Black Adam Film
Since Dwayne Johnson initially agreed to join, he has been a crucial component of the DC universe. Recently, he turned 50. (not that he looks it). But with Black Adam, he has finally made a major splash in the realm of cinematic superpowers.
Jaume Collet-Serra, the director of Black Adam, is known for his taut thrillers, such as the cult hit Orphan from 2009 and The Shallows from 2016, as well as his many roles for Liam Neeson. Black Adam feels more like the next stop in Collet-Serra and Dwayne Johnson's partnership than a statement piece by either artist since 2021's Jungle Cruise.
Compared to any of its comics-based predecessors, this enormous, $200 million sci-fi spectacle probably has a bigger percentage of screen time devoted exclusively to tremendous action and effects over dialogue. This is all good given the caliber of the dialogue, but it won't stop the devoted fanboys who have been anticipating this film for a very long time.
This extravagantly rowdy extraterrestrial space circus, which unquestionably demands to be viewed on a wide screen, will undoubtedly be devoured by the large target audience. Before starting to stream on HBO Max, it will be available there for 45 days.
Shazam's arch-enemy in the comics is Black Adam (formerly Captain Marvel). The iconic Avengers: Endgame was released weeks before the character's own movie, Shazam!, a Big-meets-Superman comedy, was released in 2019. Johnson, a consummate businessman, has cut ties with the Big Red Cheese. This is demonstrated by Djimon Honsou's brief appearance, who had a crucial part in the 2019 film Shazam! and the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods, but appears here as a glorified extra.
Nobody can dispute that The Rock was born to portray this part, or perhaps he was. Despite the fact that Shazam!, a comparatively lighthearted film, was released ten years after his name was first mentioned in connection with Black Adam and garnered positive reviews, it was hardly the medium Johnson had in mind for the heavyweight character he created.
The JSA evolves into the prototypical extralegal superhero group, stomping around and wrecking things in the name of Good. Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC's adversary, has previously dealt with these stereotypes and done so in a more artistic manner. In order to ground Black Adam's existence in the hypocrisy of superheroes, Black Adam draws attention to the subtext of the film.
Streaming & Download. The team of Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), and Cyclone must do their best to deal with Black Adam (Quintessa Swindell). Although the personalities are colorful and occasionally fun to see, none of them can compare to Black Adam.
A movie like Black Adam is, in theory, a miracle and a statement all by itself. It's a blockbuster that relies on Hollywood stars, an endangered species, rather than the franchise's name recognition. But Black Adam isn't impervious to harm. Black Adam is heavy-handed and, at least in its humor, outrageously unoriginal in virtually every way.
The main objective here appears to be firmly establishing the groundwork for future Black Adam adventure stories. For two hours, the visual spectacle just keeps coming at you, and the effects are all so incredible that you can start to take them for granted. Director Jaume Collet-Serra, who oversaw Johnson's 2020 smash hit Jungle Cruise, makes sure to showcase the star in the most favorable dramatic light. Almost every frame has something spectacular or at least odd happening.
There's no denying that The Rock commands attention in every scene he's in, and there are plenty of reasons to think that he'll soon get busy making a series of Black Adam movies to make up for lost time.
Although Dwayne Johnson wasn't strictly destined to portray a superhero, he is a competent, ready-to-go franchise lead. If Johnson had chosen a different script and a director who was more ambitious, Black Adam may have achieved the artistic heights he had envisioned. However, his inherent invincibility comes across more as a flaw. The movie BLACK ADAM debuts on October 21.