BLACK ADAM : Tuesday 25th October 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'BLACK ADAM' earlier this week, and this American Superhero film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, is a spin-off from the 2019 film 'Shazam!' and is the eleventh film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It is Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra whose prior film making credits include his debut in 2005 with 'House of Wax', then four films with Liam Neeson - those being 'Unknown' in 2011, 'Non-Stop' in 2014, 'Run All Night' in 2015 and 'The Commuter' in 2018, with 'The Shallows' in 2016 and 'Jungle Cruise' most recently in 2021. This film was originally slated for a Christmas 2021 release but was moved from that date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then given an end of July 2022, release date, but was then moved again, having seen its World Premiere in Mexico City on 3rd October and was released here in Australia, the US and a number of other territories from last week, having cost in the region of US$195M to produce, has so far recouped US$156M, and has garnered mixed or average critical reviews. 

The film opens up in 2,600 BC long before the ancient city of Rome and the empire of Babylon came into being. We are taken back to the city of Kahndaq where the tyrannical King, Akh-Ton (Marwan Kenzari) rules with an iron fist and has his subjects mine for the rare precious blue metal 'Eternium' in open mines with their bare hands. When he has sufficient supplies he crafts the crown of Sabbac which bestows great power on whoever shall wear the crown. After attempting to stage a revolt by the downtrodden and weary slaves, a young slave boy is given the powers of Shazam by the Council of Wizards because he is deemed pure of heart to wield those powers, so transforming him into Kahndaq's heroic champion, who allegedly kills Ahk-Ton and brings and early end to his reign. 

History lesson over, and we fast forward to the present day Kahndaq which is under marshall law overseen by the ruthless Intergang. We then meet up with archaeologist and University Professor Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) who tries to locate the Crown of Sabbac with the help of her brother Karim (Mo Amir) and their colleagues Samir (James Cusati-Moyer) and Ishmael (Marwan Kenzari). As Adrianna obtains the crown hidden deep in a cavernous cave buried within a mountain, Intergang members appear and ambush them, demanding that she hand over the crown. As Adrianna is held at gunpoint on her knees, she reads an incantation on a tombstone laying beneath her that awakens Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson), whom she believes to be Kahndaq's champion, from a long overdue rest and recuperation. Adam immediately sets about slaughtering just about all of the Intergang army.

Shortly afterwards US government official Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has caught wind that Teth-Adam is on the rampage and deems that he is a threat to world peace and contacts the Justice Society of America (JSA) - Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) to bring him into custody, and forcibly if need be. The JSA arrives in time to stop Teth-Adam from causing yet more destruction to Kahndaq than he has already caused, and Intergang's troops. The JSA explains to Adrianna that Adam was not a saviour who was laid to rest in a tomb, but a madman who was imprisoned and entombed for all eternity.

Ishmael reveals himself as Intergang's leader to Karim and overheard by Adrianna's teenage son Amon (Bodhi Sabongui). Ishmael shoots Karim in the stomach and a chase ensues with Amon, who steals the crown to prevent Ishmael getting his grubby hands on it, but Ishmael gets the better of young Amon and captures him, but not before Amon had switched the crown in his back pack for a set of school books. Adam, Adrianna, and the JSA who now have possession of the crown intend to use it to trade for Amon. They reach Ishmael, holed up in his abandoned mine headquarters who reveals that he is the last descendant of King Ahk-Ton and, wanting his rightful place on the throne, demands the crown, which Adrianna willingly gives up in order to save Amon's life. Ishmael betrays his part of the deal and shoots at Amon, and Adam, trying to save Amon, loses control and destroys the mine encampment with his power, killing Ishmael in the process. 

Wracked with guilt, Adam flees to the ruins of Ahk-Ton's palace, where he explains to Hawkman that the legends of Kahndaq's champion were in fact wrong, and it was Adam's son Hurut (Jalon Christian) who was granted the powers of Shazam and became Kahndaq's champion. Knowing that Hurut was invincible, Ahk-Ton's assassins were instructed to execute Hurut's family, including Adam and Hurut's mother. Hurut granted Adam his powers in order to save his father's life, and Ahk-Ton's assassins immediately killed the depowered Hurut. An enraged Adam then slaughtered all of the king's men, Ahk-Tok and destroyed Kahndaq's palace. He was subsequently deemed unworthy by the Council of Wizards and entombed within the Rock of Eternity. Feeling incapable of becoming a true hero, Adam surrenders, by uttering the word 'Shazam'. 

The JSA takes him to a secret Task Force X black site located deep under the sea under the pack ice. Dr. Fate, who is able to see into the future, has a premonition of Hawkman's impending death. As the JSA returns to the city, they realise that Ishmael intentionally made Adam kill him while he was wearing the Crown of Sabbac so that he could be reborn as the host of the demon Sabbac, who rises from the underworld to claim his throne. 

Sabbac commands the Legions of Hell to terrorise Kahndaq, with Adrianna and Karim initially fighting them off while Amon rallies the people of the city to join in the fight. The JSA prepares to face Sabbac in Ahk-Ton's ruins, but Dr. Fate creates a magical force field that prevents Hawkman, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher from entering. He reveals that Hawkman's death can be avoided with his own sacrifice. Dr. Fate fights Sabbac on his own and uses his astral projection to release Adam after talking to him in his cryo sleep and asking him to wake-up and come to their aid. Sabbac kills Dr. Fate, resulting in the force field disappearing, and so allowing the others to join in the fight. Just as Sabbac is about to overpower and dispense with the JSA, Adam arrives and joins the battle. With help from Hawkman using Dr. Fate's helmet, Adam kills Sabbac. 

The three remaining JSA departs on good terms with Adam, who accepts his new role as the protector of Kahndaq and takes on a less old fashioned name replacing Teth-Adam with Black Adam. In a mid-credits sequence, Amanda Waller communicates with Adam and warns him against leaving Kahndaq. Adam says that there is no one on Earth who can defeat him, to which Waller responds that she was not referring to someone from this world. Superman (Henry Cavill) arrives shortly thereafter and suggests that they should talk!

'Black Adam' is an entertaining enough romp that is heavy, very heavy, on the CGI action sequences and the OTT violence that lurches from one action set piece to the next with a frenzied frequency that after a while seems to all meld into one elongated tale of 'shoot first, ask questions . . . never'! Sure, the myriad of action scenes are well realised but when you come to appreciate that nobody or nothing can ever harm the indestructible Adam, it all becomes a bit ho hum! Dwayne Johnson's big bold badass antihero superhero delivers all the kicks, punches and death blows that you would expect of him, and delves sufficiently into his back story to make his character arc relatable, but that is where the characterisation ends and the exposition sadly falters for the four new superhero types that this film introduces us to. For fans of Dwayne Johnson and big spectacle relentless comic book action then this film is for you, but for those of us who saw it under the pretext of a new dawn in the DCEU, then you are likely to be a tad disappointed. 

'Black Adam' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-