[ad_1]
Synopsis:
Black Adam chronicles Black Adam/Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson), who is resurrected after 5000 years through a course of action stimulated by archaeologist Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi), who is on the hunt for the Crown of Sabbac to aid the people of Kahndaq, a fictional Middle East country. Laying waste to anyone who comes in his way, Teth-Adam finds himself on the radar of the West, who send a team of their finest; Justice Society of America – Doctor Fate/Kent Nelson (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman/Carter Hall (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher/Albert “Al” Rothstein (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone/Maxine Hunkel (Quintessa Swindell). What follows is a heated battle where Black Adam is pitted against JSA, but when a powerful enemy lurking in the shadows takes flight, a begrudging truce ensues. Black Adam – with some Gen-Z assistance from Adrianna’s son and superhero nerd Amon Tomaz (Bodhi Sabongui) – is reluctantly taught the difference between a hero and a villain, and whether he concedes or rebels, you’ll have to watch.
Plus Points:
Dwayne Johnson is surely a welcome addition to the superhero world as he manages to add just the humungous brawn and straight-faced humour to pack a righteous punch. Another highlight is the ever-enigmatic Pierce Brosnan, whose Doctor Fate managed to add just the right intrigue but never overstays his welcome amid The Rock’s overpowering presence. Certain action scenes are gripping, in spite of the obvious inspiration to classics and Lorne Balfe’s music lends enthusiastically from the cultural perspective.
Minus Points:
From the get-go, the heavily predictable storyline of Black Adam is a major buzzkill. Given how the movie is intrinsically focused on Black Adam’s story, the rest of the superheroes feel overstuffed and not properly introduced. The Snyder-ish slow-mo action sequences get outdated pretty quickly.
Opinion:
Black Adam has been a long time coming, as Dwayne Johnson finally gets a heroic entry into the overpopulated world of superheroes, even though Teth-Adam would disagree on the “hero” aspect. The Rock, when in WWE, was a superhero of sorts as the People’s Champion and in Black Adam, Johnson’s gobsmacking physique lends exponentially to building intrigue over DC’s villain. Dwayne’s charisma comes blazing through, right from his entrance and his likeability is sure hard to ignore in Black Adam. And how mighty does he look as Black Adam!?
However, giving Black Adam all the dominance proves a downer to the other superheroes, as we’re expected to know about them without no prior introduction. Mere shoddy and unfunny dialogues are sprouted to make us relate to these characters, but you’re never really invested in any of them. However, Pierce Brosnan is a sure-shot enigma as Doctor Fate and is bestowed with some aesthetic CGI to marvel over. Aldis Hodge (has the best costume out of the lot!), Noah Centineo (has his dorky moments!) and Quintessa Swindell (is a colourful delight!) do what they can with a limited character sketch. Nevertheless, their action scenes, in parts, deliver.
Another major drawback to Black Adam is the heavily predictable storyline, which is sure to disappoint both diehard DC fans and casual fans. Written by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, Black Adam has its heart in the right place, with Adrianna questioning JSA’s convenient involvement and their “good vs. evil” narrative in Khandaq, a post-colonial region ambushed by the higher power’s tyranny and how it’s Black Adam, who is truly fighting for the people. However, not enough importance is given to fine-tuning this political conversation. It’s all fight, fight and some more fight!
As for the action set pieces in Black Adam, Jaume Collet-Serra directs with lightning-bolt speed which will either leave you enthraled or thoroughly confused. Add to that, the overstuffed slow-mo fight scenes do little to excite you. Lawrence Sher’s cinematography is intensely imitable while editors John Lee and Michael L. Sale had their work cut out for them to compress Black Adam into two hours and four minutes duration. You can clearly tell how heavily edited the storyline was. Lorne Balfe’s music, however, adds just the right cultural depth, something the story couldn’t accomplish.
Eventually, it all boils down to the awesome mid-credits, the only unpredictable aspect of Black Adam – in case you’ve kept yourself staunchly away from Spoiler-Ville. Without spoiling it completely, Black Adam finally finds itself a formidable opponent, thus launching the future trajectory of the anti-hero. You’re obliged to see what comes next! It’s almost as if a movie was made just for the mid-credits scene.
Highlights:
- Dwayne Johnson is bestowed with a befitting, long-overdue entrance into the superhero world.
- Pierce Brosnan is enigmatic as Doctor Fate.
- The epic mid-credits sequence makes way for a legendary “future” showdown.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Black Adam doesn’t hide the fact that it’s wholeheartedly “The Dwayne Johnson Show,” banking on the likeability of the Hollywood star, even if it’s at the cost of quality storytelling. You’re bound to stay seated for the amazing mid-credits sequence which takes the cake and eats it too!
[ad_2]
Source link
