MOVIE REVIEW – “Black Adam” has a protagonist with almost unlimited power, which only makes the pathetic script all the more striking. Dwayne Johnson tries to assert himself with a deadpan face and extremely limited acting as the ancient mystical being in DC’s latest superhero epic. The film itself is nowhere near as cool as its poster, while highlighting the inherent challenge of building stories around anti-heroes. What’s fine for the average viewer is the porn of destruction and mayhem…

The anti-hero formerly known as Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson), originally a villain in the Shazam (aka Captain Marvel) comics, is given his own origin story in which he gains extraordinary powers in the mythical kingdom of Kahndaq, and then lies dormant for roughly 5,000 years until he is awakened. His release is granted by a seeker, Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), who seeks a mythical crown, also containing immense power, that could theoretically free the nation from the criminal enterprise Intergang, which is languishing under her rule.

Adrianna also has a teenage son (Bodhi Sabongui) who knows superhero lore inside out. As a harmless comedian, she hilariously tries to constantly coax Adam into saying the catchphrases, much like a young John Connor coached the Terminator over 30 years ago, which is just as tedious and forced as it sounds.

A boring, clichéd story, with gritty action, destruction, spectacle porn

While Black Adam’s introduction from obscurity could have been interesting and exciting, given the title character’s obscurity, the film largely limits him to a terse, tough-guy tone, neutralizing Johnson’s screen superpower beyond his imposing physique – namely his witty, natural charm, which is much better exploited in films like the “Jumanji” revival.

What almost saves the film (and for many, saves it) are the comic book conventions and the crushing, gritty action that is virtually non-stop for most of the two hours. We have a veritable pornography of spectacle and destruction, which manages to come across brilliantly on the huge IMAX screen, with thunderous sound and music.

Of course, there’s little time for plot or commentary in exchange for the relentless pace. As soon as Teth-Adam appears, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, reprising her familiar role from the Suicide Squad films) immediately sends members of the Justice Society – the original DC super-team that preceded the Justice League in the comics – into battle.

Brosnan is the best

At the head of the assembled team is Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), accompanied by the magical Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) and wide-eyed newcomers Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell). Pierce Brosnan’s visionary magician of this motley crew is the only one worth highlighting, as the ex-James Bond actor does his best to make his character both interesting and sympathetic and likeable with his intelligently measured performance.

Although they really don’t match in terms of the balance of power, under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (who worked with Johnson to slightly better effect in Jungle Cruise), these scenes are really spectacular and dynamic. But just like the pre-Snyder cut version of Justice League, DC, in its rush to replicate Marvel’s cinematic power, basically tries to get away with skipping a few steps and just shove Justice Society in front of us without any particular prelude. Of course, there’s no time to deal with them, as the spotlight is shining on Black Adam, the Rock’s forced entry into the DC universe, who is standing across from them.

Enjoyable with a Coke and lots of popcorn

There’s simply no getting around the clunkiness of the dialogue, or the feeling that Black Adam overstates the character’s interest. We’re left with thunderous action and visual porn: if you really turn your brain off completely, the film works undeniably well as a popcorn movie. And Dwayne Johnson’s anti-hero won’t go away: the credits scene clearly indicates that…

-BadSector-