When it comes to the films of Dwayne Johnson, it is becoming increasingly hard for me to care anymore. In his more recent films, he always plays the same character. This continues in "Black Adam", a film that truly is the definition of mediocrity. The basis is a by-the-numbers superhero plot. There are zero surprises.
As usual, Johnson is okay in the lead role, but he's not doing anything special. Only Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate deserves special mention among the supporting actors. The rest remains underdeveloped. For me, superhero movies are usually only really good if they have a strong villain. Unfortunately, with Sabbac, we once again get a one-dimensional antagonist.
The score is good, especially the main theme, which is appropriately bombastic. However, two scenes in which licensed music is used are really bad. It just doesn't fit the established tone at all. As expected, the movie relies heavily on CGI, which certainly cost a lot of money. But like the rest of the film, the effects are neither particularly good nor bad. What I did like, however, was the brute force with which Black Adam sometimes squashes his opponents. It stands out from the usual superhero stuff.
So, how does the film fit into the larger DCEU? I can't really answer that. For sure, there are a few cameos intended to provide a connection to the other films. After the release, the mid-credit scene in particular will be talked about a lot. But this "universe" is still not coherent. I can't imagine that "Black Adam" takes place in the same world as "The Suicide Squad", "Justice League", or "Shazam". "Black Adam" has a much stronger sci-fi aesthetic than the other ones. For me, that is not really a big problem. I never felt a strong connection to this particular universe to begin with.
Review by ToralfVIP 3BlockedParent2022-10-20T21:19:56Z
When it comes to the films of Dwayne Johnson, it is becoming increasingly hard for me to care anymore. In his more recent films, he always plays the same character. This continues in "Black Adam", a film that truly is the definition of mediocrity. The basis is a by-the-numbers superhero plot. There are zero surprises.
As usual, Johnson is okay in the lead role, but he's not doing anything special. Only Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate deserves special mention among the supporting actors. The rest remains underdeveloped. For me, superhero movies are usually only really good if they have a strong villain. Unfortunately, with Sabbac, we once again get a one-dimensional antagonist.
The score is good, especially the main theme, which is appropriately bombastic. However, two scenes in which licensed music is used are really bad. It just doesn't fit the established tone at all. As expected, the movie relies heavily on CGI, which certainly cost a lot of money. But like the rest of the film, the effects are neither particularly good nor bad. What I did like, however, was the brute force with which Black Adam sometimes squashes his opponents. It stands out from the usual superhero stuff.
So, how does the film fit into the larger DCEU? I can't really answer that. For sure, there are a few cameos intended to provide a connection to the other films. After the release, the mid-credit scene in particular will be talked about a lot. But this "universe" is still not coherent. I can't imagine that "Black Adam" takes place in the same world as "The Suicide Squad", "Justice League", or "Shazam". "Black Adam" has a much stronger sci-fi aesthetic than the other ones. For me, that is not really a big problem. I never felt a strong connection to this particular universe to begin with.