'('Black Adam') wins some battles and packs plenty of punch, yet it just can't get past familiar tropes and flaws,' writes critic briantruitt for usatodaylife.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra , the newest DC film is full of swagger and intensity, yet it sadly lacks character – which is a problem considering “Black Adam” rolls out all sorts of new personalities. This is Johnson’s baby, a film spotlighting a complicated antihero he has championed for years. It wins some battles and packs plenty of punch, yet it just can’t get past familiar tropes and flaws.
Enter the Justice Society of America, a group of heroes led by Hawkman – a mix of Bruce Wayne and Professor X running a superteam out of his extremely high-tech mansion – tasked with confronting this new global metahuman threat. The squad includes helmeted sorcerer Doctor Fate , human tornado Cyclone and fresh-faced, size-changing youngster Atom Smasher . But even together they have trouble tussling with a wrecking machine who harnesses lightning and doesn’t dig people getting in his way.
Like a lot of its ilk, “Black Adam” tosses out too many new characters without adequate development. Hodge and especially Brosnan are most effective at giving audiences rousing new heroes, even though we don't get a chance to know them well. Then there’s Black Adam himself, who at least earns somewhat of a character arc. While the film’s definitely going for a Man with No Name bent – a Clint Eastwood movie even plays on a TV before Johnson’s antihero blasts it – results are mixed.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dwayne Johnson Wants Black Adam vs. Justice League, Suicide Squad, and Joker: 'They All Cross Paths'BlackAdam star Dwayne Johnson envisions a 'collision' of DC franchises, including Superman, the Justice League, and Joker: 'They all cross paths, because the fans want that.'
Read more »
Dwayne Johnson on why Black Adam was the movie he had to makeJohnson discusses his long awaited super hero film
Read more »
Film Review: Dwayne Johnson In New Line/DC’s ‘Black Adam’It’s been a long wait — nearly a decade, in fact — since Dwayne Johnson first signed on to become an integral part of the DC universe. He’s recently turned 50 (not that he looks it). But now, at la…
Read more »
‘Black Adam’ Review: Dwayne Johnson’s Charisma Carries a Morally Muddy Superhero FlickThe star brings Shazam's maybe-nemesis to the screen in director Jaume Collet-Serra's DC debut, costarring Aldis Hodge and Pierce Brosnan.
Read more »
‘Black Adam’ Review: Dwayne Johnson’s Murderous Antihero Is a Welcome Addition to the DCEUBlackAdam finally lets TheRock bring this murderous antihero to life in a welcome addition to the DCEU. Our review:
Read more »