Black Adam is a dark superhero film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and the newest entry into the DC Extended Universe. Previously, my friend Rosemary Dewar Stainbrook previously reviewed the movie.

Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) was once the guardian of Kahndaq who previously dethroned a tyrant who had created the Crown of Sabbac, which can summon a dark army. Shortly afterward, he vanished. In modern times, Intergang has moved into the country and is trying to find the crown. Archeologist Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) and her brother Karim (Mohammed Amer) are trying to find the crown before Intergang. They are betrayed by their colleague Ishamel (Marwan Kenzari), but Adrianna says the word “SHAZAM” which unlocks Black Adam who is admired by Adrianna’s son Amon (Bodhi Sabongui). The Justice Society sends Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) are summoned after learning of his awakening, which could spell doom for Earth.

Dwayne Johnson was perfect for this role. He has the muscles, the sneer, the focus, and the drive the character of Black Adam. The villain has a complicated history in DC Comics. Sometimes, he is a villain, and other times he is a sort of anti-hero. The film teetered on the line of anti-hero and it worked.

As for the rest of the cast, they all pulled their own weight, but I would be remiss if I did not mention Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate. He played the role perfectly and I applaud him for taking on the role with such gusto. He nailed it as Kent Nelson. Sure, the film does not do a deep dive into the lore of the helmet of Nabu, but that did not stop Brosnan from pulling out an amazing performance.

One of the criticisms of the film is that it focuses more on the action and kept the plot incredibly simple. I can see how this would bug some, but it did not bother me. The action was a spectacle, but a good one meant to show off the power of its protagonist and his rivals, but again, I felt like it worked for this movie.

It avoids woke politics except for Amon who goes off on this shoe-horned tangent at the beginning of the movie. His character was annoying throughout the whole of the story, but there was enough in-between to keep it from ruining the entirety of the cinematic experience.

The story had the right amount of action and plot elements to keep you hooked. It was a fun movie that you can enjoy and see the course correction it is attempting to make with the DCEU. Hopefully, DC Films have learned from their previous mistakes and will continue in this very promising direction.

Bottom line, Black Adam is a good time. Dwayne Johnson promised the power dynamic in the DC Universe would change and it has.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Brutal violence, Foul language

FAVORITE QUOTE: Let’s start with one simple question: Can you fly?

Check out the trailer below:

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 Child’s Play and See How They Run. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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