If you are into DC Comics then you know pretty much about how they rank their superheroes and supervillains. Most of us think right away of the characters from Batman and Superman the likes of which are known throughout the world in books, film, internet and TV. But, most of the ones we know have become time worn and repetitive.
To breathe some new life into the fans of DC, Warner Bros./New Line Cinema have released a not so recognizable character Black Adam. He’s a powerful archenemy of some familiar superheroes like Captain Marvel and Shazam, but in the movie Black Adam we find out his origin and what makes him tick. It’s an exciting adventure and for DC fans it’s a must watch as it does look like we will be seeing more of the antihero.
In an exciting beginning we see Kashndaq 2600bc under the rule of the cruel King Anh-Kot (Marwan Kenzari) who is obsessed with finding the Eternium a rare crystal that he will fashion into a crown that and making him invincible. Fearful yet heroic a young boy, Teth, tries to rally the slaves against the king.
Fast forward to the future and the antihero Teth Adam (Dwyane Johnson) gets released from the grave after thousands of years to see his world now modernized. But, the fear is still in the people and he rises to find the Eternium crown. Director Jaume Collet-Serra makes his film very exciting with a lot of explosive action constantly on the big screen. He adds more excitement with members of the Justice Society, Carter Hall/Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Al Rothstein/Adam Smasher (Noah Centineo), Kent Nelson/Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi), Maxine Hunkel / Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) that face off against Teth Adam.
Visually the film is amazing, nearly as good as the Marvel Avenger films. The complex worlds that are depicted and the super powers of the main characters are stunning. The early scenes of Kashndaq reminded me of several films like the quarry scenes from The Ten Commandments, but the film Black Adam gets much more realistic here due to CGI as the people are pushed to exhaustion to find a mystic stone that will make King Anh-Kot powerful. The airships are cool with a futuristic look and more developed than most Avenger space vehicles. The images are half of what you pay for and the producers nail it.
Black Adam has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language. The punishment depicted is harsh, the sound effects are very loud and if you are up close, or see the film in Dolby Atmos, you can feel the action on the screen. It’s what is expected and this film delivers. I liked it.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Shahi, Viola Davis, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge,
Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, intense action and some language.
Running Time: 2 hrs. 4 min
Opening Date: October 21, 2022
Distributed by: Warner Bros.
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
