In the DC world, a change in the existing power structure is imminent. The movie that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been working toward for years finally hits theatres, 15 years after discussions of Teth Adam’s role in a DC superhero movie first surfaced.
The most recent movie in the DC Extended Universe, Black Adam, centers on an ancient superpowered antihero who travels to the present and battles the Justice Society of America. The Rock’s dedication to the role has been clear throughout the lengthy production of this film. Sadly, this is an underwhelmingly average superhero film that does not land as solidly as it should.
The expository narration at the beginning of a film is usually a bad omen. The movie’s first 30 minutes are difficult to watch because they hammer you with exposition and give you all the background information and mythology you’ll need to understand the rest of the movie. The world they create is distinctive, venturing into uncharted waters for the DC Extended Universe while connecting to the plot established in Shazam! Unfortunately, the film’s introduction of Black Adam and the JSA members is awkward and calls for a lot more on the page.
However, once the tiresome character introductions are over, it’s time for some action. As soon as the action begins, it blows you away and doesn’t stop for very long. With explosions, fighting, and an unstoppable superhero, it’s one of the more action-packed DC films. Black Adam possesses all of Shazam’s abilities, but instead of the cheerful innocence of the protagonist, he is a slave with rage-fueled abilities. A person from five thousand years ago is transported to the present day and causes mayhem in the name of justice.
Everything is fascinating once the action begins. Superhero action movies with a high budget are usually entertaining. You get the explosions, devastation, and carnage you would anticipate from a superhero movie when you pair a $200 million budget with a renowned muscle movie star. The film suffers because of how monotonous it becomes.
There isn’t a particularly noteworthy action scene in Black Adam. Instead, it starts the action and doesn’t stop, keeping you entertained with the show but without providing anything new or thrilling. Even though there is a lot of collateral damage, there is no sense of fear or emotional stakes because Black Adam is unstoppable and the drama involving his persona was resolved ages ago.
After DC League of Super-Pets, this is The Rock’s second appearance in a 2022 DC film, and this is a totally different performance. He drastically reduces his charismatic charm in favor of a tone that is very sober. His solemn demeanor and the fact that he feels out of place in modern society are occasionally used to make jokes in the movie.
A few people laugh at these instances, especially given how different Black Adam is from other superheroes and how he responds to problems differently. Instead, he’s the anti-Superman who is totally focused on finishing the job.
Read More: The Black Adam Clip Shows the Anti-Hero’s Power and Brutality
The movie’s tone, though, can be inconsistent. Black Adam occasionally comes out as very serious, although there is a young character named Amon Tomaz (Bodhi Sabongui) who acts as something of Adam’s sidekick. In addition to feeling like they were borrowed from other movies like Samaritan and Last Action Hero, these action hero meets child scenes also have a tone all their own.
Amon urges Adam to have a great moniker and a catchphrase in this scene, which is when the movie leans heavily on genre clichés. These gags were appropriate in a humorous movie like Shazam!, but they don’t fit in this context.
Additionally, the supporting cast of characters requires greater development. Aldis Hodge plays Hawkman, who serves as a fantastic antagonist for Adam due to how frequently they butt heads. Pierce Brosnan, an Irish film veteran, joins the DC Extended Universe as Doctor Fate, and he possesses the most amazing powers in the picture with some amazingly well-crafted sequences.
Even Noah Centineo from the Netflix rom-com Atom Smasher appears in the movie. In the movie, he adds some humor and gets along well with Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone. Although this is a fascinating cast of people, by the time the story is done, you realize how little you actually care about them on an emotional level.
The same problem as Captain Marvel is also present in Black Adam, which introduces a seemingly indestructible superhero who lacks empathy and is difficult to relate to. Will The Rock be subjected to the same online criticism Brie Larson did? Without a doubt.
However, viewers must put up with Black Adam’s monotonous language, which is essentially just a version of the line “I’m not a hero because I kill people.” This is a bland superhero movie with a weak, unmemorable villain who wants to be powerful. Despite always being entertaining, the film has a more background noise-like effect than a work of great art. Sometimes that’s acceptable. Watching The Rock soar around and cause explosions is entertaining. However, this film lacks emotional depth and is generally uninteresting.
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