Black Adam (2022)

Black Adam leans into what superhero movies sometimes forget: the thrill of watching a truly unstoppable force cut loose, and it does so with the kind of larger-than-life swagger Dwayne Johnson was practically built for. Jaume Collet-Serra keeps the pace punchy and the action cleanly staged, delivering crunchy, crowd-pleasing set pieces and glossy effects that make the powers feel weighty instead of weightless. The vibe is bold, brash, and unapologetically fun—more anti-hero myth than squeaky-clean morality play—and that fresh tilt gives the DC world a jolt of electricity. If you prefer intimate character studies over spectacle, it may feel like a heavy-metal concert when you wanted jazz, but if you’re on the fence for a big-screen adrenaline fix, this one commits and delivers.

Black Adam is clearly aiming to be a swaggering antihero launchpad—big mythic backstory, bigger explosions, and Dwayne Johnson bulldozing through it all with sheer charisma. The problem is the movie’s writing and pacing feel like they’re constantly catching up to the spectacle, dumping exposition and juggling plot threads that never quite click into a satisfying whole. If you’re sensitive to CGI-heavy action and thinly sketched characters, this can feel noisy, messy, and oddly hollow for something so loud. Still, if you just want a glossy, power-fantasy superhero romp and you’re mainly here for Johnson and a few fun supporting moments, it can do the job—just don’t expect a tight, memorable standalone story.