A Reel Review: BLACK ADAM

The films based on the super-characters of DC Comics are now operating on three different lines of continuity. There is the universe THE BATMAN (2022), occupies, the universe JOKER (2019), laughs in, and the universe that launched in 2013 with MAN OF STEEL. The latter line has had its share of hits and misses, ranging from critical flops, bombs, divisiveness, internal strife, and re-do’s, all resulting in the longest train wreck in cinema. This year, DC pins all their hopes on a little-known hero known as BLACK ADAM. 

 

In the occupied city of Kahndaq, archeologist Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), and her son Amon (Bodhi Sabongul), search for a mystical crown they believe will help liberate their people. They wind up awakening Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson), a superhero who has been asleep for thousands of years. Adam’s awakening draws the attention of the Justice Society, which includes Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). 

 

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (who guided Johnson on JUNGLE CRUISE), BLACK ADAM is a superhero origin story that stuffs in a ton of story and characters. Oddly enough, the plot is very thin, but is overburdened with one thing or another. There’s business with the military-occupied city, the magic crown, a mystical element that provides great power, powers of the gods, and the underworld rising up with their walking dead to take over the world. It’s a messy web of things to remember, and it is never streamlined enough to make sense. 

 

Things get even more messy with the presence of the stupid Justice Society. This foursome is already present in this universe, and we are thrown into their existence quickly and bluntly with zero explanation; it feels like we missed four movies of backstory with these characters that were never made. The film asks us to root for them and have emotion when they fight and fall, but it just isn’t there. They seem to be in the film just to give Adam something to fight (which he does, over and over with repetitive plot beats), and to teach him how to be a hero…which is something that nearly any one of the many characters could have done. The Society could easily be cut out of the film and would not change a thing. 

 

BLACK ADAM is presented by way of endless CGI; there probably isn’t a single shot in the film that doesn’t have a computer-generated effect or enhancement. Most of it looks phony. There’s also a lot of placement of actors’ heads on CGI bodies which just looks bizarre. Action sequences are done on a large scale, and the film does beg to be seen on the biggest screen possible. The battles are over-edited with way too many cuts, and most of it just comes off as noise. BLACK ADAM has a few good laughs and moments, but not many of them. 

 

Acting is okay. Dwayne Johnson puts away his usual charm and plays the part like a statue; stone-cold with zero emotion. Pierce Brosnan is as elegant as ever but it’s hard to believe he understands the endless universe-hopping jargon he has to plow through. Aldis Hodge plays the part of Hawkman (who looks awesome, at least), as an overzealous Dudley-do-right and just comes off as annoying. 

 

The finale of BLACK ADAM is a noisy affair with the underworld and its leader unleashing the walking dead (which seem powerless, as even kids are able to kill them with clubs), capped off with a very cool end-credit cameo (best part of the movie). Overall, BLACK ADAM is super-flawed film with too much crammed in. Long-time readers of DC Comic books may appreciate it more, but no one should be required to do homework before any movie. This is a noisy, bewildering mess, just like any endless trainwreck. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Fuck it