Rating: 2/5
Starring well-known and renowned actors such as Dwanye Johnson and Noah Centineo, “Black Adam,” the latest DC superhero film released on Oct. 21, 2022, delves into a unique, yet substandard plot that leaves viewers dissatisfied.
In a fictional Middle Eastern country, Kahndaq, the lead role of Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) formerly known as Teth Adam in the film, was bestowed with godly powers. Using these powers for retaliation, Black Adam was imprisoned for over 5,000 years, and the film follows his reemergence from this state as well as the succeeding events.
All hell breaks loose as Black Adam creates destruction and death, unstoppable by the general public or government agencies. To combat Black Adam, a group of superheroes is called in, who fail to meet the expectation that previous DC superheroes have set the standard for. Their basic abilities consist of enlarging themselves and having extra mobility along with other commonly used powers seen in past superheroes, far inferior to the originality of heroes such as Superman or Wonder Woman.
It is difficult to determine if the supposedly inevitable Black Adam is good, evil, or neither. His evolving character, switching between evil and good, is substantial to the film and noteworthy in terms of how the plot flows. Black Adam never fully embraces a villain status, and rather battles for his homeland, Kahndaq, which adds a level of interest toward his developing personality.
Though the vision and the plot of the movie are unique, the film itself is difficult to follow because of how repetitive and boring it was. A good portion of the film consists of two or more superheroes fighting each other, and it becomes easily predictable that neither was going to win. These scenes occur numerous times and leave the audience wanting more.
Black Adam’s inner struggles are one positive aspect of the film. Despite being locked up for nearly 5,000 years, he makes various bold decisions while his moral conscience characterizes him as not only a superhero, but also an individual the audience can emotionally relate to.
Furthermore, the film lacks the sense of humor that it attempted to deliver through actors such as Noah Centineo and Mohammed Amer. The high-spirited comedy that Dwayne Johnson generally delivers in his films was suppressed in “Black Adam,” covered up by a stony, brave attitude. This divergence from Johnson’s customary character took away from the film because it felt as though he was trying to be an actor that he was not. However, the film appeals to some perspectives and it may be the right one for you, a decision that you can make the next time you look for a film to watch. Though it is substandard and lacks interest compared to many other DC films, it remains a noteworthy one in terms of its authenticity and character-building.