For almost five-thousand years, Teth Adam (Dwayne Johnson) has been buried away–hidden from civilization in his homeland of Kahndaq. When he reemerges, he is tasked with determining whether he will be a hero or a villain–as his form of justice is condemned. With the Justice Society hot on his tail, the man that has the potential to be renamed Black Adam will face this modern reality, and his journey will be trying.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has gained the reputation of struggling to produce riveting content, always one or two steps behind other films and series of the genre. There are a few films, however, that have managed to make their way into the limelight. Films like Shazam!, Wonder Woman, and Zach Snyder’s Justice League have appealed to fans of the comics, and have managed to intrigue cinephiles in one way or another. With the recent news of James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over DC and all of its properties, it seems that a new wave of superhero films and television shows would be on their way, sure to shift the public’s overall opinion of the DCEU. Black Adam managed to come out during a time of uncertainty–and its fate hangs in balance. Given what I’ve seen in the past from DC (with the exception of a few films), I had low expectations–so let’s dive in.
Johnson is known for his over-the-top films, and his fans have come to expect that at this point, and many even love it. Johnson picks up where he left off in his other films, leading Black Adam down a path of hyperbole and insanity–for a superhero film, that works. Johnson is an effective actor, and there are times throughout his career in which he has been stellar (he falls somewhere in the middle here in Black Adam). He’s surrounded by a few individuals, however, that land somewhere on the stellar side of the spectrum here. Aldis Hodge (Hawkman/Carter Hall), Pierce Brosnan (Dr. Fate/Kent Nelson), and Bodhi Sabongui (Amon Tomaz) are wonderful throughout, and they bring a level of expertise and experience to the table to help balance Johnson.
Storytelling has been an issue for the DCEU recently, and it’s been incredibly difficult to appreciate many of the stories seen in the extended universe so far. However, Writers Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani create a cohesive story that warrants attention. It’s wild, crazy, and completely in tune with what the world has come to expect from films starring Johnson–and that’s okay. The thing that helps the story the most is the pacing; from beginning to end the film never relents, and it drives forward as fast as it possibly can without going too fast. Black Adam is incredibly fast paced, but it never goes too far, it never runs off the rails. It’s a challenge to create a film full of seemingly nonstop action that doesn’t feel too jumbled or confusing–but Black Adam finds a wonderful balance.
What Black Adam is full of that the DCEU has struggled with for years are subpar special effects. Even in some of the best films, the CGI often fails to live up to the standards set in place by the rest of Hollywood. We aren’t talking about an independent project or something without a shit ton of funding–this is funded by one of the biggest production companies in the world, and Black Adam struggles to produce riveting visuals. In the film's defining battle, there are aspects of it that look horrific, and it’s challenging to see something like this in a film of this magnitude–taking away from the film as a whole.
There are so many moving pieces throughout Black Adam, and most of it works. Actors pull their weight (some even exceed expectations), the fast paced nature of the film is riveting and fun, and the storytelling ability of everyone involved is impressive. Those pesky special effects, however, drag the film down a degree, and that’s a shame, especially knowing what this company is capable of. Black Adam, in a lot of ways, is what the DCEU needed, however, and while talks with Gunn have concerned fans of this film, I think that Johnson and Black Adam have a place in the future of the DCEU.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
Written by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, & Sohrab Noshirvani.
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, Marwan Kenzari, Bodhi Sabongui, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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