For the most part, DCEU films have not been well-received by critics. Sure, many fans have done their best to advocate for the recent superhero movies and the box-office may not always reflect most critical response.
Still, the DC Extended Universe has had several misses and has yet to catapult itself to the same level as Marvel. Wonder Woman and Aquaman were received fairly well by critics and we’ve yet to see something that can be deemed (by most as) unequivocally great.
Black Adam has the potential to be that film. This action-packed and more visually pleasing installment is a crowd-pleaser and possesses the qualities of a good solid movie.
This could very well be the best-made DCEU movie yet.
And I think it’s because it’s anchored on the fact that Black Adam is no conventional hero. Teth Adam is an antihero, some might even go as far as calling him villain, who was thrust into a spotlight mostly given to the type of heroes that are bound by moral and ethical absolutes (do good, do not kill, save the innocents, don’t give in to rage, follow rules, etc.)
Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, etc. all fall into this category. We love them as characters because they are the beacons of hope and everything that’s within what we were raised to believe as “good.”
Black Adam is unlike them. And yet, here he is, the center of a movie. And that brings up the important question: is he a hero or a villain?
For the audience, in some ways, it challenges your own core beliefs because you will ask yourself why you are rooting for a character with a shady set of morals. Does it mean you’re bad? Of course you don’t want to consider yourself as a bad person.
But you’re now rooting for a character who chooses what laws to follow, doesn’t care who he hurts or kills, and one that’s fueled by rage and revenge.
That internal disconnect has been effectively utilized by the movie because, at the very least, it makes you feel something.
And since it’s not a movie about revered superheroes, personal bias may not be much of a factor when deciding whether or not Black Adam is a great movie. In a way, this should make you more objective.
Fans think Wonder Woman is great mainly because they love her character in the first place. (It is a great movie, though).
Superman fans would go through lengths defending Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, and even Justice League because they already love him regardless.
And even for those who are not die-hard fans, the fact that these are revered characters automatically elicits a favorable inclination from the audience to see the good in their respective movies.
Black Adam was originally depicted as a supervillain. And even to those who are not privy to comic book characters’ histories, his antihero status doesn’t make him someone you’d root for automatically.
When he first appears in the movie, Black Adam starts a bloodbath. The trailers have conditioned us to view him as someone who is definitely NOT a hero. So he then, at least for me, is not automatically someone rootable.
The movie can suck for all I care because there’s nothing in it for me.
Without that kind of personal bias then, someone like me would be able to watch (and judge) the movie on its merits.
Compared to the other DC movies I’ve watched (and absolutely raved about), Black Adam had more action-packed scenes that are easy on the eyes. You know how some fight scenes tend to be dark and things move so fast it’s hard to keep up? It’s not the case here.
The action sequences are entertaining mainly because you can actually see everything happen. These were also interspersed with deadpan humor that worked well each time as well as slow-motion effects that will bring back memories of X-Men: Apocalypse and even Justice League.
In each scene, we see how formidable Black Adam is, both as a potential hero and villain. His powers equal that of Superman’s and perhaps could even be better since he doesn’t hold back.
It won’t be surprising if, while watching, you will have thoughts about the possibility of him and the Man of Steel facing off in future movies. It was teased early this year in DC League of Super-Pets and with recent news of a new Man of Steel movie, that’s probably something that’ll come to fruition.
Black Adam is definitely among the top-tier DC films. It’s technically impressive. The character’s mythology is expansive and allowed for other characters’ stories to give more dimension to the plot. It also opens up possibilities for future films.
It has heart and tons of action. It has humor. I’m happy to see that the funny moments here weren’t a result of forced effort, like those in Thor: Ragnarok, but by a good chemistry between the cast.
On that topic… it’s great that the movie introduced the Justice Society of America (JSA) but it’s probably its weakest part, except for Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan).
While Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) did his best attempt to pull off a Captain America as the gang leader, but most of his righteousness bit didn’t do enough to give Black Adam something to be concerned about.
Noah Centineo could have potentially made a huge impact as Atom Smasher but his character was severely restricted in scope (when he is not munching on something, he is portrayed as an almost-dumb sidekick). It reminded me of his insignificant cameo in Charlie’s Angels, which didn’t really do much for the film.
Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) may have had great-looking scenes but it was all surface beauty.
Nevertheless, when combined, they all served their purpose: help propel Black Adam as a top dog in the superhero arena.
Black Adam is now showing in PH cinemas.
