‘Black Adam’ (2022) Review
'Black Adam' (2022) Review: A Fair Start ‘Black Adam’ has been a long time coming. In the 15 years since Dwayne Johnson’s casting, superhero films have become the most successful in the world, and Johnson himself, an international superstar. Over a decade of development delays have led to Johnson’s super debut as the titular character. It’s also led to one of the most derivative superhero movies in recent memory.That is especially frustrating given what ‘Black Adam’ purports to be. The movie centres on its anti-hero, branding itself as a movie about a different breed of superperson. When he awakens after 5,000 years of slumber, he reintroduces himself to the modern world in murderous fashion. Black Adam isn’t concerned with ethics and legal restrictions, and he’s more than willing to take a life. He’s not like other superheroes, unless of course you count Deadpool, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, Batman, and even Superman, all of whom have taken lives with no ambiguity and in high definition. As a superhero film, ‘Black Adam’ positions itself as a breath of fresh air, but feels more akin to a carbon copy. Several of the characters feel like alternates for what’s already been depicted on screen in better films. While it’s far from original, knocking ‘Black Adam’ for being derivative feels punitive. The medium of comics is notorious for duplicating abilities and storylines ad infinitum. The worth of a good story isn’t in its originality, but in what it does with its…
