THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
In the world of comic books, there have been a fair share of heroes and villains. In between, there has also been a category of antiheroes, a protagonist who lacks heroic qualities due to embodying the behavior of a villain. Marvel has made their examples out of Deadpool and the Punisher, but one of the best examples from DC Comics has to be Black Adam.
PLOT
The film takes place in the fictional city of Kahndaq ran by the criminal organization Intergang. Archaeologist/Resistance fighter Adrianna Tomaz searches for the Crown of Sabbac that was created in 2600 BC by King Ahk-Ton. With her brother Karim and colleague Ishmael, she intends to use it to overthrow the regime. They do get ambushed by Intergang when they find it, but she would release an unholy force to get out alive. She would unleash Teth Adam, the first champion picked chosen by the Council of Wizards. He was granted the powers of Shazam (Solomon's wisdom, Hercules' strength, Atlas' stamina, Zeus' power, Achilles' courage and Mercrury's speed) and when he used it to kill Ahk-Ton, he was imprisoned for killing the council as well. Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) himself would imprison him for his selfishness, remaining so with the crown. Now free, Adam continues his trail of blood after killing the Intergang. Ishmael, whose secretly a leader of Intergang survives the attack unbeknownst to the Tomazes. Although Adrianna sees Adam when she brings him to her home and meets her superhero fanatic son Amon, he assures them he is not what they want. When Amanda Waller discovers that Adam has awakened, she sends the Justice Society of America to apprehend him. The members include: The winged Thanagarian leader Carter Hall/Hawkman, the sorcerer Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate, Albert Rothstein/Atom Smasher who can control his molecular structure which manipulates his size & structure, and Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone who can control and manipulate wind. Adam would choose to protect Amon when starting a ruckus against other Intergang soldiers and while Kahndaq respects him for it, it leads the JSA straight to him. As the team fights the champion, Amon would return home and find Ishmael holding Karim at gunpoint demanding Sabbac's crown. The boy would warn his mother thus leading to Adam attempting to rescue him again, but Ishmael has already taken him from his home. When Karim is left for dead, Fate uses his sorcery to heal him. With his first try at interrogating thanks to convincing from Hawkman, Adam is given the location of Ishmael's hideout. They take the crown with them believing there would be a tradeoff but upon arrival, Ishmael reveals himself to be Ahk-Ton's descendant and plans to be a dictator like his ancestor before him. He tries to shoot Amon, but Adam kills him before that could happen, destroying the hideout in the process. Although all protagonists survive the incident, Adam feels guilty of the damage he caused. He then tells Hawkman that he was not the original champion. At the time, it was his son Hurut (Jalon Christian/Uli Latukefu) who was first chosen due to his pure heart and passed it on to him. But immediately after that happened, he was killed by assassins, thus leading to the massacre that causes him to be imprisoned. Believing he can't be a hero like his son was, he chooses to surrender to the JSA, being imprisoned in a Task Force X site secretly located in Antarctica. This decision would happen at the worst time possible. Ishmael would become the new incarnation of Sabbac as being killed by Adam was part of the plan to be reborn and make an underworld out of Kahndaq. Once back as a god from the Rock of Finality, he would summon the Legions of Hell to terrorize the city, resulting in the Tomazes to lead a rally and defend themselves. When the JSA discover Sabbac's arrival, Fate chooses to sacrifice himself and protect the team. Before he chose to do so, he would use astral projection to free Adam from cryo sleep, convincing him to take a stand like his son would. Thankfully, he arrives in time to aid the JSA in killing Sabbac and saving Kahndaq, resulting in the Legions to disappear. With Adam on good terms with the team, he chooses to act as the protector the city needs. The film would end in a shocking mid credits scene where Waller warns him not to leave Kahndaq and meets the Kryptonian Superman who suggests the time to talk.
THOUGHTS
The best way to discuss this film is through Pros and Cons.
Pros: As a casual fan of the DC Universe, I was very open minded with what can come from it. Knowing that the titular lead would be absent from Shazam! just for this movie to happen definitely gave the chance to cook something special. Although the franchise would go through a reset after 2023, that would cancel many storylines that would originate from this, it didn’t change my thoughts that much of the movie as a whole. Personally, I believe Director Jaume Collet-Serra was able to get the job done in crafting an entertaining superhero flick and I expect nothing more from this genre. While I wasn’t a fan of Sabbac’s design, the majority of production design and visual effects have me hooked enough to enjoy the landscape it’s making. The fight scenes that go down all over Kahndaq occur in almost a rapid state and I respect that because it releases such excitement on which way it can play out. This feels different from past comic book adaptations due to having a message that is captivating to say the least. It brings up the question on if it is justified to defend the oppressed as violently as the oppressors; Will the right thing be worth it if people don't like the end result. We live in a world where there has been generations of oppression that come in different shapes and forms. And all we want is for the trauma to end. So to answer the question, I think justice should be answered in the loudest form possible as long as we remember why we're doing it. I was able to get this answer when following the perspective of the titular lead who knew how to get my attention. Dwayne Johnson gives the performance he's been waiting to give and doesn't disappoint. This is different from past tough guys he's ever played onscreen because he's playing the most powerful of the bunch. Black Adam is a man out of time who freshly remembers how much he lost and all the trauma he gained. He is not a dictator yet chooses to act brutal to those who choose to abuse their power. He never intended to abuse his own because all he wanted to avenge his family and neutralize the pain the city was feeling with him. The violence he expressed was all he knew because he was reciprocating what was done to him. He always knew he wasn't a true hero because his actions proved his heart wasn't as pure his son's. His time in the modern setting however would put him in the understanding that as long as take the time to examine yourself, you'll better accept whether or not you're meant to do what you do. With Kahndaq praising him for doing what was necessary, he became the protector they needed. Since we don't get to see him further interact with Superman, nor will we ever see him interact with Billy Batson, I would like to imagine those scenarios were a little smoother than the comics depict. It is a common thread for heroes to have polar opposites of a rival. Batson has that with Adam in the comics but in the case of this movie, Adam's polar opposite is Sabbac. While I wasn't impressed of the final design of the villain that appears as satanic as expected, I didn't mind the performance of Marwan Kenzari. He definitely did a solid job in making Ishmael straight forward evil who blindly believes there is a benefit to rule over the innocent. There is no true cause to his actions other than being a power hungry figure which makes it a relief to see the heroes stop him as fast as they could. Going into the supporting cast, I did not mind Sarah Shahi and Bodhi Sabongui as Adrianna and Amon respectively. They definitely kept it interesting becuse they are living through modern oppression and have been able to keep their heads up without going back on their morals. They look up to Adam like the rest of the people would because they admire the fearlessness in doing what is believed necessary. If there ever was a sequel and these characters gained powers like their comic counterparts had, that would be very exciting. I also thought Mo Amer was hilarious as Karim for trying his best to keep it together in his environment. He gets excited that he'll later die from electricity rather than in the moment by a demon. I don't think I can keep a straight face for that. But to top that off however, him singing 'Baby Come Back' by Player has me cackling like crazy. Since Adam is in a universe where it is common to be a hero, this movie keeps things interesting for showing people who have similar beliefs yet different tactics. Aldis Hodge was a very good choice for Hawkman because he makes him an ideal hero, honorable and selfless. The big difference he has from his teammates is that he is insecure and doesn't always give himself needed confidence. The problem is that Adam doesn't like him holding back because it doesn't completely get the job done and that is what makes two not see eye to eye throughout. However, threats like Sabbac had Hall realize that compromises have to be made to succeed, thus allowing Adam to kill such a threat. Noah Centineo was pretty good of a choice to play Atom Smasher because due to his youth, you feel the courage he gives and shares the whole time. Since we never got to see his Uncle Al (Henry Winkler) in action, we don't know if he met his standards. But I like to think he did because he did best in looking out for his new team and even though he barely knew Adam, he rightfully trusted him in being a helping hand. Cyclone was another interesting addition to the cast because Quintessa Swindell plays her as one who does things one step at a time. She doesn't overthink the scenario, which makes her more self aware than others we've seen. Her origin of her abilities are indeed tragic, but she doesn't let the past define her. If Adam knew of her past, he would definitely learn from her. Last but not least, we hit jackpot when getting Pierce Brosnan to play Doctor Fate. Brosnan was the best choice possible because he makes the character as majestic as he is powerful. He has lived a long life and has enough wisdom to share towards the younger heroes. When he met Adam, he quickly understood there is a greater good to taking down uncontrollable evil. Without him, Adam would never motivate himself to do right by his home, hence making his death such a bummer. Considering the helmet disappeared after he died, I imagine how interesting it would be to see someone helm the mantle after him.
Cons: I may have enjoyed this movie, but it doesn’t excuse the many issues I had throughout. I think the most obvious has to be how it forces itself to be part of the bigger picture without giving a chance of being its own thing. I didn’t mind seeing the JSA, but I would’ve appreciated it more if we’ve gotten the chance to see them in a much different film beforehand. Introducing them as supporting characters was a hard pill to swallow. Viola Davis’ presence as Waller was subtle, but you’re really disappointing me when deciding to hype up something that’ll never happen, that is a showdown involving Adam against Henry Cavill’s Superman. They were really winging it here and it’s painfully obvious. Again with the DC Universe going through a reset in 2024, it’s best for this franchise to figure itself out being we go through another batch of empty promises. I haven’t even started with the stuff from the actual story that bother me. I’ve said before I don’t like continuity errors, so you bet your ass how thrown off I was seeing a Flash comic in Amon’s comic book pile in one frame when it wasn’t the frame before. You want to top that off? Whose gun fell when Amon gets confronted by an Intergang guard? Was it or was it not part of the script? You see, I don’t want to think about this shit. Also, does Ishmael have a legit plan? He had no idea Adam would actually be freed, so he could’ve shot Adriana as soon as she got the crown. I then wonder if it was a good idea for Adam to recover in Amon’s bedroom? It’s a funny gag to see him destroy it on accident, but he deserved a bigger bed and I’m betting Adrianna had one. I’m thinking more about that than how she brought him back to her home without being stopped at checkpoints. But then I start thinking if doors existed in his generation, why the hell does he keep walking through walls on purpose? That’s not funny, that’s mean because you’re destroying property without even trying to avoid it. Also, how the hell did Adrianna catch up to Amon when he skateboarding away from Intergang? I know she’s got never-ending determination to protect like any mother would, but she’s not the Flash so it’s hard for me to buy that she got a shortcut. I think about that more than how she reaches Ishmael’s location at the same time as the JSA when Adam flew with a head start. I’ve seen a lot of stupid henchmen onscreen and this one had probably the worst. One literally tries to drop Amon to die which basically lost his leverage in getting Sabbac’s crown. That ain’t brilliant, that’s just dumb as fuck. Also, why does the JSA allow Adrianna to join their rescue mission to save Amon? She may be his mom but that is another civilian risk they’re taking and it’s insane they’re not even thinking about it. If I’m gonna go any deeper, I gotta point out how ridiculous it was Hawkman’s ship readout to reveal Sabbac’s presence when that demon has been dormant much longer than Adam. He’s never showed his face until this movie, so this shouldn’t be possible. If you think are capable of ignoring these issues, then I wish you good luck.In conclusion, Black Adam is an entertaining superhero movie as long as you choose not to overthink its original purpose. If you’ve enjoyed past superhero films like Shazam!, I’m sure you’ll find a way to enjoy this one as well.
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