Nerdly » ‘Black Adam’ Review

19th Oct2022

‘Black Adam’ Review

by Matthew Turner

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Bodhi Sabongui, Pierce Brosnan | Written by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani | Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Dwayne Johnson stars as DC’s anti-hero Black Adam in this de facto spin-off from 2019’s Shazam. Indeed, the character was originally intended to be the antagonist in the Shazam movie, until producers decided he merited his own franchise. On the strength of the new movie, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, that was probably the right call.

Unusually for a DC superhero movie, Black Adam is set entirely in the fictional Middle Eastern city of Kahndaq, which has been enriched by the discovery of a powerful element called Eternium (similarities to Black Panther’s Vibranium are presumably coincidental). When Kahndaq freedom fighter-slash-archaeologist Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) unearths a mystical crown, she unwittingly releases Teth-Adam (Johnson), an all-powerful super-being who soon unleashes his destructive force on Intergang, the military group that has oppressed Kahndaq for years.

However, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) – read, America – decides that Teth-Adam is too powerful to be left dispensing super-justice in the Middle East, so she dispatches members of the Justice Society of America – Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) to either capture Black Adam or persuade him to become a force for good. Meanwhile, shadowy Ishmael (Marwan Kenzari) has his own designs on the mystical crown.

Johnson’s mighty physique makes him the perfect choice for Black Adam, and he’s utterly convincing when he’s throwing his considerable weight around. The surprise (a pleasant one) is that he doesn’t play the character the way you’re expecting, largely stripping out the deadpan comedy and all traces of his movie star persona – even the trademark eyebrow remains unraised.

With Johnson essentially playing an unstoppable killer for most of the movie, it’s left to the colourful supporting cast to provide moments of humour and humanity. The performances are strong across the board, with Brosnan proving the unexpected stand-out, investing Fate with real pathos. There’s also strong work from both Aldis Hodge and Sarah Shahi, who are both given much more emotional depth than you’re expecting from a film like this. Even Bodhi Sabongui’s skateboarding kid Amon isn’t as annoying as he might have been.

The script toys with some interesting ideas, not least in its inherent critique of American foreign policy, underlined in a key exchange between Hawkman and Adrianna. It also tries to debate the thorny comics question of whether heroes should ever kill, though it’s not too clear which side the film is actually on. Ultimately, the film is only willing to raise subjects and ideas, rather than explore them in any depth.

On a similar note, the action sequences in Black Adam are frequently very good, thanks to zippy editing that gives a palpable sense of energy. However, they’re ultimately repetitive and it’s a shame when the film eventually defaults to the oh-so-tired trope of the hero and villain firing flashing bolts of light at each other, without any real consequence on either side.

Despite its flaws, Black Adam remains a solidly entertaining slice of superhero cinema. Stick around for a widely spoiled mid-credits scene, which sets up a tantalising sequel – let’s just hope the contracts have already been signed, because otherwise there will be some major disappointment.