More anti-hero than hero, Black Adam isn’t necessarily a good guy, nor does he care to be. Black Adam has no reservations about killing his enemies, a line most caped crusaders refuse to cross. Resurrected after 5,000 years, Adam (Johnson) finds himself in modern-day Kahndaq, a middle eastern country that has been under the brutal control of King Ahk-Ton (Marwan Kenzari).
In present day, the occupiers are the Intergang, a group of well-funded mercenaries who are attempting to strip-mine all Kahndaq’s resources, with no regard for its native people. The cities history spans thousands of years, including the legend of the Crown of Sabbac, made from the rare mineral Eternium and the emperor that enslaved people to complete it. They were eventually freed by Teth-Adam (Johnson) a slave infused with ancient powers. The crown was then buried beneath the depths of the city. Now, the location has been discovered and Kahndaq needs Teth-Adam once again, to save them from complete destruction.
An archeological expedition led by Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) releases Teth-Adam who quickly vanquishes the bad guys, while The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” fills the soundtrack. This sets the tone; This is the first of several sequences where Adam vanquishes the people’s enemy to a rock ‘n roll beat. This attracts the attention of the Justice Society, Led by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) along with Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) who want to investigate Adam’s activities. It all feels so busy and convoluted, that Black Adam often feels like a supporting character in his own movie. I’ve long enjoyed Dwayne Johnson, but Black Adam consists of action scenes and little else. A real shame given the number of talented actors involved. Dwayne Johnson has such a big personality that attempts creating chemistry with the other superheroes miss the mark.
Black Adam isn’t a bad film per se, its just not particularly interesting and doesn’t bring anything new to the table. I think it would have been better for Black Adam to appear in Shazam! negating the need for such a convoluted origin story.
Presented in its native 4K, Black Adam looks great. The vast color scheme really pops throughout. The films vibrancy is off the charts. Blacks are deep and inky, Fine details are well delineated. Impressive contrast and striking lighting choices contribute to the excellence of this transfer. Facial features look clean and realistic. There are no compression issues or other image anomalies present. Fans should be very pleased with this visual presentation.
The Dolby Atmos mix is a standout, enveloping the e4ntire soundscape. Destructive sound effects and a swelling score keep thing moving throughout. Action sequences burst off the screen in a realistic and filmic fashion. Low ends are used effectively to make viewers feel like a part of the action. Dialogue is clean, clear and concise. There are no audio anomalies to be found.
English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles are available.
Along with a Blu-ray and Digital HD of the film, the following special features are included (on the Blu-ray only):
- The History of Black Adam (HD, 10:08) Hosted by Sarah Shah (and aided by DC head archivist Benjamin Leclear), this is a brief overview of the title character’s history in comics.
- Who is the Justice Society? (HD, 14:16) Hosted by Aldis Hodge, the focus is the Justice Society’s printed roots.
- From Soul to Screen (HD, 6:09) Producer Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and others discuss bringing the character to the big screen.
- A Flawed Hero (HD, 5:09) Brief cast and crew interviews has them discussing the title character’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Taking Flight (HD, 3:32) Members of the cast and crew discuss aerial special effects.
- Kahndaq: Designing a Nation (HD, 6:27) Cast and crew discuss the building of the film’s locations.
- The ROCK of Eternity (HD, 5:42) All about ancient languages and the Rock of Eternity, from its place in the character’s comic history to its representation in the film.
- Costumes Make the Hero (8:25) A look at the film’s costume designs.
- A New Type of Action (HD, 6:38) Cast and crew offer an overview of Black Adam‘s action scenes.
