Black Adam Review - Dwayne Johnson As One of DC's Strongest Superheroes Smashes Multiple Myths About Their Dark Theories

DC's most awaited superhero flick of the year, Black Adam, with Dwayne Johnson in the lead, is finally here in the festival season (in India). The DCEU has recovered a lot of ground post the underwhelming reception to Batman Vs. Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017) with films like Aquaman (2018) and Shazam (2019). Now, Black Adam comes as a spin-off to the 2019 flick of the Shazam, with some more interesting superheroes joining the battleship. Hawkman, Atom Smasher, Cyclone and Doctor Fate are the people you would enjoy watching on the big screen, along with Teth Adam and Sabbac. Well, the show is pretty entertaining and believably ticks all the boxes as far as crowd-pleasing superhero flicks are concerned. Oh yes, it comes with its own dated flaws but never fails to entertain you.Black Adam starts off on a rocket speed note, an ancient tale of wizards. After nearly five thousand years of imprisonment, Teth Adam (Dwayne Johnson), an antihero from the ancient city of Kahndaq, is unleashed into modern times by a university professor and resistance fighter in Kahndaq, Adriana (Sarah Shahi). His brute tactics and violent ways of justice attract the attention of the Justice Society of America, who try to stop his rampage. The team of Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) is set off to teach Adam how to be a hero rather than a villain. However, the usual conflicts bring them to form a team in order to stop a force more powerful than Adam himself.Black Adam is a fast-paced entertainer. Something that DC has been lacking since Nolan's TDK trilogy". This one is a DC flick with Marvel kind-of storytelling, and that's what makes it more lofty. There are many characters/superheroes that you will find similar to MCEU here. Marvel has Thor then DC has Teth Adam, Marvel has Falcon then DC has Hawkman, Marvel has Ant-Man then DCEU has got Smasher, and Marvel has Wanda, so DC has Cyclone here. There are too many similarities in the overall presentation that superhero movie fans just can't stop noticing them and comparing them with each other. Black Adam makes full use of them all, and as expected, extends them to their proper stage without any forceful attempts. I haven't seen any superhero flick recently that has been so racy and quick in the first half. Just like the logo on his chest, Black Adam starts off in a lightning speed mode. There's about a 5–6 minute gap in the second half, and that's the only time you get to adjust your seat pose.Coming to performances, Dwayne Johnson is ROCK solid as Teth Adam, aka Black Adam. DC needed a strong and powerful superhero, and they have got it just at the right time. Dwayne is not a trained actor, so yes, he still needs to work on his expressions. But tell me honestly, who watches superhero flicks for acting? The second most impactful role in the film comes from the experienced Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate. I wouldn't blame you if you had an argument about the tag with Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. He is subtle and sensible, and despite outdated designing, seems so relatable for the Kahndaq's world. Noah Centineo and Quintessa Swindell support them well in extended supporting roles that appear continuously in parts. Marwan Kenzari's Sabacca is horrifying, while the Gregor part is a little dull. That reminds me of a little one, Bodhi Sabongui. He is not cute at all, but rather he is much more mature and subversive, with some flaws that we will discuss in one of the next paragraphs.The VFX team of Black Adams has done a fabulous job, especially with the action scenes. All the action sequences are super pacy, and even those two-three slow motion sequences look amazing. Every single one is high on VFX as we have Adam unleashing new powers against a different person every time. The Cyclone's visual effects are so colourful and vibrant. Also, the camerawork seems quite exciting. There are some scenes that take you on the edge of your seat despite being regular superhero tantrums because they are shot and presented in that way. You'll also enjoy some good dialogues here. "Let's say Shazam, and we all go home," he says. Adam replies, "I don't have a home." That's a goal! And the one in the end-credit scene, "We need to talk." Hell.. The entire theatre was hollering.Now to the minuses. Yes, there are many, unfortunately. Black Adam's screenplay has speed but no newness or creativity at all. I mean, those old forgotten tricks are still being used in 2022, HOW? The men keep firing bullets at Adam when they have seen his unlimited powers. Who the hell comes with such a low IQ of not understanding the basic sense of dealing with a superhero or a super villain? The boy, Amon, was supposed to be smart as he tricks even a giant like Adam with his tongue in the very first scene, but then he had to make a useless attempt to sneak away when there were hundreds of people searching for him in the building. What to say about Dr. Fate. He knew the future, and funnily enough, we knew it too. And we didn't need any superpowers to see what he was going to do in the end.Jaume Collet-Serra's tuning with Johnson is clearly visible on the screen. He knows how to use his huge macho image for the characters he wants to present to the audience. He did well in Jungle Cruise, and he does the same job again. Jaume's storytelling, or for that matter, his vision, is all about action and explosions that are meant to please the crowd, not the critics. Dwayne Johnson's entry into the superhero universe is most welcome. The technical support is somewhat notable but never at fault. As a whole, Black Adam survives the hype but doesn't surpass it. Nevertheless, it is by far the most engaging and entertaining superhero flick of the year so far. And wait, did I not hint at the future like Dr. Fate here? What if we have another B vs S in DCEU? Keep your fingers crossed.