DC/WB's Black Adam, directed by Juame Collett (Jungle Cruise) Sera and written by Rory Haines, Adam Sztykiel and Scharab Nashorvani, is molded like Marvel/Sony's Venom pictures: a villain-by-tradition is made a hero, but in this instance, a sky-high, Dirty Harry one, at that.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson fills the role of the titular catalyst in a way that will please fans of the Shazam! comic-book series, even if (again) Black Adam, aka Teth-Adam, isn't motivated like the nefarious, comic-book rival of Captain Marvel (yeah, I'm using the original name; so, sue me). Black Adam even teams, albeit by cynicism and restraint, with the Justice Society, though only after Viola Davis' Amanda Waller is thwarted in his takedown.
Our intransient Justice Society consists of Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate; Aldis Hodge's Hawkman; Noah Centineo's Atom Smasher; and Quintessa Swindell's Cyclone. Sara Sahi's Isis-to-be, aka Andriana Tomaz, also lends significance to the adventure, though she's far from her modern-age comic-book persona (or Joanna Cameron's 1970s, television visage) for this ride. (The Lara Croft-ian trailblazer even has a son, played by Bodhi Sabongui, and a brother, played by Mohammed Amer, who make the most of the action with relatable humor.) Oh, and there's no hiding it now; the after-credits do, indeed, sport a super (ahem) cameo. Care to venture who?
Anyway, getting to the plot, Black Adam emerges from his Kahndaq tomb to fight an eventual, satanic-looking antagonist, Marwan Kezari's Sabbac, aka Ishmael Gregor. Our (anti)hero has his hands full. As Cap Marvel and Black Adam draw their powers from noble (though flawed) gods, Sabbac pulls his from the worst of the worst: a well-balanced antichrist, for the lack of a better description, made all the more hellish per a maddening, ancient crown.
All fantasy-flick villains wish to rule the world, but Sabbac is content just to harness neo Kahndaq. Though his humble craving isn't unique, it's the execution that matters, and in this instance, Sabbac is rotten-to-the-core enough for audiences to root bigtime for Black Adam and his costumed compatriots.
Black Adam's lightning (pun intended) pace never steals from the ensemble, and the exploit is well emoted, with Johnson as charismatic as ever. The same can be said of his top-drawer costars, who gleam with strength and empathy, each becoming who he or she is supposed to be. (On special note, Lorne Balfe's determined score makes all their pursuits ascend with heaven-bent flair.)
Black Adam is the right, "getrdone" shot in the arm for a time hampered by philosophical lassitude and militant corralling. This movie is, therefore, an allegorical gesture to set our cultural confines free, demonstrating that there's nothing wrong with slugging it out to ensure virtue prevails. I like that adage. I like that Black Adam supports it. If you hold a practical view of our current culture (and an ardent wish to return to a lawful creed), so will you.
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