Film: Black Adam

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Quintessa Swindell, Sarah Shahi, Bodhi Sabongui

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Rating: 2.5 Moons

It is often argued that DC Extended Universe is the nemesis of Marvel. In the middle of multiple MCU releases in the past few months, DCEU dropped in Black Adam, a film which wants to place a new character in the forefront and look out for possibilities to flourish the franchise with sequels in the future. While DC fans are in no scarcity, if you're unaware of Black Adam or Teth Adam's past, there's no need to worry as the film explains most of it with the help of visuals.

Ushering the audience back to 2600 BCE, Black Adam's opening sequence is set in the fictional kingdom of Kahndaq, a Middle Eastern region where a power-hungry king forces the oppressed to mine for an element called eternium. The diabolic king has his eyes set on an ancient crown made of the powerful element. Around 5000 years later, the king is reborn into the modern world and the anti-hero has to rise from his sleep to protect the crown. 

The anti-hero is none other than Teth Adam (Dwayne Johnson). The mighty superhero's awakening calls for an immediate intervention by the Justice Society of America (JSA), comprising four glorified members namely, Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan). Joining Adam in the battle to protect the crown are Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) and her son Amon Tomaz (Bodhi Sabongui). 

Black Adam is built differently to do justice to Dwayne Johnson's larger-than-life personality. Despite riding high on visual effects, the film has nothing new to offer. Sticking to the formula that was a constant with most superhero films in the past, Black Adam does no good to DCEU in the present situation. While it is known that they are opening new doors to several possibilities, it will be interesting to see the franchise grow in the future. One hint has been given in the post-credits sequence; it is an unmissable and rock-solid reveal. 

Submitting itself completely to Dwayne and his popularity, director Jaume Collet-Serra attempts to make the most of the brawny actor. Though stoic most of the time in the film, there's nobody who can beat him in action and heavy-octane adrenaline-pumping sequences. Thanks to the stoic face, the deadpan humour shines through and through. Sadly, despite celebrating Dwayne with all the camera movements, his Black Adam refuses to invoke a sense of fear and mightiness. 

Sarah Shahi and Bodhi Sabongui do a good job as mother and son. The characters of the Justice Society of America are underutilised. It is Pierce Brosnan's charming personality that keeps you happy despite the poorly written script for him. A little research about the JSA for those unaware of it would certainly help.

Black Adam is a popcorn entertainer which will certainly make you have a lot of fun while watching it. Despite the one-time entertainment quotient, the film lags behind in terms of character development and connection with the audience. A lot has been tried to incorporate in 2 hours and 4 minutes but only some of the subplots strike well. The nonlinear storytelling format which jumps back and forth between different points in time makes the narrative unstable.

Amid several misses, the factor that adds to Black Adam's merit is the introduction of a character who can be a tough opponent for other DC superheroes like Batman, Aquaman, and Superman. Watch out for the upcoming sequel. 

PeepingMoon.com gives Black Adam 2.5 Moons