BLACK ADAM -- A Fun and Action-Packed Outing From DC

Review by Camden Ferrell

So far, 2022 has only had one DC film release this year (The Batman) and no movies in the DCEU. That all changes with Black Adam releasing in theaters this weekend. Dwayne Johnson has been interested in playing this character on the big screen for over a decade, and this highly anticipated movie has finally come. Even though it can be slow at times and have some poor visual effects, this is an ultimately fun and action-packed movie with a unique cast of comic book characters.
 
Teth-Adam lived as a slave before receiving powerful abilities from Gods. 5,000 years later, he is awakened and ready to unleash rampage and deadly justice on the world he woke up to. This grabs the attention of the Justice Society of America who aim to subdue him and the harm his almighty powers could cause. This is a fun origin story that brings in multiple fan-favorite characters for a simple and self-contained story.
 
Like many movies from DC, the writing isn’t its strong suit. From the start, the writing feels like every other action blockbuster, and it doesn’t really do much to distinguish itself. This problem is especially prevalent in the first half of the movie. By the second half, there are some great moments of dialogue and character interaction, but it’s still quite average otherwise.

The performances are a little all over the place in this one. Dwayne Johnson is perfectly fine as the titular character. He isn’t great by any means, but he certainly is not bad. His stoic and brutal performance works for what it is, and it gets the job done. The true standouts of this movie are Aldis Hodge and Pierce Brosnan who play Hawkman and Doctor Fate respectively. These two actors are great in their roles and may easily earn themselves many new fans upon release.
 
Another shortcoming of many comic book movies are its visual effects, and this movie unfortunately is no exception. Even though there are some really amazing moments of CGI, it is almost overshadowed by some jarringly awful and videogame esque special effects especially in the film’s final act. However, this is all forgiven thanks to some absolutely entertaining action sequences that you never want to end. It can be a little cheesy at times, but the choreography and camera work is creative and will dazzle audiences.
 
Black Adam may suffer from the same problem as other comic book movies, but this movie is certainly not boring. It seamlessly introduces characters like Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone and will be a great time at the movies for fans and novices alike. Dwayne Johnson may not blow audiences away, but he certainly knows how to make a full-fledged blockbuster.
 
Black Adam is in theaters October 21.

Rating: 3.5/5