As King of Atlantis and the latest entry into the DC Extended Universe, “Aquaman” carries a heavy burden. Can this under-the-sea adventure, that combines sci-fi, HP Lovecraft-levels of mind-numbing creatures with a dash or Arthurian legend, turn the DCEU around? Yeah. Inevitable and inescapable comparisons to several Marvel studios aside, “Aquaman” is solid, if somewhat predictable movie that holds its own, connected to, but not tied down by its inclusion in the larger DCEU. Jason Momoa of “Stargate: Atlantis” and “Game Of Thrones” fame plays Arthur Curry, son of a human land-dweller father and an Atlantean queen. A child of two worlds, never fully assimilating into one or the other, one can understand why Aquaman starts off the movie with some anger management issues. His parents, Nicole Kidman’s Queen Atlanna and humble lighthouse watcher Thomas Curry, played by “Clone War’s” Temuera Morrison, are forced apart, only adding to his brooding angst. Despite the usual tragic superhero origin story, Momoa is able to balance Arthur’s fierceness with humor, spouting enough one-liners to make Tony Stark take notice. He’s a steadfast, consistent element in the flowing story that brings the characters and us the viewers to places in the deep blue sea we’ve never been before, and anchors our experience with human interest. On the topic of places we’ve never seen, the crowning jewel of everything the movie accomplishes visually, is its depiction of life underwater. From the city of Atlantis itself, with its science fiction-like yet organic designs, peppered with bio-luminescent glows and lighting. If the ship from the classic movie, “Abyss” had stayed at the bottom of the ocean and grew into a city, that is what Atlantis looks like. It is strikingly beautiful, blending gargantuan statues of old with the technology of the future. It is in Atlantis where Arthur finds his nemesis, the realm’s King Orm. Actor Patrick Wilson is no stranger to superhero movies, having donned a suit for Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” back in 2009. Here he plays the villainous monarch, who, while devious isn’t completely in the wrong. Other places under the sea are equally as striking, which gives one an idea of how much thought was given by the designers and concept artists into creating the undersea worlds. There is much world-building to be had in the movie, from defining Aquaman’s power set to explaining at least some of the history and mythology of Atlantis and the other underwater kingdoms. One of the highlights is the depiction of one-on-one combat underwater. There are a few holes in the physics of it all, for example how they can just torpedo from one place to another but those holes are totally forgivable. The melee is frantic, ranging from close-in combat to superhuman-type beat-downs. The transitions from real actors to digital doubles and back are mostly seamless, and never distract from the story or the action. Aiding Arthur on his heroic quest is Mera, the feisty red-haired princess played by Amber Heard. Dolph Lundgren and Willem Dafoe provide some old-school credibility and star power as Mera’s father, King Nerus, and Atlantis’ elder statesman Nuidis Vulko, respectively. Prior to this incarnation, Aquaman was somewhat of a second-class hero, and the butt of many a super-hero joke. With Momoa’s gruffer, more affable take on the character changes that. This movie asks viewers to take Aquaman seriously, even while keeping with the somewhat campy, comic-book roots. For those old enough, look for a scene where he’s on a giant sea-horse-like creature to get your ’80s Superfriends fix. “Aquaman” is by no means a flawless movie. The dialogue is somewhat straightforward and not overly full of subtext. The story plays out pretty much how you’d expect, but still with a few surprises along the way. The use of computer generated imagery at times seems gratuitous. Yes, there’s no escaping it, the world of the story is underwater and every shot that needs floating hair is probably treated with CGI to some degree, but many sequences seemed they could have been shortened or toned down. At about two and a half hours, it feels a bit overly stuffed, as if James Wan decided to throw everything in in case Warner Brothers decided not to make a sequel. That would be a mistake on their part, as despite all its easily forgivable missteps, “Aquaman” is a thrill ride that manages to stay interesting and not fall off the trench into empty spectacle. This is one DCEU film, along with “Wonder Woman,” that I will purchase on Blu Ray because I will genuinely want to watch it again on demand, and not simply to complete a collection. Superman and Batman were always the go-to characters whenever DC comics characters were adapted for the silver screen. Now there’s a third. Aquaman!