Black Adam review: Dwayne Johnson joins the DCEU with a muffled bang

Jaume Collet-Serra's Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson's introduction into the DCEU, should feel like a more momentous occasion. The superhero (and sometimes supervillain) born of Egyptian gods has been eyed as a dream role by Johnson for years, but Black Adam's arrival feels underwhelming despite Johnson's star power.

Writers Sohrab Noshirvani, Rory Haines and Adam Sztykiel favor a standalone DCEU experience away from Superman and Batman, except the movie is also devoted to the Justice Society of America (JSA) — a newly canon super team. Johnson eventually eases into prominence as Black Adam, but only after a winded duration where Black Adam tries to find its lightning-powered groove without ever punching into overdrive.

We meet Teth-Adam (aka Black Adam) after a 5,000-year slumber, the consequence of saving his home of Kahndaq from a ruthless ruler. He's awoken by the rebellious Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) because Kahndaq once again needs its champion. Mercenaries violently rule over Kahndaq after seizing the land for its resources. Adrianna hopes Black Adam can liberate her people once again. But there's one small problem — Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) sends Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and the JSA to silence Black Adam because he may not be the hero Kahndaq worships as their savior.

Collet-Serra has cranked out dependable blockbusters like Jungle Cruise and The Shallows, so you'd presume Black Adam would be in the director's wheelhouse. The action flows fluidly as the all-powerful warrior uses his gifts to pulverize soldiers like he's flicking away tiny ants; on-the-nose services like "Paint It Black" playing while Black Adam lays waste to enemies may be low-hanging fruit, but it still tastes good. However, while movies like Jungle Cruise and Collet-Serra's Non-Stop zip along with surprising ease, Black Adam always seems to be trying to regain its balance. 

The narrative has a lot of ground to cover between the earliest introductions of Teth-Adam, the mythology behind the crown of Sabbac, the JSA's entire schtick and the stranglehold over Kahndaq. Collet-Serra strives to serve all elements to their fullest — humorous jests amongst the JSA, cultural oppression with severe tones — but appears caught between trying to tell a standalone origin and checking off DCEU world-building boxes.

At its worst, Black Adam is a formulaic city-smasher about an elder deity finding his way in modern society. The screenplay awkwardly focuses on "epic" storytelling milestones that steal all the emphasis, leaving fluffier material a bit deflated and undercooked. Black Adam's fight sequences are an excuse to hurl military helicopters, while emotional beats that connect Black Adam to the hopefulness of Kahndaq aren't the rousing victory assumed (a rallying speech in the latter half hits like dead radio air). Hawkeye's rivalry with Black Adam isn't more than tension fodder Black Adam's reluctance to become the protector Kahndaq deserves is drawn out and Collet-Serra fails to fully develop Black Adam beyond another DCEU cog that drops audiences into the next dystopian city in need of saving. 

Where Shazam! or Birds of Prey asserted their individuality, Black Adam fits like just another brick in Warner Bros. Discovery's comic book adaptation wall.

At its best, though, Black Adam treats the JSA like they're DC's Guardians of the Galaxy — the more humorous yet family-tight super team you didn't know you loved — and doesn't rely solely on Johnson's imposition. When Black Adam feels stretched wafer thin, it's salvaged by Hawkman's dad-energy frustrations with Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) or Cyclone's (Quintessa Swindell) pops of color as she swirls green and pinkish blurs while manipulating the wind. The ensemble works to showcase what veterans like Pierce Brosnan can do as Doctor Fate, a Doctor Strange stand-in whose debonair gentlemanliness is just as significant an asset as his future telling. Black Adam strangely works better as a JSA origin than Black Adam's beginning.

Johnson's not as good at playing brute-force blunt as Dave Bautista is at playing Drax, which drags down moments when Black Adam's essentially laughing at puny humans and their bullets. It all comes together in the end when the JSA and Black Adam stop outright warring with each other and Johnson can become the hero his acting trademarks deserve.

So Black Adam goes on for a bloated two hours, but, to be fair, it still gets the job done. It spans multiple subgenres, from historical fantasy to outright demonic horror, which finds enjoyment through skeleton smashing and international focuses that escape Gotham's dreariness. We watch Black Adam shove grenades in enemy mouths or direct vehicles into collision positions in slow motion that we then see explode in real time. The film plays with superhero cheekiness in these moments, ensuring that you know Black Adam is damn-near invincible and only Superman poses a combative threat. That's the job of Collet-Serra's entire production, which can be both a hindrance and an asset. 

That wobbliness to Black Adam stinks of early DCEU complaints, while Johnson doesn't deliver on his unmistakable passion for the character until the mid-credits stinger, making it more exciting to think how Black Adam will interact with prospective DCEU properties than how thrilling Black Adam is on its own. But, Collet-Serra's so good at managing blockbuster expectations that his directorial instincts can counterbalance said wobble and keep Black Adam from completely rocketing off the rails; he's accomplished way more with way thinner IPs (ie Jungle Cruise). 

Black Adam is always closer to finding its second gear than losing steam, which makes all the difference. Don't confuse a lack of enthusiasm for outright disregard — most movies are just fine, with Black Adam a prime example.

Black Adam releases worldwide on October 21 exclusively in movie theaters.