Black Adam': Review

Dwayne Johnson as a superhero? It feels right, so why does 'Black Adam' fall flat?

Unlike the maudlin, turgid comic book movies from Zack Snyder, whose Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is a master class in how to make something ostensibly for kids as boring as humanly possible, Black Adam just zips along, trusting that the audience will catch up. Soon Adrianna summons the trapped hero, Teth-Adam, who is the gargantuan Johnson wearing a superhero suit and a scowl. Black Adam is a character from deep within DC Comics lore, but don’t feel like you need to have any background knowledge going into Black Adam. Much like a McDonald’s hamburger is technically food, Black Adam is technically a movie, and both can be intermittently enjoyable before you come around to ask “why am I consuming this?” Dwayne Johnson is one of the most charismatic personalities in mainstream entertainment, and by all accounts seems like a fine fella. It does have moments of value here and there, and out of respect to Mr.

There's a void at the center of 'Black Adam' — a charisma-free Dwayne Johnson — but director Jaume Collet-Serra manages to give the film a sense of style.

If there’s any superhero to write about with “Black Adam,” it’s the director, and it’s a good thing to see he still has some lightning coming out of his fingers. While the film feels cobbled together out of spare parts of other superhero movies, and it’s almost instantly forgettable, Collet-Serra manages to hold it all together out of sheer force of will and an inherent sense of style. They eventually decide to team up to take on Intergang, who have occupied the country for 27 years, mining eternium and searching for the cursed crown so that their leader, Ishmael (Marwan Kenzari), can ascend the throne as some kind of hell demon king. [“Shazam”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-shazam-review-20190404-story.html)). There’s also a refreshingly anticolonialist bent lurking in the story of Kahndaq overthrowing their occupiers, embodied by the rebellious Amon. Collet-Serra surrounds Johnson with a charm offensive of supporting actors, including Hodge and Brosnan, who are great, as well as Shahi, Sabongui and comedian Mohammed Amer as Adrianna’s brother Karim. It helps that “Black Adam” has a distinct and dynamic visual style and tone that distinguishes itself against the Marvel “house style” we’ve become accustomed to over many, many phases of superhero flicks, which have devolved into a depressing digital sludge offset by an onslaught of cutesy, quippy dialogue. Adrianna ( [Sarah Shahi](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-reverie-review-20180529-story.html)), who has been searching for a cursed crown made of “eternium,” awakens Teth-Adam (Johnson) from a 5,000-year slumber while escaping an Intergang faction. But in this universe, there need to be checks and balances on all-powerful beings, so the Justice Society is called up to rein in Teth-Adam (and also to introduce new characters for spin-off movies). But, it seems Collet-Serra has got his groove back for “Black Adam,” or perhaps he was saving it for this film, which is far more entertaining than it has any right to be. The trailers looked ponderous and gray, and though the film is directed by [COVID-19 pandemic](https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fcalifornia%2Fcoronavirus-everything-to-know-right-now&data=04%7C01%7Ckevin.crust%40latimes.com%7C52633c0a516544dd252a08d9e81168f0%7Ca42080b34dd948b4bf44d70d3bbaf5d2%7C0%7C0%7C637795983749169191%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=EARyZgH1vGMtlQdur%2F61n5fLiwKXExOWtv3guJOFSn8%3D&reserved=0).

Dwayne Johnson is a conflicted superhero in the latest adventure from the DC Extended Universe.

Johnson has mostly relied on his unassuming charm in recent films, counterbalancing his impressive build with a silly streak, but Black Adam finds him summoning a more brooding demeanour, easily conveying the awe-inspiring grandeur of a vengeful god. Black Adam is hardly the first film about a superhero who resists his destiny. But his exuberance is warranted for a character so powerful that —in one of the picture’s more macabre running jokes — any mere mortal trying to stop him quickly discovers all they’ve done is ensure their own doom. It’s hardly a spoiler to reveal that maybe, just maybe, this antihero will end up surprising everyone by becoming a good guy. The latest instalment in the DC Extended Universe too often succumbs to the conventions of its genre — it’s a film suffused with hokey punchlines and predictably gaudy action set pieces — but some compelling performances and director Jaume Collet-Serra’s ebullient B-movie flourishes prove to be sufficient compensation. After a prologue set in 2600 BC, the film flash-forwards to modern-day Kahndaq; a fictional Egypt-like country ruled by an evil organisation known as Intergang.

Our review for Black Adam details how the DC anti-hero's big screen debut suffers from far too many issues that other modern superhero movies have already ...

The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. It bites off more than it can chew when it comes to squeezing the origin of its main character, four members of the Justice Society, a trio of relatable human characters, and a villain for them to fight all in one movie. Considering there’s a second Shazam movie in the works while Superman is pretty much MIA following 2017’s Justice League, that’s a heck of a choice. The series launches on Disney+ in Spring 2023.](/videos/marvels-secret-invasion-official-trailer) [The Little Mermaid - Official Teaser TrailerCheck out the teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid, the upcoming live-action reimagining of the animated musical classic. After about the fourth scene of him mowing down dozens of baddies who didn’t stand a chance, I started to wonder why a sort of “Black Adam Kryptonite'' was introduced in the first act but none of the bad guys thought to use it against him later on. While he gets top marks for making his Black Adam just as steely and imposing as in the comics, the character feels a bit too confident and powerful. Johnson plays Black Adam in the same vein as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: a stoic, seemingly soulless killing machine gains a glimmer of humanity and even a sense of humor. On the other hand, Doctor Fate’s abilities look a bit too similar to what we saw Marvel’s Doctor Strange do in Avengers: Infinity War, so it’s a shame they didn’t give Fate a more distinct visual identity. Thus, the topic of superhero morality is the crux of the story, and there’s a lot of talk about heroes and villains, good and evil, and killing versus mercy, but the debate devolves into a confusing garble of platitudes. With a bit too much going on, Black Adam feels both overstuffed and underdeveloped. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as a powerhouse from ancient times who explodes into the present day with a bad attitude and lots of flashy lightning effects, but unfortunately he’s not the only thing from the distant past. Everyone else spends most of their time explaining the MacGuffin or their backstory.

What does it mean to be a hero? That's the question posed by Black Adam, DC's origin story about a super-violent anti-hero, but it struggles to find the ...

Try as it might to capture lightning in a bottle, Black Adam never manages to find its spark. While he gets top marks for making his Black Adam just as steely and imposing as in the comics, the character feels a bit too confident and powerful. Considering there’s a second Shazam movie in the works while Superman is pretty much MIA following 2017’s Justice League, that’s a heck of a choice. With a bit too much going on, Black Adam feels both overstuffed and underdeveloped. Johnson plays Black Adam in the same vein as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: a stoic, seemingly soulless killing machine gains a glimmer of humanity and even a sense of humor. Thus, the topic of superhero morality is the crux of the story, and there’s a lot of talk about heroes and villains, good and evil, and killing versus mercy, but the debate devolves into a confusing garble of platitudes.

Dwayne Johnson's overdue superhero epic, while bolstered by smart turns from Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge, could have been called One Long Fight: The ...

Black Adam is a movie that would have you believe that the aforementioned country’s population would chant “champion” at the guy who helped demolish most of their homes and buildings. It is a movie where such in-world story logic concerns like that take up more of your investment than most of the characters and spectacle do. (The JSA are sadly dealt a crappy hand when, after spending most of the movie speechifying about the negative toll destruction can have on a potential savior’s soul, they essentially “peace out” of the movie after kick-punching holes through an entire country. While this relationship provides the movie with some of its few genuine heartfelt moments, it gets somewhat shortchanged by all the sulking and repetitive “murder is bad” arguments Adam finds himself in. With the crown in the wind, Black Adam struggles to adjust to a non-kill ethos when confronted by the Justice Society of America, who have been dispatched by Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller to contain him (and provide some clunky interconnectivity across DC’s disjointed live-action films). A movie full of under-cranked, slow-mo action (it’s really okay to let this aesthetic go, Warner Bros.) and over-plotted world-building that delivers more information than emotion because the movie struggles to ground this world on the backs of characters worth emotionally investing in.

Not long into “Black Adam,” a preteen boy looks up at the muscled hulk of Dwayne Johnson and begs for his help: “We could use a superhero right now.

Two and a half stars out of four. They nicely include pockets of humor that DC has not always done well — a recurring bit with “Baby Come Back” and teaching Black Adam satire are fun; a Clint Eastwood gag fails — and there may have been three natural endings piling up before the final, manipulative one. Black Adam replies: “Well, I do.” It is Shahiby’s character who notes that it’s easy to call someone a hero when you’re the one drawing the line. The Justice Society members are shocked to find that they aren’t seen as heroic to the residents of Kahndaq, living 27 years under oppression. Most intriguing — and the angle most fruitful to lean into — is the notion of hero itself. Comedian Mohammed Amer is a much-needed bolt of bright humor. At one point, with the audience exhausted by all the carnage, they introduce skeletons who rise up as a legion from hell, just what we wanted. that has wizards, a blood-thirsty king, a magical crown and Eternium, a rare metallic ore with energy-manipulating properties (Hello, Vibranium from “Black Panther”). They apparently left at home the superhero with the ability to open jars. Is he a force for good or bad? Do we need another superhero with another convoluted origin story that stretches back thousands of years and fulfills a whacko destiny? Why he hasn’t had a starring role in a DC or Marvel superhero flick until now is astonishing — c’mon, he’s built himself into a freaking superhero in street clothes already.

While "Black Adam," which opens in theaters on Friday, may not be a perfect film, it may actually be the perfect anecdote for some of the issues that have ...

The first reviews for Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam are mixed, praising the actors and action but criticising the depth of the story and the editing.

“Most disappointing of all, Black Adam is one of the most visually confounding of the major-studio superhero sagas, between CG that’s assaultively unappealing and rapid-fire editing that sucks the exhilaration right out of every fight scene,” wrote Alonso Duralde. Other reviewers said the film offers both non-stop action and some geopolitical subtext. In the comics, the character is a popular foe of Shazam and Superman. Also read: [Black Adam trailer: Watch Dwayne Johnson in action as DC Comics villain](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/hollywood/black-adam-trailer-watch-dwayne-johnson-in-action-as-he-changes-hierarchy-of-power-in-the-dc-universe-101654696804563.html) And the first reviews for the action extravaganza are out, which call the film ‘neither the best, nor the worst’. [DC Extended Universe](https://www.hindustantimes.com/topic/dceu) will happen with the super-antihero film Black Adam, which releases worldwide this week.

Dwayne Johnson's 'Black Adam' isn't bad, it's just predictable and colour-by-numbers.

They nicely include pockets of humor that DC has not always done well — a recurring bit with “Baby Come Back” and teaching Black Adam satire are fun; a Clint Eastwood gag fails — and there may have been three natural endings piling up before the final, manipulative one. Two and a half stars out of four. Most intriguing — and the angle most fruitful to lean into — is the notion of hero itself. that has wizards, a blood-thirsty king, a magical crown and Eternium, a rare metallic ore with energy-manipulating properties (Hello, Vibranium from “Black Panther”). At one point, with the audience exhausted by all the carnage, they introduce skeletons who rise up as a legion from hell, just what we wanted. Do we need another superhero with another convoluted origin story that stretches back thousands of years and fulfills a whacko destiny?

The film is a long-time passion project of Dwayne Johnson, who has spent years trying to adapt the story of the infamous DC Comics supervillain-turned-antihero ...

Hawkman and Dr Fate are shown to be old friends, with Atom Smasher and Cyclone being the rookies of the team. His presence was one of the worst-kept secrets during production, and here he has an interesting (if underdeveloped) backstory, and proves to be a formidable match for both the JSA and Teth-Adam. Hopefully we will get to see more of them in a sequel. Speaking of the action scenes, I’m happy to report that they are the best part of the movie. We get an extended scene of Teth-Adam fighting against the JSA, giving us a terrifying idea of the full scale of his power. It also introduces the Justice Society of America (JSA), a new group of heroes whose superpowers are derived through magic and/or science.

In this DC comics blockbuster, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the bad guy. Sure, why not?

On top of that, a digital double of Johnson is glaringly subbed in for the action sequences. Teth-Adam spends a lot of time staring at a statue, which hints at some vulnerability as the character grapples with the weight of his own myth. The large cast oddly pushes Johnson into the sidelines of his own movie for a surprising amount of the film. A team of superheroes called The Justice Society is dispatched to take him down, plus an army of mercenaries with infinite ammo and a council of demons looking to unleash hell. Start to finish and through the inevitable post-credits scene, Black Adam is a guilty pleasure that isn't even the slightest bit guilty. So Black Adam is a ton of fun, if you like that sort of thing, headlined by a humorously homicidal antihero who puts an irreverent spin on the superhero formula.

'Black Adam' is an action-driven film that knows it is in service of the fans, which means plenty of spectacle and a focus on entertainment with a capital E ...

In the meantime, Johnson fulfills his passion project of disrupting the DC Universe by introducing a character that could very well be the focal point of the franchise moving forward. Black Adam packs some of the strongest action in DC thus far, and some of the visual effects (especially one involving Doctor Fate) are astounding to behold. Lucky for him, Dwayne Johnson is in the lead and shines with a deadpan and renegade tone. After gaining the powers of the Gods and being hailed as the champion of the people, he uses his powers for vengeance and is subsequently imprisoned for it. In many ways, Black Adam does listen to the fans, and because of that simple reason, it feels like the most disruptive DC film in decades. Then, Johnson came out again and said his film would mark a “new era” of the DC Universe.