NEW YORK – Debates about the true nature of justice and heroism, as well as the proper use of force, pace the predictable dustups in “Black Adam” (Warner Bros.), director Jaume Collet-Serra’s adaptation of DC Comics lore.
But the film – primarily a vehicle for Dwayne Johnson, who takes on the title role – is stymied by cumbersome exposition and the halfhearted nature of its efforts at thematic freshness.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that the movie’s trio of screenwriters – Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani – labors to deliver its backstory, given that said mythos covers a time span of 5,000 years. That’s how long ago Johnson’s protagonist, known through most of the running time as Teth-Adam, became the legendary liberator of Kahndaq, his fictional native land, before mysteriously disappearing.
Flash forward to the present day and Teth-Adam is – almost accidentally, albeit quite conveniently – reawakened by Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi), a college professor-turned-resistance-fighter against Kahndaq’s current oppressors, the multinational crime syndicate Intergang. Aided by Adrianna and her plucky teen son, Amon (Bodhi Sabongui), Teth-Adam promptly takes on these occupiers.
And so, we’re off to the races with a straightforward, old-fashioned showdown between good and evil, yes? Well, not so fast.
Enter the metahuman agents of the Justice Society, led by Carter Hall, a.k.a. Hawkman (Aldis Hodge). They’re out to thwart Teth-Adam, maintaining that, far from a champion of freedom, he is, in reality, an uncontrollably violent villain whose long neutralization was a well-deserved imprisonment, not an extended nap.
Is he or is he ain’t a hero? It takes further flashbacks as well as more scenes of the ongoing struggle to sort through that question – during which, alas, audience interest is likely to dwindle.
The screenplay does have its funny moments, including exchanges between Hawkman’s colleagues, mishap-prone giant-at-will Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and self-assured wind-wizard Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell). And Pierce Brosnan’s clairvoyant Doctor Fate adds a touch of British elegance to the proceedings.
Yet the grown viewers for whom “Black Adam” is acceptable are unlikely to connect with any of these characters.
A wrap-up showcasing self-sacrificing dedication, moreover, falls just as flat as the picture’s other serious elements. All that remains, as a result, is the questionable entertainment value of the genre-typical, hyper-powered brawling.
Look for: Attempts to delve into moral subtleties.
Look out for: Mostly stylized but sometimes nasty combat with some gore, a couple of mild oaths and about a half-dozen uses each of crude and crass language.
The Catholic Moviegoer’s guidance is M – suitable for mature viewers. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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