Well, it finally happened, we finally got to see the Rock play a superhero… or super anti-hero? I feel like this movie was announced forever ago and to finally see it was like, “Yay! We did it all!” Black Adam is the twelfth chapter [or eleventh, if you don’t count Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)] in the DC Extended Universe (or DCEU). It has very close ties to Shazam! (2019), but also surprisingly ties to other parts of the universe as well. So… was the wait worth it? Break out the paper, because we are covering this Rock-buster!
***Mild Plot Spoilers***
The Crown of Sabbac, which holds great power, is worn by the King of Kahndaq. After his slaves revolt, a boy who helped instigate the revolution is captured and sentenced to death. Right before he is about to be killed, the boy vanishes and is transported to the Council of Wizards where he is given the powers of Shazam. The hero goes back to Kahndaq and destroys the palace, killing the king and entombing the crown. After that, Kahndaq refers to him as their cities champion. The backstory definitely sets up this movie well, showing what our hero means to the people and the sought after power of the crown.
In present day, the city of Kahndaq is now run by Intergang, an organized crime syndicate… or so that’s what is shown in my internet search, because I was never quite sure who or what they are exactly. I know they’re the bad guys and we’re against them. We meet Adrianna Tomaz (played by Sarah Shahi) who is an archaeologist searching for the Crown of Sabbac, alongside her team that includes Ishmael Gregor (played by Marwan Kenzari). Early in the movie, Adrianna discovers the crown which leads Ishmael to reveal himself to the Intergang members hot on the trail of hunting for Adrianna, offering to help them steal the crown instead. She sees an ancient stone that holds Teth-Adam (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). Believing he is Kahndaq’s Champion, she is able to release Teth-Adam from his tomb and LOOK OUT, because someone is about to break some mofo’s into pieces! This sequence is so well done – seeing The Rock play a superhuman being just killing these soldiers, it was pretty brutal, at least for a PG-13 movie. But now Teth-Adam’s has been unleashed and that may not be in everyone’s best interest.
Reprising her role from the DCEU, Viola Davis returns as Amanda Waller. And guess what – she’s got another team to send out a stop the baddie! It is revealed that Teth-Adam was not the savior of Kahndaq, but someone who caused mass destruction to the nation. Now that he’s awake, Amanda Waller sends in the Justice Society of America (or JSA): Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), to stop him at all costs.
All of this sets-up Ishmael and Intergang as the bad guys but with the JSA swooping in to try to stop Teth-Adam. However, Adrianna Tomaz believes that Teth-Adam is Kahndaq’s Champion and wants him alive and protected. This is a great juxtaposition but also where this movie struggles are all these moving pieces, making this movie feel very disjointed and slapped together at times. Yes, Dwayne Johnson is the big billed star of this movie, but he is gone for big gaps of time. Which brings me to what this movie is really missing: a lack of specific identity.
There are so many characters that are introduced in this film that it really takes away from the main star of this movie. I love that we got more with Amanda Waller, but why is this a new team? Why couldn’t there have been a few Suicide Squad faces in that team? As well as, how many teams does Amanda Waller have?! The backstory with Kahndaq and how it plays into the present day is really interesting. Where this movie could have really benefited is making it a little longer. But there is so much going on and so little breathing room, that I really didn’t get a feel for any of the characters.
The script definitely could have used a bit more work, because this movie is so go-go-go! And it never slows down. Everything is to move the plot along, and that is great, but I do want to learn more about these characters – that way I can root for them. Especially because the story and mythology is actually really cool and works so well, specifically how it now affects the present day. Also, the humor: a few jokes really landed, but I never heard so many crickets in a theater with some of the jokes.
I truly cannot wait to get more with this section of the world and Teth-Adam himself, I do hope though that it will have a better writer behind it. Not to mention, and still not sure why, but Teth-Adam changes his name to Black Adam at the end because it sounds… cooler? I dunno, Teth-Adam actually feels more unique, but oh well.
Now that this movie has been out for a few weeks, more developments with the DCEU behind the scenes has been announced, such as linking everything together and making an interconnected story-line throughout the universe – which I had thought was the plan at the very beginning. Black Adam really holds a great bridging point for bringing everything together. I am quite excited for the future of the DCEU and these characters as well. I truly hope that I will eventually get onboard with them.
Again, I do love so much of the set up in this and the back story and how it plays into present day, but overall the movie felt rushed, disjointed, and unfocused. I hope my score will go up in the future after a re-watch, or as more of the DCEU rolls out, but for now I give this a 5 outta 10.
Okay, and before we go… the end credit scene.
***Major SPOILERS Ahead***
So turn back now while you still can.
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Finally! Finally, Henry Cavill is back as the Man of Steel, and I cannot wait to see where this goes. Will we get a big Superman vs. Black Adam fight? If so… I will 100% be there opening day!
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