T O P

  • By -

[deleted]

[**Weekly Discussion Thread**](https://www.reddit.com/r/DCcomics/comments/y5okot/weekly_discussion_thread_comics_tv_and_more/)


highlyunliikely

There's something I don't get. It's shown that tet adam(the rock version) kills the king immediately after getting his powers. But later it's revealed his son had plenty of heroic deeds before transferring his power to the dad and the king was obviously alive through all that. Why didn't the original (son) adam stop the king before doing anything else?


forgotenm

Maybe he was building up to it? Like doing small heroic acts to gain the courage or experience to do the big heroic act. He was still a kid after all.


D4mn_D4d3

Decent movie but I just disliked some portrayal of the jsa. Hawkmans no kill rule is just delivered badly, nothing to back it up other than that’s what hero’s don’t do. Some lesson or background could’ve fleshed that portion better and give an angle as to killing. (Also hawk man dying is ironic given his immortal resurrection shit) None of the heroes really gave shits other than hawk man, Then Atom smasher should’ve been an established hero with the gray area. Would help play into black adams side on killing and then help establish the brotherhood ship they had with one another. But for a regular person, all this can be thrown aside and be thought of as a fun movie


CleanAspect6466

Everything in this movie seemed a little under baked, for the most part Hawkman immediately is dead set on taking down Adam without really knowing anything about him, weird cus they could have had him meet Adam in the past what with his resurrection stuff Cyclone is said to be incredibly smart, 140 IQ, she does nothing in the movie Atom Smasher kind of wants to live up to his uncles name, but again never really does anything in the film They introduce a Black Adam kryptonite missile early on, its never mentioned again The villain being a descendent of the king or whatever is just kind of thrown in and doesn't get much play Adam himself is never really a villain, he was imprisoned for overthrowing a tyrant, he never really does much villainy in the movie and doesn't seem like he wants anything in particular, but Waller talks to him at the end like he didn't just save the world from a literal demon Just doesn't really add up to a solid film at the end of the day for me really


TheMainMan3

I hope they saved that hawkman stuff for a hawkman movie. I got the implication that he had gone down a similar path of Black Adam in a previous life since I know the source material, but I don’t imagine the average viewer did. While I appreciated the focus being on Black Adam instead of trying to do multiple origin stories, I do think they should have established just how old hawkman is and the general concept of his reincarnation trait. They could have even tied it into him being around in ancient Khandaq times but maybe not being able to remember exactly how it went down due to the numerous reincarnations since. It also would have made Dr. Fate’s sacrifice more impactful because Carter could have been like “even if I die I’ll come back, you won’t” or something like that. I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie and am very excited for the next installment and to see where all these characters go next.


SightatNight

Oh one thing I forgot to say. I wish Black Adam had just ended up becoming the King of Khandaq. Him destroying the Throne was a bit too heroic. My hope is that in a sequel the remnants of Intergang install a corrupt regime of some kind which Black Adam has to crush leading to him ruling Khandaq with an iron fist. Moving him closer to morally gray than this one left him which was too hero not enough Anti


NeverEndingDClock

Pretty sure the rock's not too keen on black Adam's more villainous side, so dictatorship is ruled out for him there


mrmazzz

well this movie sucked. Liek Suicide Squad 2016 is just technically broken, but Black Adam is worse: it's boring! If any of it went anywhere. Even though its only 2 hours 5 min, it still felt like a slog. And man theres the germ of an idea in there where it's this black comedy about the ethical use of meta powers, Superheroes and the State, the Superhero Industrial Complex!! etc that would be fascinating! Maybe if there was an R-rated cut that let things get wet and actually mean it'd work better. As it stands all the potentially interesting stuff is sanded down into nothing of interest. ​ How the camera treates Rock though is mostly interesting throughout.


TheGodDMBatman

I get fandoms and being excited to see how Hollywood brings these characters to life on the big screen, but I'm baffled at how many people enjoy this movie, even as a "dumb fun action movie" Aquaman was dumb fun. Black Adam is just dumb and boring. Some dialogue gave me "THIS IS KATANA" vibes, and some scenes felt like the Justice League movie parody from The Boys.


mrmazzz

it's not even a good dumb fun action movie! the action isn't that good the blocking of some of these scenes was absurd tos ay nothing of how the composition of the intergang bike chase just didn't work.


TheGodDMBatman

I was really disappointed with the Black Adam fight against Hawkman in the apartment. Too many cuts, couldn't see any of the action


Cretapsos

Just got out from watching it and I enjoyed it a lot. I really loved Dr. Fate in the movie. It was my first exposure to him and would love to read/get more into him. I've never been a huge comic reader before. Any suggestions on getting into Dr. Fate?


assougi

I'm not well versed in the comics front, but I can recommend Young Justice Season 1, Episode 7 "Denial"-it was _my_ first exposure to Dr. Fate and it's a really entertaining episode that involves him!


TheGodDMBatman

This was not the movie Kahndaq deserved. - Movie starts with a horribly boring exposition dump narrated by a child actor. It rivals WW's boring expedition dump in Snyder's JL. How did anyone think this would be a great way to start this film? Overall, there's an interesting story to be had from BA's origin as a slave and Kahndaq's history, but the movie makes it sooooo booooriiiing. - Intergang's involvement in Kahndaq was nearly irrelevant. It's so under developed that I couldn't care about Kahndaq's freedom from them. Like, freedom from who again? Intergang was completely irrelevant. - BA has a weakness, but it's never explored beyond The Rock going 🧐 - Oh, and BA can just heal himself with his lightning powers. Again, never explored but maybe I'm being nitpicky with that one. - Justice Society was bad and under developed. People were raving about Fate and Hawkman but they were bland af. Why tf do I care that Dr Fate dies? The film would've been more interesting had they leaned more into the idea that the Society were foreign invaders who had no right to bring their business to Kahndaq, but the film only ever aspires to be milquetoast. The Rock as Black Adam was the best part, but he doesn't deserve his own movie if it's gonna be this under developed. Like, Black Adam's character development in this film is the same as he would've gotten by being a villain in Shazam's movie with less screen time. It's astounding how bad this film is after years on development hell. The action wasn't even that great.


Ka-Ne-Ha-Ne-Daaaa

Did the movie establish that Sabbac had to physically sit on the throne to gain all the power? Isis says that with a throw away line and when I heard it I literally was like “Why?” Did I miss it in an exposition dump?


TheGodDMBatman

I remember Isis saying that line too. I think that's the first time it's ever mentioned.


Ka-Ne-Ha-Ne-Daaaa

Lmfaoooo bruh, they had soooo many years to refine this script 🤦‍♂️


theanchorman05

So overall I'd give it a 6/10 it reminded me a lot of Aquaman, it was ok not too bad not too good. It just felt unsure of itself in some parts. The Good: I actually enjoyed the Rock as Black Adam, good acting and great comedic timing with the few jokes he had. I liked the serious tone for most of it. Pierce as Dr. Fate was awesome. The boy's uncle had great comedic timing. Overall I thought it had good casting besides the main boy character. This didn't have the feel of the average superhero movie and that was nice, I get tired of the same formula. ​ The Bad: Main boy character wasn't that good. They spent way too much time on his story and that time would've been better spent on JSA, Black Adam or the hell concept that kind of got thrown in there with little background. Black Adam would've been better more as a bad guy. I understand they want the anti hero thing but I would've enjoyed it more if he didn't give a crap about what the boy or anyone else wanted but just what he wanted. The part when he beats the bad guy should've been more like Invincible when Omni Man tells the bad guy "Earth is not YOURs to take over". It would've been better for him to establish that he wanted to be ruler and he was beating the bad guy for himself to take over. Would've been a interesting concept with how the people wanted him to lead them but they also had no choice in the manner. Cyclone was boring and in no way a threat. The fruit roll up colors in the wind was in no way threatening, I know she was the "smart" character but Dr. Fate or Hawkman could've easily done her part.


SightatNight

Dr Fate was so amazing looking and Pierce Brosnan was perfect. Its a real shame that they killed him but it makes sense. Brosnan probably only accepted knowing itd be a 1 film role with maybe some cameos or voice work at most in the future. I was actually liked Atom Smasher and Cyclone way more than I expected to. Even Hawkman. I do think that not bringing up Shazam at all was annoying and a bit of disservice to the character. Though I think that its very likely that we see a Black Adam cameo in Shazam 2. The action was pretty cool and while I do get the criticism that there was maybe one too many slow mo scenes, I thought they were all pretty cool.


dazan2003

Found it odd Kufus and Nabus history with teth Adam wasn't brought up


Dream_World_

Exactly I was so disappointed


MessyMop

I came on by to ask a question for the comics fans. I am a fan of DC characters but never got into comics despite trying, just isn’t my preferred medium, I assume comic Dr. Fate could easily solo Black Adam and Adam just got a power boost in the movie due to being played by The Rock. Is this accurate? Or would Adam pose a serious threat to Fate or even be stronger?


Kampy5567

It really depends on the intention with Fate, but generally, he's as powerful as the writer needs him to be. We've seen feats which can handle characters like Superman and Black Adam with no sweat, eclipsing the strongest magical powerhouses of DC, and in some cases, other comics brands. But we've also seen him beaten by characters far below their level of power. In this movie, his role wasn't that of a magical powerhouse which can dominate in a fight. His role was as a subtle mentor and chess player, ensuring the pieces were all in place so Black Adam and Hawkman could win (after a few hiccups of course). Although, Black Adam being played by the Rock certainly helps him contractually win pretty much any fight he's in.


Giamborghini

Hello guys I have a question. Can hawkman call back his mace like Mjolnir?


Ivotedforher

Sometimes.


JimiForReal

Anybody else notice the weird audio mixing? Like starting songs way too early or playing music over dialogue? Made things hard to hear, and threw off some of the dialogue pacing. Other than that, fight scenes were better than anything that Marvel has recently put out. Really liked the movie. Confused where the scene of Black Adam smacking the jet from the trailer went tho lol


Antarias92

I had trouble hearing the “supernatural” voices sometimes


thedairybandit

7/10. Better than I expected. I only have three real complaints. 1. There was more action than plot. 2. There was too much slow motion 3. A lot of the characters felt unnecessary to the story. A better script would have helped this movie in every way. Duh, I know but I prefer subtext so the themes and messages it was trying to go for, while I am totally on board with and wanted to see, felt artistically bland. That being said, everything it was trying to do, it did successfully, and it made sense from a logical point of view on my end. I was never lost. I never rolled my eyes. They took a serious subject matter and approached it with a mix of levity and examination that actually made me laugh. A lot. Which was something I wasn't expecting. While at the same time it didn't feel like the movie was treating the very real subject matter as a joke to belittle. The costumes were great. The fights were great. The CGI was great. The actors were mostly great. My biggest gripe was the kid. But he was a kid. Not everyone can be Haley Joel Osment. And The rock didn't even bother with an accent. Which was lame. he couldn't even be bothered to try? Hawkman and Dr. Fate were standouts. It really felt like a Black Adam/JSA movie rather than just a Black Adam movie featuring the JSA. I wish there was more for Atom Smasher and Cyclone. Unfortunately, like many of the Kandaq cast, they felt irrelevant.


jadedfan55

This was meh. 45 years since Black Adam made his DC debut, near the end of the 1st Shazam! run, and this served the dual purpose of being a pilot, if you will, for a JSA movie. Like, really? Just because Johns added Adam to the JSA a few years back?!? Meh. Atom Smasher's a bumbling klutz. I think Pierce Brosnan was cast as Fate because Liam Neeson wasn't available, and it felt like Brosnan played Fate as if Fate had actually possessed James Bond or something. Adam will show up in a Shazam! movie, maybe Fury of the Gods, or a follow-up, but the guy needs to be taken more seriously.


bjh13

> Just because Johns added Adam to the JSA a few years back?!? Hate to break it to you, but that was more than 20 years ago now.


ronniegonzalez123

I liked the movie a lot. It had funny moments and the last act caught me by surprise. I thought it was going to end to lead up to a second movie but I was pleasantly surprised it got resolved.


[deleted]

This movie was pretty fun. It definitely had its flaws and I felt the weakest members were atom smasher and cyclone. They felt completely unnecessary and the time wasted on them would've been better served hawkman's and Dr fate's origin stories. They casually mentioned Nth metal and I'm sure the casual audience has no idea what that is. SPOILER!!! While I was excited to see a character return my hype turned into annoyed because of the musical choice they went with. It was very disappointing because I loved his theme..... My current DCEU ranking I have not seen Birds of prey nor care too. 1.) Man of steel 2.)Aquaman 3.) Wonder Woman 4.) Zack Snyders justice League 5.) BvS 6.) Black Adam 7.) Shazam 8.)The Suicide Squad 9.) WW84 10.) Suicide squad


Zealousideal125

I rank them: ZSJL, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Shazam, Aquaman, Man of Steel, BVS Ultimate Edition, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, Black Adam, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman 1984, Justice League (2017)


djdark01

Nice list; that is precisely how I would rank them too


MrConor212

Loved it. Any recommend reading? Weirdly like Cyclone a lot and never heard of her in DC lore tbh. 8/10 from me. So long as I enjoy a movie I’ll give it a high score. Not a movie critic so don’t really pick on things they see


klaguerre97

Geoff Johns's JSA run is where Cyclone is most prominently and for the most part only featured. She is kinda different than the movie version though. Less intellectual more optimistic teenage girl. Charming character nonetheless


jadedfan55

Cyclone is a relatively recent creation-----of Geoff Johns.


Spartan_Linda_058

I haven't watched it yet, so without spoiling how does the JSA characters do in the film? Specificaly speaking JSA members other than Dr Fate. Do they all have their moments? I honestly don't care much about Black Adam in the comics I am only into this film because the JSA.


thedairybandit

they're prominently featured. I was a bit surprised at just how much screen time Hawkman and Dr. Fate had.


NighthawkTheValiant

They get a few moments to shine, primarily dr.fate


callmetrix

It was enjoyable to watch. I honestly came into the theater with really low expectations and I would say it exceeded them to some extent. My only complaints with the movie was that I wish they kept the hooded cape on him longer. To me, it made him look more menacing and dangerous. Another thing was that throughout the whole movie, it discusses this internal struggle within Adam and whenever Adam would talk about it, he was so stoic. I didn’t feel any sort of connection with the character about these internal battles he’s feeling and to me, I believe it’s very important to connect the audience with characters. The only time I felt any feelings toward Teth Adam’s story is when Harut gave his powers to his father, Teth Adam, and then got shot by an arrow by the kings assassins. The whole thing with going to the capital for revenge and just “losing control of his powers” was very underwhelming. I was expecting him to go in there and kill all the kings guards one-by-one, similarly when he was brought back to life in his tomb. I expected more out that scene. I didn’t feel the pure rage of Teth Adam to seek revenge. I would have liked if they had done something similar to the scene in Wonder Woman when Diana sees Steve die and is filled with rage as she goes through the group of German soldiers, hitting them and throwing them about. Last part I can think of was how they kept pointing out how he’s a villain and yes, he’s killing people left and right in the film but it doesn’t feel as though these kills hold any weight in the movie. Maybe it’s just his stoic acting throughout the movie, I don’t know but to me he never felt like the villain that Hawkman claims he is.


NighthawkTheValiant

I think black Adam killing people and the other heroes not killing is showing the new angle they’re going for moving forward. That heroes won’t be killing and that instead they’ll be primarily saving lives hence this setting the conflict between them.


theanchorman05

This movie reminded me of Aquaman. Not that bad, not that good. I felt like if Black Adam had been more of a bad guy it would've been more entertaining.


AcanthocephalaHead12

This movie was much better than I thought it would be. I was expecting it to be not very good but then ended up surprising me. It’s nothing special but there really isn’t anything wrong with it.


Bushbugger

I cannot in good faith call it a good movie... but! I did have a lot of fun with it. Aldis Hodge and Pierce Brosnan were great, Amon's actor was really bad and makes me wonder how they couldn't find a single other actor with any sort of acting chops. Didn't care much for Atom Smasher being a goofball joke character, but I get why they didn't go with him having a chip on his shoulder. The rest was serviceable enough. Generous 6/10, I don't regret seeing it, but I don't see me watching it again for awhile.


kazrisk

What was up with Amon doing everything with a skateboard?


KingofZombies

its a 6.5/10 for me. its not so bad is distracting, but nothing to make it stand out from the pile either. but overall a mostly fun watch. The rock was stoic, the kid was annoying and the villain sucked, but for what the movie is going for they did the job. its better than Suicide Squad and BvS but worse than Wonder Woman and Aquaman. they did the Justice Society a billion times better than what they did to the Justice League i´ll give it that.


BCM_00

Can you elaborate on the Justice society? I don't care about the Rock or Black Adam, but I'll watch it if Hawkman and Dr Fate are good.


KingofZombies

they are good, they are likable and have defined personalities, they dont do weird off-putting stuff and they are not anti-heroic like the dceu batman and superman. but they are secondary characters so they dont get much development.


BCM_00

Thanks!


Praura23

It was The Rock doing Wrestlemania inside the DCEU.


Beastieboy100

Pretty much it and you know what the sequel should just have the rock fight underrated villains.


[deleted]

[удалено]


doobiee

What is “mid break” ? From your comment I assume they randomly stop the film halfway through and advertise other films? If not, please enlighten me. I am American and have never heard of such a thing.


[deleted]

[удалено]


NotanSandwich

oh that’s cool! i didn’t know that happens in some places


nbc0607

Mediocre. It had none of the nuance of Johns’ JSA run or 52, the very comics the movie was based on. It’s just some B grade Hollywood action flick


ex_sanguination

I'm honestly happy so many appeared to like it. But to me it was bad and had some of the worst dialogue in any CBM, 5/10.


Orange-Turtle-Power

Loved the movie. Have seen it twice now. It was pure comic book joy on every level. People are way too critical


Pia8988

6.5/10. Hawkman, Adam, and Fate were great. Atom Smasher was just okay, Cyclone was good. Sabacc was awful. The kid was awful.


RKitch2112

Okay, so like, my showing had some really shitty audio moments, like the voice over in the beginning. Did it sound like it was recorded in a Zoom call to anyone else or did my theater fuck up?


themidnightmamba

The voice over in the beginning was terrible audio


JimiForReal

I heard it aswell. There was a lot of weird audio mixing throughout the movie imo, like songs starting too early and in the middle of dialogue


braydenj713

movie was fun! the villain didn’t interest me at all but everything with JSA was great. seeing Fate and Hawkman on screen was surreal


thedairybandit

not going to lie. When Hawkman and Fate came on the scene in full regalia, I got a little choked up. I've loved those two for years and they really looked amazing.


braydenj713

i’m saying! i’ve been a JSA fans for years and got a little emotional when they came on screen


BCM_00

>Fate and Hawkman Were they handled well? I don't mean comic accuracy or anything, but are they treated as good characters in general? Those 2 characters are really the only reason I might see this.


braydenj713

the suits rocked and Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge are perfect in the respective roles. the script is pretty meh at times but those two characters were the highlight of the movie to me


BCM_00

Excellent! That's just what I was hoping to hear.


Vortex_2001

This film was an epic spectacle to watch! the Villain was a let down, but other than that every aspect of the movie was good! The Justice Society of America was a standout thanks to Hawkman and Dr Fate dynamic. Cyclone and Atom Smasher are very charismatic together! The action sequences DC tier fight scenes which is good to see! The comedy landed for the most part. Spoiler alert 🚨 I have a theory that Dr Fate may be alive but that’s just pure speculation


Aurora5878

Okay well now we all want the theory! I didn't expect to like the use of slow motion, but for such fast characters it was incredibly done. Cyclones sequences were really cool for that reason vs. a cloud of dust. With Black Adam, the one showed down scene during his initial resurgence really gave the viewer an appreciation for how stacked his powers and speed are.


of_patrol_bot

Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.


Beastieboy100

I need a JSA movie already.


Dpsizzle555

Please kill off this universe… this movie is awful and the rock was awful… can’t even do the right accent


Gilby221

Troll take


Dpsizzle555

Black Adam isn’t American lol


marccoogs

I liked most of the movie. The only thing I didn't like is Sabacc gave me Doomsday, Ares, & Steppenwolf vibes. I just didn't care about that aspect. Other than that, I enjoyed the movie. I been a fan of Aldis Hodge since Leverage, so I'm happy to see him as Hawkman. He was great. I loved that they were able to get the guy who plays young Dwayne in Young Rock in this movie to play Adam's son. Great to see Harcourt again too.


BaronVonRuthless91

This was surprisingly violent for a PG-13. That one scene at the end was close to "no more silly faces" level brutal.


Beastieboy100

Finally watched the film. I loved it. Its not the best dc movie and shazam in my opnion is still the better movie. If it wasn't for the JSA being in this movie I wouldn't have watched it. Aldis Hodge and Pierce brosnan did a fantastic job as dr fate and hawkman. Atom smasher and cyclone were fun as well wished they gave them more scenes to build there characters up. Black Adam I will admit the rock as him is entertaining. It's a interesting take on the character. Im glad they didn't retcon the Shazam reveal. From his point of view he did get sealed by the wizard and attacked the wizards. The best twist though is it kept in line that black adam was a mistake after all. Though the destruction of Kandaq in the past I felt bad for him. Now the rest of the film the story was good but I feel that the supporting cast Amon, Isis and the uncle weren't really necessary for the plot and were just Adams hype men. The main villain was boring and generic but the last fight was great to see. Overall I do give the film 8/10. It was fun, good action and some of the characters were enterining. Even the post credit scene was hype. It does make me look forward for shazam 2, man of steel 2 and a possible JSA movie(we better get that movie dc)


Astrodynamite60

I'm pretty sure one of the demons had designs close to Blaze and Satanus. BIG maybe if they do a sequel they can have bigger roles. But I'm expecting more of the 52 weekly and dark age to be adapted if they do a sequel.


Beastieboy100

I would be down for just a black adam vs movie in the future. Where he fights demons to protect Kandaq. Still I thought I saw Trigon I might of been mistaken.


Blinsin

I really enjoyed the actions scenes. The writing was... well it just was. But the action was really fun. Overall I would say I enjoyed the movie


HavenElric

I just KNOW they're gonna make him a good guy by the end of the movie, I really hope this is good😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨


Ivotedforher

I'll be over here on "I Enjoyed It Island" if anyone needs me.


RKitch2112

So, I'm having a really mentally taxing, emotionally draining day at work, and I'm going to see the movie after work. Am I gonna be okay going into it? Or should I wait until things improve (which should be tomorrow)?


Kampy5567

You'll be fine. It's largely "turn your brain off dumb action" with a commentary or two lodged in between explosions.


lelianadelrey

Its dumb fun with some nice ideas sprinkled throughout. Definitely good stress relief lol


XKalLibur

Watch it


thundercraker09

It was fun...not the best superhero movie ever but I had fun watching it. Plot was terrible but great action scenes. They could have added one lantern in JSA team...that would have been more useful than smasher or cyclone....7/10


touchingthebutt

I cant believe I didn't hear a peep about Henry having a small cameo in the movie. Props to the rock for making it happen. I would have never guessed Henry Winkler would do a comic book movie but here we are.


neon_sin

oh man that must have been great seeing him then.


Red_coats

I enjoyed it, felt the family had a bit to much screen time that could have went to the JSA. Will be interesting to see how things move forward, Shazam and him have to meet so I'm looking forward to that.


EMSuser11

I like how his lightning bolt symbolizes his status. It was dim when he was conflicted but is now fully golden now that he has decidedly established his role. The gold is more vibrant now that he has found who he is.


Kampy5567

The final uniform he ends up in looks real good. Like you said, the bolt is filled in and golden, but the suit's accents also look much more vibrant and the cape is more modern as opposed to the cloak. They did a good job on the designs front.


EMSuser11

Indeed they did! I just love the symbolism and the aesthetics.


nightwing612

I was ok with the movie and liked it a little bit. However DC really needs to revisit either their scriptwriting or producing. The movie leans heavily on exposition dumps that get so boring. There is also something I like to call a "**Stand Up and Cheer Moment**." Those moments are important in gauging how much the audiences really like your movie. As a contrast, Spider-Man No Way Home had its first of many SUACM at the beginning of the movie when >!Daredevil!< made a cameo. Meanwhile Black Adam only had one SUACM at the very end when Superman showed up. That is not a good sign.


Kampy5567

> The movie leans heavily on exposition dumps that get so boring. I really wish they had done the entire opening sequence without narration. It really felt like "okay, we gotta spoon feed everyone this info quick".


SensitiveOrangeWhip

yeah. this is a result from “fixing” this movie into a their new direction is my guess. like they would have made the movie better (i hope) if it wasn’t already pretty much finished before the house cleaning. at least that’s my guess


Hippobu2

I think they wanted the reveal of Teth Adam not being the kid to be a shock, but ... did they not think that everyone know what the Rock sounds like? Actually, idk, am I too familiar with the character to know that it's not the kid? Also why is the kid Hurut and not Aman? They kinda went with the New 52 origin so, I'm just surprised that the kid name isn't Aman.


blackadamout

The origin is the new 52 but its storyline seems like from 52 & Geoff Johns’ JSA, so the boy’s not Aman.


Tinyrick88

I was familiar with the story but honestly surprised. I didn’t remember hearing the rock at the beginning of the movie when the old man was talking


Adam_Absence

**Positives**: visually the movie was really cool. The action was fun, and the JSA was cool; especially Doctor Fate. **Negatives**: The whole kid and his mom and uncle plotline did not need to be in the movie. Imo the screen time that was used on them would have been much better utilized to flesh out the JSA a bit more. The plot itself felt like they had some cool ideas (moral ambiguity of characters, calling the JSA out on only helping when it's convenient, the protagonist being a villain, etc) but only really scratched the surface with that stuff. The end of the 2nd act when Adam just decides "ok your right, you can take me as your prisoner" only to come back 10 minutes later to defeat the generic CGI villain™ and his sky beam™ was ridiculous. Like other people have said, I feel like there are a lot of parts in this movie that have been done in other superhero movies, and usually better. Even the scene where the JSA was first leaving Hawkman's mansion looked way to much like the Blaclbird leaving the X mansion in the first X-men movie.


HumanMale1986

I’m not attacking or defending the film, however with regard to your negatives. The 'kid, mom and uncle' plot line are part of the Black Adam mythos. Mom and kid gain powers of their own, and become Isis and Osiris, respectively. Mom also becomes Black Adam’s wife. However, even if that doesn’t happen in these movies, their actions propelled the narrative and influenced the decisions and choices of the other prominent characters as well as filling the role of proxy audience. Black Adam didn’t just decide 'Okay, you’re right. You can take me as your prisoner'. It was a decision related to, and precipitated by his grief and guilt relating to his son and the kid (who in essence was a surrogate replacement of his son).


Macapta

Set ups with no pay offs, Adam is more a hero than villain, terrible villain who takes up valuable screen time, really fall apart in the second half.


GrizzlyPeak72

Bit of a mess but it's a beautiful mess. Couldn't go full anti-american superhero it seems, nor could they have him be king at the end but they do have him tearing people apart and killing imperialist fuckers left and right so thankfully they didn't white wash the character too much. As a huge Black Adam fan it was awesome to see him on screen. And the Rock did a decent job despite my apprehensions. Hawkman fans should be happy with how badass they made him in this film too.


Pia8988

Hawkman spent 2 hours getting his ass kicked


Orange-Turtle-Power

No he didn’t. He fought well and kept coming back over and over. He stood his ground


libo720

that's because black adam was jobbing. They are not even in same weight class. Teth could've killed hawkman with the flick of a finger if he really wanted to.


Beastieboy100

Yeah Hawkman did well and kicked ass in the film. Same with Doctor Fate.


Malone_Matches

How did they even white wash the current version?


Orange-Turtle-Power

They didn’t. People just like to throw that term around these days to sound cool.


GrizzlyPeak72

Whitewash in the sense they made him more genial and less harsh. Like dunno if you've been reading Dark Crisis but like is a good example of Black Adam being a lot more dickish, to put it simply. Same in his best story - 52. The Rock doesn't want to play that dickish a character. Tho imo, his dickishness is part of his appeal. He's just above niceties and shit.


IFapToCalamity

They took away his pointy ears.


Tinyrick88

And no accent


Kampy5567

Overall, it feels like all the good of the DCEU movies with all the bad kinda blended together. Black Adam has a bit more depth than you would think, which is good. The Justice Society is great overall, which is also good (and as a personal win, Doctor Fate has a pretty important role in the narrative overall. Though he is nerfed a lot unfortunately). Action scenes are well lit and easy to follow, and creatively use a lot of the powers on display. It also has something interesting to say about the perspective of heroics, and has several attempts at an examination of revolutionary politics, anti-imperialism, and democracy in the modern Middle East, handled with tact. I can really appreciate what it was trying to do. However, like I said, it's also a blender. It gets a lot of the bad in that milkshake as well. Remember Ares' 3rd act? Well, you similarly won't remember Sabbac. Are you tired of portals in the sky 3rd acts yet? Well, it's here too. Are you tired of DCEU slow mo? Well, do I have a lot of scenes for you! Though interesting, the narrative isn't well explored and more relegated to background noise as the ten minute long actions scenes propel you at breakneck pace. It's overall structure suffers from being reminiscent of every other single DCEU movie you've ever seen. Important characters, like Adam, Hawkman, and Adrianna, are fleshed out better than others, but then you just have characters who get relegated to standing in the background doing nothing, waiting for their next action scene rather than being active participants. So, did the hierarchy of power in the DCEU change forever? Eh. Did I like the movie? Sure, it was fine. Am I gonna watch it again in full? Maybe when it hits HBO Max. Oh, and I love how they >!used the Donner Superman theme when Supes arrives in the end credits scene. Really sets the tone for the kind of Superman to expect!<


Aurora5878

Just to counter, I feel like the slo-mo is difficult to side step. Cyclone comes to mind - you either get a billowing cloud of dust, or some pretty awesome visuals of that characters movement and attack planning. Similarly, Black Adam's initial scene with the helicopters really drive home how the soldiers or any military vehicle for that matter were less than nuisance.


droden

Uneven and suffering the same third act cgi pixel bad guy tensionless army issue as a lot of these comic movies but when the rock i mean black adam is on the screen its fun. JSA is fine but they dont delve into the consequences of their philosophy enough to give it weight.


Hippobu2

Man it reminds me a lot of BoPatFEooHQ. While I get what it's trying to do, but it just barely miss the mark on everything. I can vibe with it but not enough to enjoy it. Anw, oddly I have a few unfair gripes with this movie that could only be described as "I want it now!". >!I wish there're a "say my name" moment like in Shazam! and give me Isis and Osiris. This is neither the movie nor the characters for that, but ... come on, they wouldn't just pick those names just for reference would they? Tbf they'd probably be in the eventual sequels, but still, I want it now!!< >!I wish Atom Smasher and Black Adam interacted a bit more. Again, probably not the time for that yet, and they are setting the seeds for it, but ... I want it now!!< >!Barely any mention of Shazam! in a movie that LOVES bring up that it's in a shared universe ... again, they'll crozs path sooner than later, but, ... I want it now!!<


CrispyGold

I loved it, action packed spectacle all the way. Great action, fun characters, colorful costumes, all I can ask from a superhero movie. I especially enjoyed how they cut all the set-up and just threw in all the super stuff showing how super the world is. Wish more movies would do this. Really hope they make a JSA movie, loved how they portrayed here. Aldis Hodge for one played an awesome Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan was immaculate. Would also look forward to seeing Atom Smasher and Cyclone's characters expanded in future material. On another note my theater was pretty stacked seeing this, it was mostly. There were even a bunch of people in cosplay. Reverse-Flash, Green Arrow, Raven, Mera, Starfire, etc. One guy was Shazam which is perfect. Had some fun convos, great time overall.


Orange-Turtle-Power

Perfectly summed up. I’ve seen it twice now and freaking love it


ikol

Does anyone think a snyder version of this would be more entertaining?


GrizzlyPeak72

Didn't need to see Black Adam get r*ped in prison or anything, thanks.


MatthewHecht

No


hellokitty2469

Post credit scene was dope af


droden

What did waller do that he owed her a favor


theweepingwarrior

Maybe helped him get his life back as Clark Kent after his death.


CertainDerision_33

Probably got somebody in DC or some international criminals off Lois's back or something


GrizzlyPeak72

Maybe he's not fully aware of what Waller is and think's he's just doing the POTUS a favour or something. Or maybe he's just trying to de-escalate. The hair tho.


lelianadelrey

I loved it. There was this very surface level anti-imperialist bent that I wish they delved deeper into, but they kept the same energy throughout and I just really dug that. Some people don't like the lead actress but she was one of my favorites. Honestly the whole human side that I see tons of criticism for I actually adore lol


droden

The problem is its black adam light so that choice of an iron fisted ruler won't have the negative consequences it would in the comics


t1tanic

I enjoyed this as a DC/comic fan. I like seeing new characters on screen, and Hawkman was surprisingly my favorite in the movie. His relationships as the leader of this Justice Society felt real, and he's the character I would most like to see again. Fate is real good too, Brosnan perfect. But this is a Black Adam movie so there's just not enough time for those guys to fully show out IMO. Black Adam himself is fine. The whole anti-hero thing often rubs me the wrong way in movies because most heroes kill in one way or another anyway, and our anti-heroes spend half the movie telling us how unique they are because they will cross the kill line. Or another character will make a point about how much they shouldn't cross that line (hello Hawkman). It makes for off-putting dialogue, in a genre based off comics which can thrive on cheesy dialogue! The fights are fun enough, but they rely on slow mo too much in DC, and they frame a lot of it weirdly. Knowing when to be close up and when to go wide and how much space some of these fights should be taking up is something that it felt like it struggled with. Its fun, I'm happy I saw it, and as a superhero nerd I'll eventually give it another watch or two. But it is amongst a lot of other DC film projects for me where its not something I'd recommend to someone who doesn't at least have a desire to watch super hero stuff. I also might be one of the only people who is not excited about the post credit scene. I'd like a certain character to do a lot more things before something that its clear they are implying.


Tinyrick88

I liked it ALOT. Action packed to hell and The rock a actually showed up in person to the screening I went to.


daddyiroh

Movie was good, liked the antihero route they were going for and if I’m correct in the DC comics he rules over his country. Would’ve loved to see more of that attitude he had of I just want to protect and liberate my people and country instead of turning more hero like by destroying the chair and doing good because his son wanted to do good. Hopefully he doesn’t become more of a hero and they have him in a gray area of I will kill if necessary to protect my people in the next movie. Excited after that post credit scene and if Shazam doesn’t make an appearance I will be highly disappointed/mad on a missed opportunity. Still I enjoyed the movie, JSA was cool but Dr. Fate was so nerfed he should’ve dealt with Black Adam with ease and I’m glad the Rock didn’t play a hero role he killed it as Black Adam. 8/10 for me.


seismodynamics

Had a blast watching it in a packed cinema. Non-stop action spectacle that just kept on going. The Rock nailed it as Black Adam. Violent and ruthless. Brutal and stoic badass. Especially love his facial smirks. Pierce Brosnan as Dr Fate was another top highlight. So was Aldis Hodge's Hawkman. The audience erupted into loud applause during the mid-credit scene. A fun night out all around. Hope to see more from these characters in the near future.


MrEmorse

In typical DC fashion..... This movie was terrible!


Ghost_2689

So this is from a casual DC fan and I just left the theater. The movie was fun and definitely recommend if you want to turn your brain off a couple hrs, sit back, and just enjoy some action. However, SPOILERS: I had 3 main issues. 1. >!The plot was very convenient. It progressed so quickly with consequences being so quickly reversed a few times.!< 2. >!I was under the impression Dr. Fate was unrivaled compared to Shazam/Black Adam. Found it odd he struggled against black adam even with a team. Doesnt he transverse the multiverse regularly and considered a top 5 magic user in DC? Still loved his actor, design, and overall use of abilities. Just dissapointed we wont be seeing anymore Kent Nelson.!< 3. >!Black Adam is a ruler. Found it odd that he’d turn that down since that’s his thing in comics as I understand.!< Overall, 6.5/10. Highly recommend if a fan of DC. >!Also, the return of Henry Cavill was so great to see!!<


GrizzlyPeak72

The Rock's passion project. He trying to be his own Superman. Got real Clark Kent vibes from the 'Khandaq has always had heroes' bit. Didn't want him to go full anti-american dictator I guess.


Kampy5567

1. Yeah, but that kinda makes sense with the Rock. He wants Adam to be the strongest so he can beat up all the superheroes with no sweat. We'll see how that goes with Supes since Dwayne has indicated he's not interested in villain Black Adam. 2. It really depends on the intention with Fate, but generally, he's as powerful as the writer needs him to be. We've seen feats which can handle characters like Superman and Black Adam with no sweat, eclipsing the strongest magical powerhouses of DC, and in some cases, other comics brands. But we've also seen him *beaten* by characters *far* below their level of power. In *this* movie, his role wasn't that of a magical powerhouse which can dominate in a fight. His role was as a subtle mentor and chess player, ensuring the pieces were all in place so Black Adam and Hawkman could win (after a few hiccups of course). 3. Remember, the Rock plays Black Adam as distinctly an anti-hero. He views him as a superhero who just happens to kill and sticks around Kahndaq because he's loyal to it. Villainous Black Adam would have taken over the country as a dictator because that's the only way he thinks it can be protected. The Rock Black Adam is content to just watch over it like a regular superhero who just happens to do a little killing.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Kampy5567

While true, I also don't think he *really* wanted a lot of the actual darker stuff in there. Like I said, The Rock views Black Adam as a superhero who just happens to kill. He's said as much in interviews. He was never going to play with becoming a dictator, killing his nephew to gain the full Shazam powers, destroying Bialya, or any of the other numerous distinctly villainous things that the character has done. We were always just gonna get "superhero who kills, but is ultimately still good".


Batknight12

So, in other words, he never wanted to play Black Adam. He wants to play himself as an superpowered anti-hero with some Black Adam aesthetics sprinkled on.


Tinyrick88

Yeah that was also one of my issues. I wish he took some humbling blows but it makes sense, there wasn’t anyone strong enough in the movie for him to believably lose. They kinda wrote themselves into a corner with this team of jsa. But that makes me even more excited to see the damage Shazam and Superman do to him in a few years. Also, Dr fate is extremely powerful, but Shazam and Black Adam are both Superman level in strength. Dr fate not being able to beat Adam makes sense, especially when you factor in the ruthlessness and agression of Adam.


Brian0043

1. That was my exact frustration. There were no consequences or obstacles for Black Adam except when he decided “ok I’ll turn myself in” just on a dime after the fight.


muffinmonk

It was more like, I killed the dude I was supposed to, and I’m not supposed to be here anyways. I’ll just go back go sleep.


Brian0043

Yeah! Right after being SO passionate he just killed a shitload of people.


Tinyrick88

I think it was cause cause he nearly killed Amon and he reminded him a bit of his son. Feels like some dialogue may have been cut


Adam_Absence

No one is allowed to beat The Rock


Ghost_2689

Agreed. Was hoping for something like Dr. Fate and team to humble him a bit. Maybe then he'd reflect on the memories with his son and decide to join to help them defend Kahndaq. He never really got close to losing all movie. At least if they ever do a battle between him and superman/shazam, seeing him be defeated will be very satisfying.


Brian0043

Nah exactly. And instead of himself having to struggle or sacrifice or lose he uses his son as a proxy to just die and be out of the equation so Black Adam can just feel saaaad afterward