Elliot Kessler

I recently watched “Black Adam,” which had seemed to build up a lot of hype before its release. Many people were getting excited about it, but it all seemed to die after the movie came out. When I saw it, I realized why.

I loved “Shazam.” I thought it was an excellent movie with exciting ideas, fun characters, and a heartwarming story, all told with wizards, superheroes, and demons. It was fun and whacky while also having some brutal scenes. It was a fun ride I want to go back and see it again. So, when “Black Adam” was announced, I got excited.

I knew that Black Adam was a character from the Shazam comics, but I didn’t know anything about him. However, when I saw the first trailer, I was hooked. It looked like something I would love to see, and it looked like the character was going to be set up as a fantastic villain for the Shazam family to face off against. The Justice Society also looked like they were going to be very fun. I got very excited when I saw Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate and Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. They looked perfect for their roles. I didn’t know who Atom Smasher or Cyclone was, but they looked like fun characters that I couldn’t wait to see.

But then the movie came out, and I was very disappointed.

The story was bland, the characters weren’t very interesting, and it had some interesting questions with unsatisfying answers. The film had some good moments, but the whole thing fell flat overall. It had a lot of potential and could have been so much more than a bland CGI overload. It was better than the last two Marvel movies, but that isn’t saying much since they were awful.

The Justice Society

Hawkman and Dr. Fate worked great together. I loved the dynamic they had as old friends working side-by-side once again to stop a world-ending threat. I love that trope, and it’s done well here.

I would have enjoyed Hawkman’s character more if his beliefs had been explored further. I love that he has such a black-and-white view of the world. In his mind, there are good and bad people. There is nothing between that. It’s interesting to me because I know many people that see the world that way, and it bothers me. Everyone makes bad choices in their lives. I believe that there aren’t any “bad people.” There are simply people who choose to do bad things. If there were bad people, why would the Bible tell us to love our enemies as we love ourselves? I love this belief that Hawkman has, and I love how Black Adam challenges it. However, I don’t think it was explored as much as it should have been.

Atom Smasher and Cyclone didn’t add anything useful. They weren’t even comic relief. Atom Smasher did some funny stuff a few times, sure. But I only remember laughing out loud at one scene in the movie, and I don’t even remember the scene. Atom Smasher and Cyclone did have a nice relationship, but it wasn’t built upon at all. They would have been much more interesting if it was, but even then, they didn’t affect the plot or explore any new ideas. They were there. Nothing else. It was unfortunate, but that’s the truth.

Black Adam

Black Adam’s character was pretty good, but I wouldn’t say I liked how he was handled in the story. I like how he is forced to work with the Justice Society even though he disagrees. I also like how he and Hawkman continuously butt heads. His dynamic with the group was fun to watch.

I didn’t particularly appreciate that the movie had to tell us that he was not a good man continuously. Why not show us? For instance, during the scene where Black Adam returns, don’t show him killing all the people shooting at him and saving one random person amid the chaos. How is he supposed to know she isn’t with the mercenaries? For all he knows, she wants him dead too. If he noticed her, he should have killed her. She should have stayed hidden, and Black Adam should not have seen her until he got hurt and blacked out.

If he isn’t a good person, show it. Show the consequences of his actions. Don’t have him constantly reminding the audience.

Also, I wouldn’t say I liked that the kid survived. I know that sounds brutal, but what was the point of Black Adam’s rage destroying everything when they tried to get the crown? It doesn’t add anything unless the kid is killed because of Black Adam, which we know doesn’t happen. The kid is hurt and knocked unconscious for a little bit, but he’s fine afterward. Black Adam doesn’t have to deal with the ramifications of his actions, which would have been nice to see since he is unstoppable. The real antagonist against Black Adam should have been Black Adam. He should have had to face himself more than he did. But he doesn’t learn anything by the movie’s end and remains essentially the same.

Show, Don’t Tell

The movie did much more telling than showing, making it feel very dumbed down. I’ve already talked about how we’re told Black Adam isn’t a good person rather than shown, so let’s talk about another big problem that I have with this movie and most other modern DC movies: exposition.

DC does not do an excellent job at exposition. Especially in the DCEU. In “Justice League,” we have Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince talking to each other and exchanging information, which isn’t exciting. We get to see some pretty sweet battle scenes, sure. But, other than that, it isn’t fun to sit through.

“Wonder Woman” was even worse because we opened with the exposition. Before the hook, before the plot, before we meet the main character, we’re treated to a tedious explanation of the essential backstory of the movie. “Black Adam” opens the same way. We are treated to narration and watch as the long, boring scene unfolds. The whole scene feels like someone rambling while some cool-looking CGI floats over the scene. This is a cliche that I hate. It is such a lazy way of giving exposition that it hurts.

“Inception” does a great job of giving exposition. That might seem strange to say since, like “Justice League,” mostly consists of two characters talking. The whole purpose of one of the characters is to ask questions that the main character must answer so the audience can receive exposition and backstory. But the opening is so good that we don’t even notice. The opening throws us right in the middle of the action. We have to use context to understand what is happening rather than someone telling us what is happening. It is much more enjoyable that way. But, because the ideas and concepts of the film are so complex, we need someone to tell us what they are because, without that, we wouldn’t understand the movie.

Unsatisfying Answers

The movie asks many questions about morality and what makes a hero, but it never fully explores those questions, and the answers are unsatisfying. I fundamentally disagree with what the movie is trying to say. The movie constantly asks exciting questions that I thought were fantastic. What makes a hero? What makes someone suitable? When does someone cross the line from being good to being evil? But the answer was very strange. From what I got out of it, anyway.

We need people who are willing to do bad things to protect others.

This doesn’t make any sense. If people do bad things, doesn’t that, by definition, make them bad people? If someone is protecting people from other people doing bad things, how does doing more bad things improve the situation?

I left the theater with more questions about the themes than answers. The movie is incomplete. It’s a setup without a payoff. It’s frustrating. It had the potential to say something interesting and take Black Adam in a different direction, but it didn’t. Black Adam stays the same by the movie’s end, and I don’t fully understand the answer to the movie’s question. It was weird and unsatisfying, but I think it is mainly because I disagree with this movie. What do you guys think?

Verdict

This movie was more interesting than Marvel’s latest, but it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. It was a bland mess of contradicting themes and ideas. Hopefully, Black Adam evolves into a more interesting character, and I hope the next Shazam movie is better than this.

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day.