Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writers: Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell
It goes without saying that the DCU is far behind the Marvel Universe when it comes to films. Since Robert Pattison graced the cowl in this years ‘The Batman’, I do believe the DCU films have been heading in the right direction. I was still a bit skeptical before going into this screening I have to admit, especially being a film about a character the world didn’t really know a lot about. It wasn’t until I saw “The Rock” post on Instagram about why this film meant so much to him and how much effort he put into it, did I know this film was going to be worth the watch.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and featuring a remarkable lead performance by Dwayne Johnson, the anti-hero “Black Adam” is one of the best DC superhero films to date. Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC antihero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
In ancient Kahndaq, the slave Teth Adam was gifted the almighty powers of the gods. But he used those powers for vengeance and was imprisoned. Now, 5,000 years later, he is freed and once again wields his dark sense of justice onto the world. Refusing to surrender, Teth Adam is challenged by a team of modern day heroes known as the Justice Society— Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone—who seek to return him to eternal captivity. Also in Kahndaq, a group of freedom fighters, lead by archaeologist Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi), are trying to retrieve a magical crown; before the invading forces, called Intergang, with ties to the former king. The crown was forged in hell and infused with the energy of six demons, power the former king wishes to possess.
Throughout its running time, “Black Adam” leans into the story of Adam’s evolution toward being the hero the city of Kahndaq needed. Like in all his films, Dwayne Johnson delivers charisma, character and charm, making ‘Black Adam’ a “can’t look away from movie” from start to finish. You can easily see while watching this movie, Johnson confirms that he’s studied the comics, and given his all to the role while infusing it with the “Dwayne Johnson charm” we’ve come to love from his films.
“Black Adam” was more then just a standard super hero film for Johnson, as he explained both on his Instagram post and to Warner Bro’s Pictures;
“Black Adam actually came onto my radar when I was really young,” Johnson relates. “I loved comic books and I was always a DC kid. I gravitated towards Black Adam because he was one of the very few of the superheroes, supervillains, antiheroes—however you want to categorize him—who had brown skin and looked like me. Plus, he was always a badass,” he grins. And while the road to the big screen was long—more than ten years, in fact—Johnson’s connection to the character and his story remained strong. “Black Adam is something that has been a part of my DNA and my soul for many, many years.”
For the filmmakers, the goal was to tap into Black Adam’s legitimate comic book street cred and couple it with heart, a bit of dark humor and big cinematic action. That’s carried by three of the “civilian” characters who appeals to Adam’s presumed goodness. One is Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi), a university professor, resistance fighter, and widow of a resistance hero who was killed by the colonizers. Another is Adrianna’s son Amon (Bodhi Sabongui), who takes a shine to Adams and is his biggest supporter, and Adrianna’s brother Amir (comedian Mohammed Amer), who livens up the story with his comedic whit.
“Black Adam” is a film packed with action, adventure, setups, twists, and surprises, and filled with well-defined lead and supporting characters. “Black Adam” gives the audience everything they wanted, along with things they never expected, all while remaining true to the story. For Johnson, everything in front of and behind the camera came together to create a version of Black Adam that was not only the role of a lifetime, but one that he felt would reverberate throughout the DC universe.
“It’s rare to get the opportunity to introduce something completely brand new, from scratch, into the superhero mix and that’s what ‘Black Adam’ is. When I say, ‘The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change,’ it sounds audacious, but I mean that with real reverence and respect for the DC Universe. True fans know the qualities that Black Adam has been blessed with, powers that change the balance of power, and when you break down these qualities and these powers that Black Adam has, you realize it’s rooted in truth.”
“Black Adam” is the hero every kid of all colors needed, one they could relate to and see in themselves. A hero who gives them the courage to believe that although they’re different, they can be anything they want.
‘Black Adam’ is in cinemas now.
Email: neill@outloudculture.com
