March 28, 2024
It is what it is... and it's Rock solid.

Courtney Howard // Film Critic

BLACK ADAM

Rated PG-13, 2 hours and 4 minutes

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Shahi, Bodhi Sabongui, Marwan Kenzari, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo, Quintessa Swindell, Mohammed Amer

With BLACK ADAM, director Jaume Collet-Serra has crafted a solidly entertaining B-movie with smarts and skill. Not only does he adeptly layer in cinematic references with a wink and a smile, he delivers lively, large scale action sequences that act as stepping stones to a grander universe. The film also houses an absolutely terrific performance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, allowing him to flex his trademark muscular showmanship and combine that with character-driven appeal. And, despite a few areas left lacking, the filmmakers have found a satiating balance of serious and silly (which is never a bad thing in this genre).

Kahndaq has been an enslaved country since a time before the pyramids. The battle between their ruthless, greedy king and godlike champion Teth-Adam (Johnson) should have freed their people – but it didn’t, instead causing history to repeat itself. The nefarious army Intergang has since taken over the country, ruling with fear and cruelty, mining it for its greatest resource, Eternium.

However, when Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), determined to relocate a mythical crown before it falls into the wrong hands, re-awakens Teth-Adam to defend against Intergang, she inadvertently causes a chain reaction in the universe. This not only alerts The Justice Society – Carter Hall/ Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Kent Nelson/ Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Al Rothstein/ Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), and Maxine Hunkel/ Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) – but also the nefarious forces led by power-hungry Ishmael (Marwan Kenzari). It’s then up to her, her overly eager son Amon (Bodhi Sabongui), her bumbling brother Karim (Mohammed Amer) and their new obstinate house guest to figure out a solution before potentially causing world destruction.

Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge in BLACK ADAM. Courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures.

When BLACK ADAM is fun, it’s a hoot. The film’s first big action set piece with Teth-Adam, set to The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” is a gas, though it recycles concepts we’ve seen in previous CBMs (a la The Flash and Quicksilver’s sequences). There’s a deliciously campy, horror-tinged shot that pays homage to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK’s villain face-melt. Collet-Serra also harnesses the prowess of Sergio Leone’s THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY square-off, directly referencing a clip shown earlier when Teth-Adam faces down an Intergang officer. The long-running gag with Teth-Adam figuring out his catchphrase provides levity when needed.

Unfortunately, it’s not all perfect. Though they each carve out character-defining moments that place their humanity at the forefront, on the whole, members of the JSA are dealt short shrift, leaving Rothstein/ Atom Smasher, Hunkel/ Cyclone, Hall/ Hawkman and Nelson/ Dr. Fate severely underdeveloped. They frequently get lost in the shuffle, primarily utilized not solely to clean up Teth-Adam’s messes and restore balance, but to fight alongside him. This is a problem given Amon has more screen-time and serves a greater purpose – echoing Teth-Adam’s backstory and tying together the notion that a regular person can inspire a revolution – in both their world and in the context of this narrative than they do.

There also seems to be a bit of a disconnect in how screenwriters Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani have written Teth-Adam versus the comics. For all his bluster rejecting the title of “hero” and even being considered as an “anti-hero,” the filmmakers certainly portray him doing similar heroic actions we’ve seen the more righteous superheroes doing. It does provide fodder for a few speech dump debates where Hawkman and Teth-Adam argue that justice isn’t always black and white. He might be killing more baddies than arresting them, but he’s rescuing an oppressed people from their evil captors and it’s hard not to root for that.

Yet what lasts beyond these blights are the ways this gem sparkles. The picture’s overarching themes – dealing with colonialism and our desperate need for heroes to speak out against tyranny during bleak times – are affecting and effectively crafted. And while superhero films are always about more than the superficial, these radical sentiments find renewed vigor.

Grade: B-

BLACK ADAM opens on October 21.

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