Black Adam

The marketing campaign for Black Adam felt less like a movie rollout and more like a fifteen-year political insurgency. For over a decade, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tweeted, flexed, and eyebrow-raised his way through the development of this project, promising a fundamental shift in the "hierarchy of power" in the DC Universe. By the time I actually sat down to watch it, I half-expected the Rock to jump out from behind the screen and personally hand me a bottle of Teremana tequila. Instead, I got a film that feels like the ultimate artifact of the 2020s "franchise pivot"—a massive, loud, expensive spectacle that was rendered obsolete by a studio regime change before the popcorn in the lobby had even gone stale.

The Man in Black and the God of Kahndaq

The story drops us into Kahndaq, a fictional Middle Eastern nation that’s been under the thumb of various oppressors for five millennia. When an archaeologist, played by Sarah Shahi (who you might remember from Person of Interest), awakens the long-dormant Teth-Adam, she isn't just looking for a savior—she’s looking for a cruise missile in a cape. Adam doesn't do the "hero" thing; he doesn't have a code, he doesn't use snappy quips, and he has a very literal way of dealing with mercenaries that usually involves high-altitude drops.

The film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra—who previously teamed with Johnson for the much breezier Jungle Cruise—is at its best when it leans into the "stranger in a strange land" vibe. However, the Rock’s contract seemingly mandates that he must always look like a stoic statue, which makes it hard to feel any real stakes. I watched this in a theater where the bass was tuned so aggressively that a small child two rows down actually looked like they were vibrating out of their seat during the first fight sequence. It’s a movie designed to be felt in your ribcage, even if it doesn't quite reach your heart.

Chaos vs. The Justice Society

The real juice of the film doesn't actually come from the title character, but from the arrival of the Justice Society of America (JSA). In an era where we’ve seen the Avengers and the Justice League dozens of times, the JSA feels surprisingly fresh. Aldis Hodge (The Invisible Man) is phenomenal as Hawkman, bringing a physical gravity and a frustrated, "I'm too old for this" energy that provides a necessary foil to Adam’s god-complex.

Then there’s Pierce Brosnan. If you’re a fan of his James Bond era, seeing him play Doctor Fate is a genuine treat. He brings a weary, soulful dignity to a character who spends half the movie wearing a CGI bucket on his head. The chemistry between Brosnan and Hodge is the movie's secret weapon. It’s also where the action choreography shines; the way Fate’s magic ripples across the screen is a rare example of modern CGI feeling distinct and artistic rather than just "digital clutter." I’ll admit, I was rooting for the JSA to get their own spin-off while the main plot was still trying to explain what a 'Sabbac' was.

The "Hierarchy" of Trivia

The production behind Black Adam is almost more interesting than the film itself. This project was trapped in development hell since 2007. To put that in perspective, when Johnson was first cast as Black Adam, the first Iron Man hadn't even hit theaters. By the time it finally came out in 2022, the superhero landscape was already showing signs of massive "franchise fatigue."

Body Shrinking: To film the scenes where Teth-Adam is a scrawny slave, they used the same "body tracking" tech seen in Captain America: The First Avenger, though Johnson still looks like he could bench press a Toyota in those shots. The Cameo: The mid-credits scene featuring Henry Cavill's Superman was the result of massive lobbying by Johnson himself, reportedly going over the heads of then-DC film boss Walter Hamada to get it done. The Profit Wars: Shortly after release, conflicting reports leaked to the press—some saying the movie would lose $100 million, others (allegedly from Johnson’s camp) claiming it would turn a profit. It was a rare moment where "Box Office Twitter" became more dramatic than the movie’s third act. The Volume: Like The Batman and The Mandalorian, the film utilized LED "Volume" technology for certain environments, though the outdoor Kahndaq sets feel remarkably tactile for a movie this digital. Stunt Pedigree: The action was handled by the same second-unit teams that worked on the John Wick* series, which explains why the hand-to-hand combat has a bit more "crunch" than your average Marvel outing.

A Dead-End Classic?

In the context of the 2020s, Black Adam is a fascinating failure. It was released just as James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed to reboot the entire DC Universe, essentially making this movie a "dead end" the moment it premiered. It’s a film that exists in a vacuum. It’s not quite a "Cult Classic" yet, but it’s gaining a second life among fans of the "Snyderverse" era who appreciate its darker tone and the Rock’s relentless promotion of the "Old Guard" DC characters.

It’s a loud, punchy, somewhat messy action flick that works perfectly if you just want to see Dwayne Johnson throw a tank at someone’s head. Is it a cinematic masterpiece? Absolutely not. Is it a fun way to spend two hours while eating a large tub of buttered popcorn? Mostly. Just don't expect the hierarchy of power to actually change; the only thing that really changed was the leadership at the studio a month later.

The movie ends with a promise of a showdown that we now know will never happen, leaving Black Adam as a shiny, expensive relic of a defunct era. I don't regret watching it—the Doctor Fate sequences alone are worth the price of admission—but it serves as a cautionary tale about what happens when a star's brand becomes bigger than the story they’re trying to tell. If you’re looking for a breezy Saturday night distraction with some top-tier stunt work, you could do much worse. Just don't look too hard for the "deeper meaning" under the spandex.