Wow! I mean, Wow! Great job, DC Comics. Black Adam is a proper depiction of an anti-hero. Not Batman, not Suicide Squad, Black Adam fits the bill. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson brings an entertaining performance. For one hundred and twenty-four minutes, the movie doesn’t let up once. The lines between good and evil are clearly delineated. That undoubtedly enhances the arch of the action.

Many familiar faces fill the screen with the presence of Pierce Brosnan (Dr. Fate), Aldis Hodge (Hawkman), and Sara Shahi (Adrianna Tomaz). As soon as I saw Sara I recognized her immediately from her lead role in USA’s Fairly Legal. I am quite pleased to see her in this production.

In comparison to Multiverse of Madness and The Batman, this is much more entertaining. I could easily watch it again this weekend. Director, Jaume Collet-Serra, knotted it out of the park.

Like I said, the action pacing is rather rapid and might push the story more than needed. I feel it had a similar pacing issue to Marvel’s Civil War. Some decisions are made so rashly that you already know you would have made more informed moves that could have developed characters better.

The movie was originally produced for an R-rating, and the production house decided to tone it down for a PG-13. The dashes of humor definitely help. This would allow for better ticket sales since parents and kids would enjoy the action together. Now, should a thirteen-year-old watch this? No.

I honestly would recommend it for sixteen and up. The last thirty-five minutes are brutal. It didn’t need red-blood special effects to enhance the action. The villain is quite graphic, and so is his elimination, as you would expect from DC Comics.

Political correctness is minimal. There are two grandstand speeches Sara Shahi is given to assert the premise of “imperialism” and “colonization.” The writers missed the mark on this. Thank goodness the speeches are fleetingly short.

The kitschy, modern, remix music selections as a backdrop to Black Adam’s arrival was an artistic misstep. Black Adam is ancient, five thousand years old. The music should have stayed instrumental and should have emulated something similar to The Mummy in 2001.

Now, let us explore some of the archetypal behaviors in the story. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That observation is imminently true in this story. The Biblical Adam and born out of paradise. Black Adam is born out of deep turmoil, and Black Adam must harness and discipline his own demon before freeing the people from his homeland from the demon that is to come. The fable in the movie distinctly asserts that when you feed wickedness what it craves, death, it pervades. Self-sacrifice and reverence for ancient truths are what is absolutely essential for triumph.

Check out the trailer below:

This article was written by my friend and fellow commentator Rosemary Dewar Stainbrook of WVNN-AF. The views expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of StudioJake, but only because we haven’t seen the movie.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of Exemplum and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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