Black Adam — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Besides the living Hollywood legends, as far as Blockbusters go, Dwayne Johnson is one of the only names out there that will draw a crowd. These days, it’s all about the spectacle or whether or not a good story is enough to pull people in. The way of the Hollywood star is going away, but Johnson is one of the few keeping that notion alive. I’m saying this because I don’t think this film would be getting as much attention without him in the leading role, and I also don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much without this particular cast. Here’s why, although it’s a mess, you may get some enjoyment out of Black Adam, as I did.
Imprisoned for over 5,000 years, a man named Teth Adam is unleashed on the world. The Justice Society, a team of superpowered individuals, is on the hunt for him when they find this out, but more significant threats will take precedence. Having the powers of the Egyptian Gods, Teth Adam begins to tear apart and kill anyone who stands against him. This was his moral code back in the day and still remains. The fish-out-of-water scenarios are what made this film enjoyable though.
Dwayne Johnson plays a more stoic version of his beloved persona and I thought it worked well here. On top of that, I thought the additions of Aldis Hodge (Hawkman), Pierce Brosnan (Dr. Fate), Noah Centineo (Atom Smasher), and Quintessa Swindell (Cyclone) as the Justice Society were all great and played off each other well. It was the fact that I loved all the characters that left me overall enjoying this film. The biggest issue is that it moves very quickly and tells two films' worth of story in about two hours. There was no room for anything to breathe.
In the end, I’m not complaining about the pace of the film because that’s the furthest thing from the problem. It moves at a very solid pace, but The Justice Society comes basically out of nowhere and because I liked all the characters so much throughout this film, I really wish we had a film or series that fleshed them out more. Great characters with zero backstories are just frustrating. It’s filled with great superhero action and Dwayne Johnson is very good in the role, and Jaume Collet-Serra did a great job directing an exciting film, but I do feel that the writers just stuffed too much into a film that felt small-scale in terms of scope and locations. By no means a great movie, but if you’re looking for some fun action that you can enjoy some popcorn with, this is it.
Rating: 3/5
Check out the trailer below:
