Paint It Black

We ignored the weak reception to watch Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam (2022). I'd say we made the right decision.

It starts in olden times, in the peaceful city state of KandyQ. The good times come to an end when they are conquered by Ahk-Tion using the magical crown Saddiq (NB: Names may be phony). But one boy is given the power of Shazam to become Teth-Adam, and frees the country.

In modern times, Khanduck has been taken over by InterGang, an international criminal organization indistinguishable from a modern nation or corporation. Sarah Sahi is an anthropologist who is secretly part of the nationalist underground, along with her skateboarding son Bodhi Sabongui and her chubby brother Mohammed Amer. Funny, we've got another anti-colonialist movie like the last two.

Anyway, Sahi thinks she has found the crown of Sabbat. When she goes after it, she is attacked by a bunch of InterGang goons. When all looks like it it lost, she says the magic thing to the magic spot and "SHAZAM" - Dwayne Johnson, aka Teth-Adam. He begins with the slaying and mayhem and just doesn't quit.

At this point, Amanda Waller calls out the Justice Society, which consists for Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell (what.a name!) as Cyclone, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, but mostly Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate. They get him under control and take him to Sahi's apartment for a hilarious sequence where Johnson just hovers around smashing through walls like they were gauzy curtains. "Didn't they have doors in your time?'

Anyway, they convince Teth-Adam to stand down. He says "Shazam" again and becomes human, and they pack him up into suspended animation. But the situation in Khannedqorn deteriorates, and they have to wake him up for one last caper...

One of the main complaints I heard about this movie is that Johnson wasn't clear on whether Black Adam is a villain or anti-hero. I think it is actually pretty plain - He's a violent, headstrong, egocentric guy with god-like superpowers. He can go either way, depending on what he thinks is best. If they are going to make him a Big Bad in later movies, he will be a very sympathetic one.

What I didn't hear from anyone is how comic-like this movie is. It's full of shots of Dwayne Johnson hovering in the air, cape fluttering, one knee cocked, looking fierce (even as he gently smashes through a wall). Since Johnson is not really moving or changing expression, you might think this isn't acting. Maybe not but it's a good panel from a comicbook. 

And Dr. Fate makes a great antagonist for Black Adam. He also has god-like powers, and is played by the god-like Pierce Brosnan. Both he and Black Adam have the sort of detached, self-confident style that massive power can bring. It was great to see Hodges as Hawkman, although he is a little underused. The other two JSA members are kind of redshirts, although they do survive. 

I don't know if this is a great movie of even a great superhero movie. But for me, it was a great comicbook movie. And I like that.