One and a half years removed from the their last box office hit in “Wonder Woman,” DC has failed to consistently pump out quality superhero movies as opposed to its rival, Marvel. That is until now. “Aquaman” avoids the time old trap origin stories generally get tripped up with, over explaining the how the superhero came to be, and instead promptly delivers the audience with a classic comic book movie to rival those of Marvel’s past. Yet, before praise is heaped on “Aquaman,” let’s dive into its slow start.

The audience starts off by learning Arthur Curry, otherwise known as Aquaman and played by Jason Momoa, is of half Atlantean blood and half human. Curry has a strained relationship with the ocean kingdom, Atlantis, to which he is the rightful heir, but is currently ruled by his younger half-brother, Orm, in his absence. Orm, played by Patrick Wilson, holds resentment toward surface dwellers for their constant pollution of his ocean, hence placing himself at odds with Curry.

To ease the audience into the movie and to the character, Curry and other characters give their best attempts to make the audience laugh, but their humor falls flat initially. Yet, as the plot develops, so does the humor.

The main story arc follows Curry’s quest for the fabled trident of the first king of Atlantis, Atlan. Along the way, Curry picks up an ally in Mera, played by Amber Heard, and although betrothed to Orm, Mera likewise seeks to avoid a war between the ocean and the surface.

Throughout the movie, “Aquaman” includes a variety of unique fight scenes, a testament to director James Wan’s background. Also the director of “Furious 7” and “The Conjuring,” Wan employs a few jump scares just to make sure the audience is watching.

“Aquaman” introduces two major foes of Curry, Orm and Black Manta. The movie readily provides the background for each, in sense being an origin for the two villains plus Curry. Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, takes the backseat for most of the movie, but is cast into prominence later in the movie, when teased as an upcoming villain in the series.

Although experiencing a lull in action to kickoff the story of Arthur Curry and his ascent to the throne, Aquaman provides a multitude of action scenes and eventual comic relief to satisfy all ages this holiday season.