Get ready for epic action sequences in “Black Adam”. Directed by Jaume Colette-Serra and stars Dwayne Johnson as the titular hero (er, anti-hero?). This film marks the character’s (and Johnson’s) first entry into the DECU. We know that Black Adam is the archnemesis of Shazam, but before we get to see those two face off, we need to see him introduced in this solo film. Black Adam hits theaters October 21st.
Synopsis
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the powers of the ancient gods, Black Adam is freed from his tomb in Khandaq, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world. Born out of rage, Black Adam is challenged by the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone.
I’ve been looking forward to this movie since it was announced and the trailers have been fantastic. Dwayne Johnson who plays Black Adam has made this into his passion project with every promotion and interview, and it really comes through in his performance in the movie. Typically, Dwayne Johnson plays the hero type but Black Adam is technically not a hero.
The vibe of this movie is dark – it reminded me of Zach Snyder’s style a little – grittier and more serious. That’s not to say there aren’t any comedic moments because they are sprinkled throughout the film. The film does start pretty exposition-heavy. Black Adam hadn’t been introduced in the DCEU before so I understand why it was necessary. Because of that, the pacing of the first act felt a bit rough, though once Black Adam was released from his tomb, the action kicked in.
Speaking of the action, this film was originally rated R by the MPAA and it took four rounds of editing to get the rating to PG-13. The producers said in an interview that they wanted to make sure they honored the character of Black Adam, who’s known for his aggression and violence, so I appreciate that they worked hard to keep as much of that in as possible. And when you see the film, you’ll be able to see they did just that.
We’re introduced to the Justice Society in the movie, made up of Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. These fight sequences between Black Adam and the Justice Society are fantastic! These are edge-of-your-seat, cheering-in-the-theater type of action scenes. I was really satisfied with them and I want more of Dr. Fate and Hawkman. They added so much to the story with not just their interaction with each other but with Black Adam. Get ready for Pierce Brosnan to steal every scene he’s in.
While I think the storytelling could have been smoother, I greatly enjoyed Black Adam. Dwayne Johnson does a fantastic job with this character and I can’t wait to see more Black Adam in the DECU.
