RATED: PG-13
RUNNING TIME: 2 HOURS 5 MINUTES
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2022
DIRECTOR: Jaume Collet-Serra
WRITERS: Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani
CREATED BY: Bill Parker & C.C. Beck
STARRING:
Dwayne Johnson...Black Adam/Teth Adam
Aldis Hodge...Hawkman/Carter Hall
Pierce Brosnan...Dr. Fate/Kent Nelson
Noah Centineo...Atom Smasher/Al Rothstein
Sarah Shahi...Adrianna Tomaz
Qunitessa Swindell...Cyclone/Maxine Hunkel
Marwan Kenzari...Ishmael/Sabbac/King Ahk-Ton
Henry Winkler...Uncle Al
SPOILER ALERT: THIS REVIEW IS FULL OF SPOILERS...AND YES I WILL TALK ABOUT THE CAMEO
It has been years since The Rock was first announced to play Black Adam. This past weekend we have finally been given the chance to see the movie that has been promised to be a game changer for the DCEU. I won't spend the time to give background on this film like I usually do. The trailers and The Rock have done that pretty well while promoting the film. I will talk about some of the characters though.
Teth Adam/Black Adam: I feel Dwayne Johnson did justice to the role. He was powerful and deadly but not a character that we needed to fear as the viewer. He did not come off like a deadly villain or some homicidal maniac. He felt justified in his actions, and I felt that his actions were warranted especially when you see his origin story play out in the film. You understand where he comes from as a character and why his anger becomes uncontrollable. This film is a journey of discover for Black Adam as we watch him become more likeable as the film continues.
Hawkman: This is the first big screen version of the character and probably the best live action version that I've seen to date. Yes, this counts the Smallville Michael Shanks version of the character and that poorly presented version from Legends of Tomorrow. This Carter Hall was relied heavily on his comradery with his team in the Justice Society and his friendship with Kent Nelson. He was a solid leader of the group. Aldis Hodge was a great casting for this role.
Dr. Fate: Pierce Brosnan was my Bond and now he is my Dr. Fate. This man can make any role he does and shine with it. The only thing that I am disappointed in is that fact that he dies, and his story seems to be done. Sure, with the history that they set up for his character, we can hopefully get a prequel movie for him. Honestly, I would prefer an HBO Max series to explore his early days. I was not ready to say goodbye to his character which is a testament to the performance.
Atom Smasher & Cyclone: These characters served a purpose. They helped as back up to Hawkman and Dr. Fate and filled out the roster for the Justice Society. I felt that Atom Smasher was used mostly for comedy relief which worked, but I wanted more from the character. I also wish we could have had more information about Cyclone's back story. I get it, the movie can only be so long. But I think the extra 5 or so minutes would have been well spent.
Ishmael, Sabbac & King Ahk-Ton: The villains of this film were effective and well used. I love that we saw the first real presence of Intergang and how they were an invasive force and Kahndaq. Ishmael, Sabbac and King Ahk-Ton all gave our anti-hero stakes that were very real. They were all effective threats and the fight with Sabbac was pretty damn cool.
THE CAMEO...
Since it has been spoiled all over the place and from the actor himself, I have no issues whatsoever talking about it here. Henry Winkler was a great surprise to see as the original Atom Smasher. It was great to see the DCEU expanded beyond what we've known so far...
Just kidding, that's not the cameo I was referring too. Not to take away from Henry Winkler, I meant what I said. I liked how they expanded the Atom Smasher character in such a way, but the actual cameo that I was referring to was the one we have all been waiting for. Henry Cavil is back as the Man of Steel in the post credits scene, and he looked as heroic as ever in the suit. It's like he was never gone. I found that I was more excited to see the cameo than I expected while seeing him slowly come into frame on screen. I have seen reports of people complaining about his suit, but I don't think they realize that it's more like the original Man of Steel suit. The crest is exactly the same and this was the suit that I actually preferred. Thank you Rock for making this happen and thank you Cavil for returning. I am super excited for Man of Steel 2 and whatever else comes next for the character.
I give Black Adam an 8.2. Solid score. Solid film. I know that I put a lot of attention to the return of Superman, but can you really blame me. We've been waiting for it. When I first heard that this film would not include Shazam, I wasn't sure about it. This film quickly proved me wrong. The fact that we were able to invest this much into the Black Adam character only means that when Shazam and Black Adam finally meet, it will be epic. With that said, I don't know what I want to see first, Black Adam vs Shazam or Black Adam vs Superman. Either way, I'll be there. If you have not seen Black Adam, go see it now. You'll enjoy it!
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