#David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

[bkenber]

'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Movie and 4K Review

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella. I’ve never quite understood the appeal of Jason Momoa as an actor. I’ve never walked away from a movie of his and been impressed or blown away by his performance.  He has the look of a movie star, but he doesn’t really stand out in his film roles.  He’s merely just a buff dude on screen. Of course, we have seen…

[milliondollarbaby87]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) Review

Black Manta seeks revenge on Aquaman for the death of his father, attempting to locate the Lost Kingdom and wielding the Black Trident to have unstoppable power. To defend Atlantis and the world he must for an alliance with his imprisoned brother Orm. ⭐️⭐️ Continue reading Untitled

[wornoutspines]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Movie Review) | It's a Bro Movie

Diving into the #AquamanAndTheLostKingdom was quite the surprise. Momoa, Wilson and Abul-Mateen are the stars and they deliver. It's a good time with quirks. #Aquaman2 #MovieReview #JasonMomoa #PatrickWilson #JamesWan #Aquaman

Director James Wan‘s first Aquaman movie was fresh and colorful, and it ended up being the DC Movie that I’ve seen the most. Premise: Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death and wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. To defeat him, Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of…

[realjediverse]

The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Trailer is Very Promising and Stunning?

The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer is a visually stunning and action-packed teaser for the upcoming sequel. It picks up where the first film left off, with Aquaman (Jason Momoa) now the king of Atlantis and balancing his duties with his new role as a father. The trailer introduces a number of new characters and locations, including the Lost Kingdom of Atlantis and the black trident, a…

[adamwatchesmovies]

Orphan: First Kill (2022)

I know 2009’s Orphan strains plausibility but its demented nature is exactly the kind of thing I lean into. The 2022 prequel, Orphan: First Kill also indulges in the same sort of loopiness but it could've gone even further. The biggest issue with this film is that it doesn’t assign its running time well; wasting time on a first half that’s a lot of “been there, done that” when there's so much stuff in its second half it could expand upon.

In 2007, psychiatric patient Leena Klammer (Isabelle Fuhrman), a 31-year-old woman with a rare hormonal disorder that makes her look like a 10-year-old child escapes from the Saarne Institute. Masquerading as Esther Albright, a child who disappeared 4 years ago, she is brought “home” to wealthy artist Allen (Rossif Sutherland), his wife Tricia (Julia Stiles) and their teenage son, Gunnar (Matthew Finlan).

There are at least 2 dead bodies before the plot even kicks in, which makes the title a misnomer... but never mind. After Leena/Esther's escape, "First Kill" tries to establish its murderous, insane protagonist as a master manipulator who can con her way out of any situation… but fails to convince us. Once accepted as the missing Albright girl, “Esther” makes all sorts of mistakes that you figure will reveal her as an obvious fake. It’s actually a bit frustrating because the first half of the movie is just repeating what we saw in 2009. Esther pretends to be sweet and innocent but she encounters these nasty people that make her true nature emerge, she’s got this thing for the father, the mom starts suspecting something is up, etc. The only major deviations are the prequel-y scenes that answer questions you really didn't need answering: how she learned how to make art with those black light paints, how she managed to get all the way from Estonia to the United States, etc. It's not surprising until we get to a critical point in the story. To tell you what happens means spoiling a big event about halfway through but I don’t feel too bad about doing this, since, without this innovation, the movie isn't doing anything interesting.

We learn - in a deliciously loony scene - that mommy has always known that Esther wasn’t the real thing. She knows the real Esther is dead - accidentally killed by her older brother. Now the tiny demon is trapped in a house with two people as - if not more - despicable than she is. It makes for a really interesting turn. Officially, we're supposed to care for the innocent bystanders - not the killers - in horror film sequels but this movie knows who we really came to see. It makes up for the unremarkable intro. In fact, it's too bad we don't spend even more time with this scenario. Maybe then we'd understand why Esther might think she could ever seduce Allen. As is, they just don't have enough scenes together for you to even believe she's fallen in love with him. I'm sort of so-so on this film, leaning a bit more towards recommending it than not but the second half of this movie makes me want to see another picture, one that pushes good taste aside even further and maybe has her worm her way into a family where the dad is just as twisted and evil as her.

While there are missed opportunities in Orphan: First Kill and there are a few points where it struggles with all of the questions we “wanted” answered, this picture won me over by the end. Initially, the film is treading on a lot of familiar territory but the second half moves in a clever and unexpected direction. I don’t know if it’s wild enough to get someone who wasn’t a fan of the original to be enthusiastic about it but as someone who really enjoyed the original, I feel Orphan: First Kill growing on me. (October 12, 2022)

[thebutcher-5]

Orphan: First Kill

Benvenuti o bentornati sul nostro blog. Nello scorso articolo abbiamo ripreso, come facciamo ormai da un po’, a parlare di animazione, spostandoci in Giappone, e discutendo non solo del primo lungometraggio di un grande artista ma anche uno dei film più importanti per un personaggio ormai storico ossia Lupin III – Il castello di Cagliostro. Lupin, dopo aver fatto un colpo al casinò di Monte…

[bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews]

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (12): Even A Soggy Jabba Can't Energize This Lazy and Dull Sequel.

#onemannsmovies #filmreview of "Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom". #aquamanmovie. Soggy and forgettable sequel rounds out the DCEU. 2/5.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom” (2023). I have to admit that I was not a fan of the original “Aquaman” in 2018. I didn’t see it on the big screen and after I saw it on streaming I note that I was so unimpressed that I couldn’t even be arsed to write a review for it…. something I very rarely do. So I went into “Aquaman 2” aka “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom” with low…

[cinemgc]

The Walking Dead (11ª Temp.)

Episodio 11: ''Rogue Element''

 • Dirección: Michael Cudlitz

 • Guion: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

 • Cinematografía: Scott Kevan

 • Cast: Chelle Ramos

[moviesandmania]

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2022) Trailer!

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 American action-fantasy film that continues the underwater adventures of the DC Comics character. Directed by James Wan (Malignant; Aquaman; The Conjuring; Dead Silence; Saw) from a screenplay written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Aquaman; The Conjuring 2; Red Riding Hood; Orphan), based on the character created…

[whanklee]

A franchise veterán írója dolgozik a Démonok között 4. forgatókönyvén

A horror szerelmesei örülhetnek, jön az új Démonok között #TheConjuring4

James Wan rendező és producer néhány évvel ezelőtt egy horror univerzumot hozott össze a Démonok között részekkel. A kissé csalódást keltő Démonok között – Az ördög kényszerített része után Ed és Lorraine Warren hamarosan visszatérnek a filmvászonra, ugyanis már készül a negyedik rész forgatókönyve. A The Hollywood Reporter adta hírül, hogy David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick írja az új…

[kubrickstaring]

THE CONJURING 4 is a go! VERA FARMIGA and PATRICK WILSON are returning as the Warrens and JAMES WAN is returning to produce. The script is being written by DAVID LESLIE JOHNSON-MCGOLDRICK, who wrote THE CONJURING 2 and THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.

[wornoutspines]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Official Trailer

I'm barely paying attention yet I've heard a lot of "bad" things about #Aquaman2 but this trailer looks fine to me. The visuals are nice and the story seems interesting. #AquamanAndTheLostKingdom #Aquaman

Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Mort Weisinger, Paul Norris Director: James Wan Stars: Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison Expected in theaters December 20th, 2023 If you like this content, please consider supporting the site by getting me a Ko-Fi to keep it going:

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Teaser

"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." (DC)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stars Jason Momoa (Arthur Curry / Aquaman), Patrick Wilson (Orm), Amber Heard (Mera), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta), Nicole Kidman (Atlanna), Dolph Lundren (King Nereus), and Randall Park (Dr. Stephen Shin). The film is directed by James Wan from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. The story is by Wan & JohnsonMcGoldrick and Momoa & Thomas Pa'a Sibbett.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 20, 2023.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

I like DC’s roster of characters, and I fear this has blinded me to some obvious flaws in films like Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam and Suicide Squad. I won't make that mistake with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Four years after the events of the first film, Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) are married with a newborn son. Arthur is juggling his responsibilities as the king of Atlantis with his superhero-ing and fatherly duties when his enemy David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdyl-Mateen II) reappears. Working with marine biologist Stephen Shin (Randall Park), Black Manta has obtained the mythical Black Trident. With it, he has the power to destroy Aquaman, his family and all of Atlantis.

This film has the pieces needed to construct a great story but doesn't know how. Unlike the other heroes in this universe, Aquaman has loved ones with super abilities. Even normal Atlanteans like his mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) can hold their own in combat thanks to their enhanced strength, quasi-ability to fly (you can move in any direction underwater) and superhuman endurance. Mera can telekinetically control water. Black Manta is a regular, surface-dwelling human with a power suit. To get around this, the film hospitalizes Mera as soon as possible (was the decision made in response to Amber Heard’s courtroom drama? Who knows?), has all of Atlantis deadlocked in political squabbles that prevent them from doing anything - even though they’re all going to die if Black Manta isn’t stopped -, ignores elements from the first film (like that Leviathan we saw Aquaman commanding) and powers up Black Manta through magic strength. The setup alone feels cumbersome.

Black Manta’s plan raises the stakes appropriately, though I’m not sure how well it was really thought out. A part of you can’t help thinking “There had to be an easier way”. The point is, things are dire. With Mera and Atlanna unable to help, Aquaman needs to break his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) out of prison and get him to help. Once Orm and Arthur are together, the movie picks up, largely because they form a tried-and-true dynamic. Aquaman is a goofball. Orm is serious. They’re former enemies, forced to work together. It worked so well in X-2: X-Men United but doesn’t here. Nearly every joke deflates the stakes rather than adds to the movie and with none of the action ever taking place on the surface world, Arthur is never the expert on anything. He’s always basically tagging along as Orm leads. Aside from the whole “waging war on the surface” thing he did before, you begin wondering if he wouldn’t be better suited as a ruler after all.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has lofty ambitions. It wants to say something about pollution and the environment but in the end, doesn’t make any worthwhile points. The catastrophic disasters are mentioned only to give Aquaman a ticking clock; it barely affects his adventure and the resolution is an afterthought. Family is also an important theme… but it’s hampered by Mera and Atlanna being removed from the action so early. These major issues at the screenplay level are augmented by details throughout that make this film feel like it wasn’t thought all the way through. Black Manta’s minions, for example. We often see them walking around in these bulky deep sea diver outfits that must be heavy, difficult to maneuver and hamper the wearer’s vision. Why would they be wearing those outside of the water? How did he even convince said minions to join him on this quest for vengeance?

On a more positive note, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom feels like a true sequel to its predecessor. Orm grows as a character. Aquaman does as well. We follow up on Black Manta. We get to explore more of the mythology and history of Atlantis. Even so, it’s a disappointment. I don’t think anyone bought the love story between Mera and Arthur in Aquaman. This sequel does nothing to help. Black Manta was not a particularly deep or compelling villain before and he isn’t now either. I won’t criticize it too much for not having Willem Dafoe’s Vulko return - the movie already has a lot of characters - but it’s a shame not to see him again.

As the last film in the DC’s cinematic universe, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the equivalent of a shrug. The humor is much more miss than hit, the characters aren't used to their potential and the action isn't anything special. It does have a great mid-credit sequence - my favorite in a while - but overall, this is a clumsy, forgettable film. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 11, 2024)