Just as Marvel has not just a series of movies and TV shows but a “cinematic universe”, rival comic-book-publisher-turned-multimedia-behemoth DC has its own “extended universe” of cross-referencing stories. And, honestly, the more these universes keep expanding at a Hubble constant of 74 audiovisual products per second per megaparsec, the more it feels like Martin Scorsese really has a point when he grouses about how blockbusters drown out everything else in moviedom.
DC’s Black Adam is an especially noisy case in point. It stars Dwayne Johnson as the ancient Teth Adam, who was endowed with superhuman powers back when his homeland, Kahndaq, was just another dusty geographically vague place ruled by the usual cruel dictators who force slaves to dig up blue crystal McGuffins. In the present day, Kahndaq has become a semi-occupied Middle Eastern city where local archaeologist Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) resurrects Adam in a supposedly hidden but easily found ruin.
Whether he’s a good guy or bad guy or something in between is revealed in due course (take a guess). Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) are also on hand as representatives of the superheroic Justice Society, supposedly protecting peace and democracy from an evil prehistoric king, who is also resurrected, and an occupying force of mercenaries.
The most interesting thing about the film (directed by Jaume Collet-Serra) is how Adrianna and other citizens of Kahndaq have a more critical, nuanced view of how helpful interventions from folk like the Justice Society really are. But any meditations on postcolonial politics are soon drowned out by explosions and bursts of heavy metal as fight after tedious fight unfolds, each one featuring a sequence where everything goes into slow motion for a little bit.
Palette-wise, there are lots of pretty golds in the costumes and visual effects that complement the dusty taupe neutrals and teal accents. I may redecorate a room based on this movie, but I hope never to watch it again.
★★☆☆☆
In UK and US cinemas from October 21
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