's flaws, the first one was better, could've taken more risks, but it's not BAD. It was the finale by circumstance.

[@MrMrjack18]

I agree with you !! it's downgrade but an okay movie ! too much hate because it was the last DCEU movie !

[@pajolee6918]

Yea, not as bad... Much worse. 😂

[@blockhead5013]

For me, the movie wasn’t really something I cared about, but it’s a better superhero movie than anything Marvel has put out.

[@AHX214]

if this was a 6, what was the first movie?

[@gos_7079]

FINALLY, Madam Web is next! Can't wait, YEAH BOI!!!!

[@redbearddan2000]

Since Argylle and Madame Web are available on digital platforms, I'd love to see videos about them. I think both will be featured in the "Anatomy of Failure" section)

[@g.d.graham2446]

Definitely

[@AileBlancheSH]

In a version the baby is killed by manta, but it was pretty badly received by the test audience (or whatever it's called) so they changed it

[@Jeffrey314159]

Really?

[@AileBlancheSH]

@@Jeffrey314159 yup, you can look that up, there are videos talking about it on youtube

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

@1:37 "Hell, even the CEO of Warner Bros. makes a digitized appearance" So that's what he looks like! Subtle!

[@DOOMStudios]

With a new DCEU Universe in development what was even the point of releasing Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman and The Last Kingdom That was in the old DCEU?

[@brandonjones5879]

Potential profit. Those movies were still made, so not releasing them would have made WBs lose even more money 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@funwithtropes69]

Those films are made with a billion dollars. Unless they decided to put it on Netflix and probably lose money but not mucb when compared to releasing them in theaters.

[@Urmomsaredpanda]

They were trying to do another course correction with Black Adam at least the rock was anyway , so much money was put into the flash they felt they had to release it and Aquaman made 1 billion so they were hoping 2 would make at least half which I think it almost did

[@leetri]

@@brandonjones5879 That doesn't make sense considering they shelved finished movies that also costed millions of dollars to make.

[@brandonjones5879]

@@leetri the movies that got shelved did so for tax reasons that was it. I imagine that tax write off wouldn’t have been as good if they shelved every DCEU film. So no, they weren’t going to do that for the rest of the films.

[@LifesGuardian]

Thanks for the summary. As DC didn't feel the need to cut Amber Turd's part, I didn't feel the need to see it.

[@How_Many_Monkeys]

The best way I can describe the quality of this movie: My parents, (who really like Aquaman 1 and have watched it multiple times) rented AM2 on stream. When I asked if they liked it, my mom simply said, “It wasn’t worth the $12”. ‘Nuff said.

[@a_fine_edition2746]

The most disappointing thing for me was the treatment of Black Manta. He could’ve easily carried the movie solo with his revenge plot, but they decided to have him get possessed by a bigger big-bad, one of the lamest tropes in storytelling imo. The evil king is infinitely less interesting in basically every facet. Also, how are you gonna have Manta gunning after Arthur’s family but have absolutely zero casualties. If they were gonna end the DCEU with this movie, at least kill off the dad or even the baby like Manta did in the comics. I think a more serious tone could’ve helped the film, but they didn’t wanna go for it.

[@funwithtropes69]

Warner Bros. made a mistake hiring Christopher Nolan to produce a Superman film, who recommended Zack Snyder to direct it, who in turn mapped-out a five-film arc without establishing a proper universe, which then led to Warner Bros. causing chaos at itself with the most profitable material in their hands. Now, it is up to James Gunn to save the whole brand from becoming extinct.

[@ccateni28]

And he hired Tom King. They never learn...

[@funwithtropes69]

@@ccateni28, not a comic guy but what's wrong with Tom King?

[@RickytickyBobbywobbin-jl5oy]

MOS wasn’t a mistake. Theres a reason that’s one of the only DCEU movies people were begging for a sequel to. WB made a mistake in trying to compete with the MCU. That was where they fucked up. You made a MOS movie and then immediately jumped to BvS…like wtf? No Batman solo movie, no MOS sequel…just went from Superman to Batman v Superman. You add in the rushed movies. Along with the terrible storytelling and writing for characters that have established identities…and you have a full fledged disaster on your hands. The DCEU would have been fine if they just took their time making solo movies instead of trying to rush into things like BvS and Justice League. Zack Snyder directing wouldn’t even had been a problem if they had better writers to make sure Zack isn’t completely changing the personality of those characters.

[@EL-uj1pl]

@@RickytickyBobbywobbin-jl5oySnyder DID fundamentally change every single character though. His Superman is a downright awful interpretation of the character. Snyder's obsession with making everything grim and edgy just doesn't work with characters who were designed to be more fun, hopeful, or optimistic. Even Batman was too grim. Dude was writing these movies like he heard one twenty one pilots song and decided it was deep and that he was smart.

[@JessicaGarcia-xf9wr]

@@RickytickyBobbywobbin-jl5oyweren’t Warner Bros trying to make Matt reeves Batman and joker in the DCU but they said no and would rather have them as a stand alone universes

[@chickenpotbiebro202]

since Aquaman 2 came after The Flash and it acts like Flashpoint it probably took out some of the events from Justice League. that's why the suits changed in Shazam! 2 as well

[@callmev3531]

17:09, Stephenwolf teleported into a base containing a Mother Box that was outside of Atlantis (as in the city), but still, the Atlanteans are repeatedly shown having their defenses bypassed, wether by Stephenwolf, by Mera and Vulko when they smuggled Arthur inside the city and now by Manta and his high-tech goons.

[@BrianMiles755]

bro, that three days grace song turning into a middle finger is just godly XD XD

[@comet_fodderyt]

Best part of the video

[@saisai7402]

Filmento and Solid jj posting at the same time Peak night KZbin watch 🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@papigringo5692]

DCEU: "We're shutting the whole thing down and starting over. Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck...they're gone. We've brought in James Gunn to reboot this thing." Also DCEU: "But we've got like six movies we need to release first. Please watch them."

[@apollolux]

I would argue that the _only_ thing adding _any_ stakes in Aquaman 2: Aquatic Boogaloo is the presence of the unknown factor that is the dark trident. Black Manta was a chump in pretty much the entirety of the first movie because of poor scriptwriting and the trident here didn't do much, if anything at all, to increase his ability to defeat Aquaman, actively or even passively. Orm was the only antagonist that had a real chance of taking Arthur out in the first movie, almost even doing it cleanly, but as mentioned he's been reformed too much here (mostly for forced comedic effect, really) for a wrestling-style heel turn and possibly victorious takeover to be believable. The undead king didn't have enough setup as far as scaling his power in his prime to the level of matching or surpassing Arthur, his mother, or even old King Atlan, so it was easily doubtful he'd be at full power quickly enough upon resurrection to withstand our protagonist. It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Aquaman would win against any of these three individually in this sequel, especially in their reduced-power sequel forms.

[@HighHeelKnight]

In the interest of fairness... Aquaman 2 was not supposed to be the last DCEU film. That wound up happening because of various delays, reshoots, and restructuring by Warner Brothers. Therefore, it is unfair to judge the movie as a finale. As far as being a sequel, we don't know what James Wan's original vision of the movie would have been. If not for the pandemic, the Warner Brothers corporate scrambling, and the martial dog sh*t nonsense from Amber Heard, Aquaman 2 might have been a much better sequel.

[@antonak4763]

I 100% agree with you! I think it's sad that Aquaman 2 will forever be remembered as "the film that ended the DCEU" where it was just meant to be a fun follow up to the first movie. Not to mention that the film was also going to have a Batman cameo in it from either Michael Keaton's Batman or Ben Affleck's Batman, but they dropped that idea.

[@senny-]

He's more judging it based on how good as a sequel it is. If sequels were video games, they should have a higher difficulty than the first one. Like he said, "It's like going formula racing, and then going go-kart racing." Go-karting might be fun and thrilling if you've never been in a formula race before, but if you do, go-karting would feel like a downgrade. Those were the bases of his points, not because it's the "finale".

[@HighHeelKnight]

@@senny- Not only does he clearly mention in the introduction that he's evaluating Aquaman 2 as both a sequel and as a conclusion, but he also clearly stated that in the description area. Here is the text from the video's description area, WORD FOR WORD! Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom pits Aquaman against an old enemy: Black Manta. The movie has good visuals at times, but overall it fails at being what it's supposed to be... a conclusion. It concludes the DCEU - Snyderverse, all other movies - yet it doesn't feel like a proper finale at all. So, in today's Anatomy of a Failure, let's dive into the topic of sequels and conclusions to see how this movie fails at it, and what to learn from it. One last DCEU video before we move onto James Gunn's cinematic universe. RIP sweet prince.

[@shealupkes]

the last movie felt like reading a comic book, this one feels like aggressively flipping through a graphic novel purely to enjoy the artwork

[@Tuckerstudios51224]

3:00 That was such a smooth transition

[@tannerthunell6228]

How did bro phone in the product placement and keep it entertaining at the same time? He can't keep getting away with this!!!🤣🤣

[@nnnp634]

I really don't see why people praise it so much. It was telegraphed, messed with the pace of the video and and came pretty forced. I don't mind him having sponsorship segments, but I don't get why people pretend it's some genius directing when if 8t was a movie Filmento himself would criticise it

[@tannerthunell6228]

@@nnnp634 Tbh I just find it funny how he plugs sponsors and pretends like he's hiding it, Idk I'm just amused by them for some reason. But it's cool if you don't like it. 👍👍

[@joshchavez8190]

12:20 “We’re in the end game now. Playing for all the marvels” I see what you did there

[@All-Fur-Coat_No-Trousers]

There were scenes in this movie that straight-up reminded me of old-school Power Rangers or Spy Kids level effects and dialogue

[@vice2versa]

The dialogue in this film was so cheesy. I wish these studios would take their films more seriously. The MCU helped make the superhero genre my favorite subgenre but recently the lack of care and quality control for these films is really hurting this genre. Im getting so sick of the lazy writing and cheesy humor.

[@megadomo6581]

What a great ad placement, good job as always

[@kingofnamek]

There's truly no one that does ads quite like Filmento

[@kingofnamek]

@Filmento the bot is flirting with me what the flip dude

[@retrohero2762]

The DCEU ending with a dude eating a cockroach burger feels kind of symbolic

[@clementfermn6711]

The overall tone of Aquaman 2 felt like a spykids movie but bigger. Just a bunch of goofy moments with some action. But then they tripped and fell over a cliff at the end. The ending felt like it was building up to something, but no, just nothing. At the end of the movie where he just blitzed the all powerful evil twin king Deadman guy. That was the moment where I knew that this movie was meh. It didn't quite get the charm of the last movie but it was enough for some moments here and there.

[@CPX723]

1:34 Amber laughing "You should see what I left you in your bed!"

[@CurtGullin]

Great Video as always ! thank you

[@Theonionofthedisneyjuniorlore]

This is more generic than Shazam 2

[@skull8534]

i would watch this over shazam 2 everyday just for the spectale

[@JeusAlprime108]

Can I just watch something simply better than this in daily basis for eg. Joker or Loki or Moving? Why stuck and obssess with the bottom of the seabed when you can simply watch something above par.

[@vice2versa]

​@@JeusAlprime108 because fans want BETTER comicbook films in general. A bad or generic superhero movie for someones favorite character can feel like a huge wasted opportunity which hits fans way harder than a failed franchise or unknown film that most people never cared about in the first place.

[@JeusAlprime108]

@@vice2versa I don't believe there are such a huge amount of Aquaman/Shazam/Flash/Wonder Woman's fan compare to Batman and Superman before DCEU even kickstarted.

[@CeekaysClassics]

Love how the daft punk song mentioned was used at the end.

[@JeraWolfe]

Your writing and rhetoric is on point. Subbed.

[@mikoajryniak2644]

So, I think we finally have every DCEU movie breakdown on this channel? What is your list from most favouirite to least? I am kinda sure that number 1 is Man of Steel and at the last place is Josstice League.

[@spike5499]

the fact that man of steel is the best movie in this universe is sad lol

[@EL-uj1pl]

WW84 is the worst. It's not even close. Some of the DCEU movies are objectively less well-made and written, but this one gives Cheetah a character arc demonizing her for wanting anything more from her life, or to not be SA'd on the streets. Not a message I'd put into a movie that children are going to watch. The best is easily The Suicide Squad for actually being a well-written movie that embraces the goofiness of its source material rather than being embarrassed by it (cough cough Snyder)

[@behurastudio]

@@EL-uj1plyup! Shazam 2 and Aquaman 2 were underwhelming but WW84 actually BUTCHERED Wonder Woman 1 and had the lamest, BRAIN DEAD stupid story POSSIBLE!

[@0g0dn0]

It’s not entirely their fault they didn’t cap off the DCEU on a high note, Wan and company didn’t know that was what it would be going in. I imagine they didn’t even plan on this being the last Aquaman movie. It’s failure as a final movie is more the fault of the studio and the suits than it is the fault of the filmmakers.

[@vice2versa]

Its not even about the finality of it, the problem is that its a very bad movie in general so the fact this is also the last one really hurts the film even more.

[@scottewing2031]

I enjoy your thoughtful videos very much.

[@kyledodge5513]

As always, Filmento, your knife is swift and cuts deep. Exactly what needed to be said. I had no idea WB execs made a cameo in there 😂

[@merrychristmas922]

just finished watching Aquaman 2. The weirdest thing for me was almost no lines for Amber Heard's character. Like just, hey, they kidnapped your baby, so we focus in the scene only on grandparents and you stand quiet in the corner, ok? wtf...

[@Jeffrey314159]

Good point! Director Wan is a coward for he cut Amber's role down to next to nothing

[@nhmooytis7058]

Her lawyer told her to clam up 😂

[@Jeffrey314159]

@@nhmooytis7058 No, Director James Wan succumbed to pressure to cut her larger role in the film down to just a few minutes

[@nhmooytis7058]

@@Jeffrey314159 should have replaced her.

[@meghanphillips3495]

@@Jeffrey314159 he should have fired her.

[@ericneal8582]

The editing is next level. Well done, Filmento.

[@zabi_aka]

Ok wait the way you incorporated the opera ad into the video is super smart!

[@RayMcElroy50]

So many reshoots But the one that could've been a bigger benefit was removing Amber Heard's scenes

[@12XxXHandlesAreStupidXxX123]

DC sides with Ambuser Turd and mr kidnap-your-kid playing the flash.

[@seraxx1973]

I get this is Filmento’s thing, to dissect it and find out why no one went to see it but it more than likely was probably because she was in it that it did so terribly.

[@vice2versa]

​​@@seraxx1973 no, thats a very shallow take. first of all comic book movies in general are not doing that well due to the massive drop in quality. Second the film didnt do anywhere near as bad as the flash, the marvels, Shazam 2, Blue beatle, Antman 3 or Black Adam. The problem is the marketing made the film look generic and boring in an era of superhero movies where generic and boring has become the norm making audiences grow stale of the formula. It was already a pretty well known fact that WB tried really hard to limit her scenes. The people who think Amber Heard was the main reason clearly arent up to date on the currentrent trend of flops in this era of superhero films and blockbusters in general.

[@alexutzcel]

There's an actual Amber Heard pee-related scene in this movie?! 🤣🤣🤣 I just might have to watch the movie now!

[@searingeyes]

I'm usually one of those who fast forward over the ads.... I watched your ad because i was so far through it before I realized it was an ad!!!! Damn that was a good one hats off to you!

[@MrMaxflores11]

I think something that hurt the movie was Jason Momoa was not enough Arthur Currey, he was too much Jason Momoa. "I like choppers, skull rings and Guinness but i wear fluffy robes and pink rabbit slippers" "I'm just such a cool dude, right guys, everyone thinks I Jason Momoa am a cool dude? You guys came to see Jason Momoa right guys?" Patrick Wilson was probably the best part of the film and to a lesser extent Randall Park.

[@chrishillswrites6442]

I'm just gonna say it. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this movie. I had absolutely no complaints. But then again, I never watched any of the other DCU movies, besides Aquaman 1

[@VDOTU5]

I watched all of the DCEU movies. And this movie was the best since 'Wonder Woman' to me.

[@Zombiesnyder13]

I hope James Gunn helps DC to take over this decade Because I'm sick of the MCU

[@DOOMStudios]

Deadpool & Wolverine is probably the last marvel film I’m gonna have interest in for a very long time to be honest.

[@xenomorphqueenqueenalien6501]

James Gunn is destroying it even more he hates Batman he is planning to make a comedy Batman movie to ruin his character

[@Skaiser_Wilhelm7938]

Me too. But if that's the case, it's got to focus on what's working in the film industry and what isn't. This means they should give the directors full creative control, remove the comedy, and annoying self awareness and don't make movies and shows homework or filler for future stories. Just make them good stories

[@Skaiser_Wilhelm7938]

@@DOOMStudios I mean, what else is there to look forward. I suppose there's the Avengers films, but you'll have to watch all the other rubbish to understand what's going on.

[@spike5499]

lol why? Superhero movies are shit in general

[@YuzuMelodious]

10:31 Dang it, I knew that moment sounded jarring coming from Manta.

[@AzzleSpazzle]

@Filmento I'd absolutely love to read your book, is there any possibility of a paperback / hardback version coming at any point? Keep up the amazing work!

[@garybrown5391]

To be fair, Aquaman was never meant to be th last movie in the DCEU. It was delayed over a year and it just played out that way. The movies that were not released were created when WB was under AT&T ownership and probably shouldn't have been made (budgets/costs). The new leadership shelved them for tax right offs because they didn't believe they would make money relative to their costs. They tried to sell the Acme movie, but studios low balled them. It is supposed to be a good movie, but the other studios didn't want to pay the cost to make the movie est $75 million plus advertising budget costs.

[@route77productions]

Finally someone who doesn't just spew fake outrage over this situation. While I do want to see this movie, people don't seem to understand the specifics as to why.

[@danielferrieri7434]

Yet Another DC Flop

[@jonathantorres4085]

So what do you think will happen with Superman Legacy and Batman brave the bold

[@xenomorphqueenqueenalien6501]

Failure of Hollywood being never listen to fans is their downhill

[@WarKlutch]

🤓

[@happicheshirecat]

It actually made its money back so it wasn’t lol

[@EL-uj1pl]

@@xenomorphqueenqueenalien6501I mean.. no? The fans don't always know best.

[@dynastyfamily00]

@3:57...Bravo.. Sir you have earned my subscription!!!!

[@glassesman15]

"If you ain't first, your last" reference is awesome

[@user-uc7dn1oi8v]

this man made a big deal outta never doing the “anatomy of a failure” series again, and now hes doing it

[@austinamponsah1297]

😢There's no good movie to talk about these times again

[@mhassan9784]

The bit about Amber Turd getting hit by a weapon that causes a massive mark, and the next time you see her she's completely healed? Can't believe you missed that inside joke! 😏

[@4fingereddy365]

i really like the way you integrate spnsers!

[@monsterguyx6322]

I will never get tired of Filmento throwing in that "Vincent Vega looking around" clip. 14:13

[@joaovitorfigueiredo4178]

howdy Mr. Filmento, I hope you have a wonderful day

[@Ciborium]

Let's see. Mistake 1: Having a co-star who is a convicted Domestic Abuser and Pathological Liar. Mistake 2: Having a star who no longer DGAF about the character and is leaving to star in the "Lobo" movie franchise.

[@thabreez456]

I think it’s unfair to criticize this movie for being an inadequate conclusion to the DCEU. Because that’s not what it was ever meant to be it’s just something James Gunn decided should be the last film in this canon. They had no intention of this being the last when writing and shooting it but they had to retroactively act like it’s the endgame of this series when it’s more like the Iron Man 2 of the DCEU.

[@theprantadutta]

Okay, that ad break was really creative.

[@DarkThomy]

I've recently watched Both Dune 1 and 2, and funnily enough all your points stand !

[@ratangarimella8667]

great video

[@JYoonieZHossie]

I get excited to watch your videos

[@jeffreyonemu1426]

"When the fun strips everything down emotionally." Ah yes, Love and Thunder syndrome.

[@Formakiwi]

So, basically what you're describing is a Gen Z blockbuster: low energy, unsure of itself, risk averse and with no sense of obligation to work harder.

[@johnjamesedwards3349]

Thus, the DCEU ends. not with a bang, but with a whimper. R.I.P. DCEU (2013 - 2023) (Man of Steel - Aquaman 2)

[@thadz2493]

I hate how they straight up just decided to decimate everything the first movie was building up. Arthur finding his place as an atlantian and training so hard to be it's king but then in the 2nd movie he just decides to "Never wanted to be king, it's more of your job!!" Like what the fuck

[@MrKrips]

Now that is how an ad is get fed to me OMG YES

[@dianedee7919]

Anything that involves A. Turd will undoubtedly end in failure.

[@berlin990]

How are people not bored to tears by these comic book movies at this point? It’s just the same thing over and over a hundred times.

[@jimmerhardy]

At first I disagreed with the opening crit but your edited version makes perfect sense. Start with an unseen risk to create momentum. That works.

[@jimmyadelaja]

That was a very good ad transition ngl

[@VarjoPira]

3:02 God-tier editing.

[@FurryStockings]

Honestly, the whole bright underwater CGI starts to hurt my eyes and harder to look at.

[@justpassingby298]

The thing about two characters clashing, and that being the ultimate ending. It reminds me of Garo: Vanishing Line. Where the main rival fights the MC several times. The last time being after the big bad guy was defeated, the fake world he's in is falling apart as he's the last to leave. Getting suddenly slammed into by that rival, and the final fight begins. You can watch these 2 people who've fought each other several times, learned each others moves fighting it to the death. It may not be the most epic battle, but it's the last exchange between these two characters. And by the end of it, the evil taking hold of the rival leaves. Leaving the rival, in his final moments, having one single moment to say something himself, not held on by the evil holding him Damn if only the movie did that

[@shadowdahuman]

There's a lot to say about this movie but what stood out to me the most is that, it seemed, Jason Mamoa had a great time in it.

[@sharpester7277]

It is quite disappointing how Lost Kingdom turned out. Since director James Wan and star Jason Momoa took Aquaman, who is often considered one of the biggest jokes in the DC comics world. And made viewers and the general public take him seriously.