Black Adam review

2022 - 10 - 19

Review: 'Black Adam' Continues DC Films' Post-'Justice League ... (Forbes)

Warner Bros. Black Adam is, above all, a rollicking good time at the movies. It is a showcase for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson playing to type as an invincible ...

It has the pulpy and no-pressure pleasures of a New Line flick, even as it comes armed with a WB-level budget. Little of this is explained beyond the initial roll call, and most of the character interaction is more about specific character development than broader exposition. The film is peppered with low-key wit and dry humor, none of which comes at the expense of the onscreen drama and character conflict. Considering the constant online chatter about DC Films being in disarray, it’s amusing how Black Adam plunges audiences into the more niche portions of DC Comics without a study guide. The film offers the director of Orphan and House of Wax ample opportunity to push the limits of the PG-13 in comically violent ways. Without being naval-gazy about it, Black Adam does give time to the notion that superheroes (even ones played by Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo and Quintessa Swindell) are more concerned with maintaining the status quo and unequal power structure than with making the world better for the disenfranchised.

Paint it Black: 'Black Adam' review (The Sun Daily)

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.

'Black Adam' Review: The Rock Cuts Loose in Loud, Fun ... (CNET)

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' review: Rock-solid fan service (Rappler)

'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.

'Black Adam' review: self-aware superhero film is no rock bottom for ... (The National)

Do we really need another clutch of secondary level heroes to muddy focus? We're almost 40 deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a dozen in the DC ...

It's a film that is sometimes self-aware, as when the kid urges Black Adam to come up with a catchphrase that will sell lunchboxes. 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. They nicely include pockets of humour 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. Most intriguing — and the angle most fruitful to lean into — is the notion of hero itself. 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. Watch as “Black Adam” arrives in Dubai and lights up the city’s most iconic landmarks including the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa! 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. ("This can only end one way," says the script. Flash-forward to present day, where Kahndaq is under the cruel rule of the organised crime syndicate Intergang and its citizens are ripe to rebel. Why he hasn't had a starring role in a DC or Marvel superhero film until now is astonishing — he's basically built himself into a superhero in street clothes already. But Johnson is a natural in the title role, mixing might with humour and able to deliver those necessary wooden lines. Do we need another superhero with another convoluted origin story that stretches back thousands of years and fulfils a whacko destiny?

Black Adam review: Twitter celebrates Dwyane Johnson's fiery ... (Lifestyle Asia)

If you're considering investing in tickets to go see Black Adam this weekend, take a peek at what early reviews have to say.

It’s produced by DC Entertainment, New Line Cinema, [#BlackAdam]is a career best for [@TheRock]in what’s easily one of DC’s best efforts. The action in the film is non-stop & seeing the [#JSA]on the big screen was a thrill! Charismatic as ever. Pierce Brosnan kills it as Doctor Fate. [October 13, 2022] A Snyder-esque antihero spectacle that delivers big action and impressive set pieces. Black Adam is everything that I hoped it would be and more. A few have noted that the action scenes as well as the pace of the film will keep viewers hooked. The archenemy of Shazam and Superman’s opponent brings plenty of action to the feature, which is helmed by Spanish-American director Jaume Collet-Serra and also stars Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo, and Quintessa Swindel. The story goes that an archeologist and resistance fighter Adrianna makes an important discovery that leads to the freedom of Adam. The movie sees