Dwayne Johnson bombards villains and superheroes like an ancient god with a killer instinct. Black Adam gives the DCEU a bad-a** with zero moral remorse. He literally hurls, electrocutes and rips enemies apart without batting an eyelid. Black Adam is the definition of all stick and no carrot. If only the script kicked as much behind as our antihero. A predictable plot with cardboard characters tears the magical armor. Dazzling action saves the simple story; resulting in a popcorn cinema spectacle that should delight fans. A great mid-credits scene sets the stage for an epic showdown.
5000 years ago, a ruthless king in the Middle Eastern land of Kahndaq enslaved the people to search for a precious ore. Eternium’s magical properties would allow him to build the Crown of Sabbac, an object that used demonic power. A young boy, Hurut (Jalen Christian), rebelled against the king, but paid a heavy price. His noble deeds were noticed by the clique of wizards. They decided that the suffering people needed a champion.
Intergang rules Modern Kahndaq
The violent, high-tech criminal syndicate Intergang rules modern-day Kahndaq. A school teacher, Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi), her crazy brother Karim (Mohammed Amer) and fearless son Amon (Bodhi Sabongui), try to stop Intergang from finding the buried crown. Adrianna’s harrowing escape frees Teth-Adam (Johnson) from his long slumber.
Amon believes that Teth-Adam has returned to free Kahndaq from outside oppressors. Teth-Adam replies that he is not a hero or a savior. The myths have misjudged him. His awakening triggers Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to confront the significant new threat. The Justice Society of America, led by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), brings in new recruits, Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), to subdue Teth-Adam. They greatly underestimate their target’s abilities. As Kahndaq erupts into chaos, Intergang continues to search for the evil crown.
Black Adam is an absolute beast
Black Adam is an absolute beast. I expected power, flight and lightning powers, but was totally surprised by its amazing speed. The Flash has serious competition. Bullet time and ultra-slow-motion visual effects are breathtaking. He rips through Intergangers as bullets and missiles crawl past at a snail’s pace. The JSA gets the same brutal treatment. It’s hilarious to watch Hawkman try to save every bad guy that Black Adam casually throws away. He takes no prisoners and grants no mercy. Step into the ring with this man and expect death.
The supporting ensemble serves as action pawns with little exposition. This is the film’s glaring flaw. Adrianna and her family are rescue magnets. Hawkman looks cool, but has a nasty, aggressive attitude. He constantly chirps at a confused Atom Smasher, who runs around clueless during his first superhero mission. dr. Fate spits out doomed prophecies like a soothsayer who hangs on repeat. Cyclone has the best personality, but we learn little about her. Cute flirts with Atom Smasher feel forced. The film throws everyone into the fray without established fame. It’s hard to care about characters you don’t know. A little background information would have gone a long way.
Genre haters may criticize the film as a bloated CGI spectacle with no substantive plot. It is never explained how he speaks English. Don’t walk in Black Adam assuming The Batmans depth or plot virtues. It works like a blockbuster action movie with dazzling effects. Fandom will foam at the mouth for the suggested sequel. Black Adam may be the toughest man on earth…
Black Adam is a production of New Line Cinema, DC Films, Seven Bucks Productions and Flynn Picture Company. It will have a theatrical release on October 21 from Warner Bros.