- Black Adam (2022)

Atom Smasher and Cyclone being adorable.

Hawkman: you’re our new Doctor Fate??

Y/N: yes and I’m still learning

Atom Smasher: learning?

Y/N: you know how many ancient tomes and books of knowledge are contained in the Helmet of Fate? 10,386,427.

Maxine: how many of those have you read?

Y/N: one…and a half

Maxine: I like this guy!

Y/N: and may I just say that the only studying I want to do…is your phone digits

Y/N winks and Maxine blushes…

Hawkman face palms…

Y/N: “So, Al? My uncle, Kent says you can increase your size. That true?”

Albert: “Yeah. I go big. That's what I do.”

Y/N: *Smiles flirty* “Oh, really? Is that only thing about you that gets bigger and harder?”

Albert: *Blushes and stammers words*

Maxie: *Smiles* “I think you broke him, Y/N.”

Just watched Black Adam

Now I wanna write a small found family thing where Carter (Hawkman) and Kent (Dr. Fate) fall in love, and adopt Al (Atom Smasher) and Maxine (Cyclone) with Black Adam as the cool uncle who does stupid things sometimes when he visits.

Either i can do it or someone can tell me no.

Cyclone & Atom Smasher 🌪⚛️ By bewareBBpower (x)!

DC Legacy

The basic premise of this is that the time has come for older heroes to step down and the next generation take their place. Clark Kent is now the editor and owner of the Daily Planet and vows to lead them into the future while keeping their dedication to the truth. Diana Prince is now Queen of the Amazons and has relinquished her title as Wonder Woman though she still joins the Justice Society when needed. Bruce Wayne has become mayor of Gotham City and intends to use the power of the office to fight crime at the root. However the intensified spotlight means he must give up the cowl. Others such as Oliver Queen have stepped down from active duty to become teachers to the next generation, passing down their skills and knowledge. Justice League Superman- Clark Kent Batman- Dick Grayson Wonder Woman- Donna Troy The Flash- Wally West Aquaman- Garth Red Arrow- Roy Harper Starfire- Koriand'r Beast Man- Garfield Logan Raven- Rachel Roth Cyborg- Victor Stone Green Lantern- Kyle Rayner Green Lantern- Jessica Cruz Shazam- Billy Batson Captain Thunder- Mary Bromfield Power Woman- Karen Starr JLA Reserves Supergirl- Kara Zor-El Thunderbolt- Freddy Freedman Thunderstorm- Eugene Choi Thunderblast- Pedro Peña Thunderspark- Darla Dudley Batman Beyond- Tim “Jace” Fox Captain Atom- Nathaniel Adam Green Arrow- Connor Hawke Zatanna- Zatanna Zatara Doctor Mid-Nite- Beth Chapel Argent- Toni Monetti Firestorm- Jason Rusch/Gehenna Black Canary- Dinah Lance Atom- Ryan Choi Plastic Man- Patrick “Eel” O’Brien Jade- Jennifer-Lynn Haden Obsidian- Todd Rice Zauriel Justice League Universal Martian Manhunter- J'onn J'onzz Green Lantern- Simon Baz Green Lantern- Sojourner Mullein Jemm Hawkman- Carter Hall Hawkwoman- Kendra Saunders Adam Strange Darkfire- Ryand’r Metamorpho- Rex Mason Captain Comet- Adam Blake Orion Tomorrow Woman- Clara Kendall Starman- Will Payton The Titans Nightwing- Tim Drake Superboy- Conner Kent Fury- Cassandra Sandsmark Mercury- Bart Allen Blue Beetle- Jaime Reyes Static- Virgil Hawkins Green Lantern- Tai Pham Monkey Prince- Marcus Sun Miss Martian- M'gann M'orzz Empress- Anita Fite Titans West Batgirl- Cassandra Cain Spoiler- Stephanie Brown Red Devil- Eddie Bloomberg Solstice- Kiran Yellow Arrow- Mia Dearden Tempest- Jackson Hyde Power Girl- Tanya Spears Wonder Twins- Zan and Jayna Velocity- Wallace West Outsiders Black Lightning- Jefferson Pierce Thunder- Anissa Pierce Lightning- Jennifer Pierce Grace- Grace Choi Inertia- Thaddeus Thawne Tengu- Asami Koizumi El Dorado- Edward Dorado Jr Longshadow- Ty Longshadow Halo II- Gabrielle Daou Ravager- Rose Wilson Jericho- Joseph Wilson Quake- Atlee Tsunami- Lorena Marquez The Signal- Duke Thomas Offspring- Luke O’Brien Young Justice Red X- Damian Wayne Nightbird- Chris Kent Flamewing- Jon Kent Wonder Girl- Yara Flor Kid Flash- Iris West Impulse- Jai West Teen Lantern- Keli Quintela Green Beetle- Milagro Reyes Speedy- Lian Harper Jinny Hex Amethyst Twister- Traya Sutton Animal Girl- Maxine Baker Aquarius- Cerdian Justice Society Mr Terrific- Michael Holt Green Sentinel- Alan Scott The Flash- Jay Garrick Wildcat- Ted Grant Doctor Mid-Nite- Pieter Cross Wonder Woman- Diana Prince Hourman- Rick Tyler Liberty Belle- Jesse Tyler The Boom- Judy Garrick Stargirl- Courtney Whitmore Cyclone- Maxine Hunkel Tomcat- Tom Bronson Sand- Sanderson Hawkins Jakeem Thunder/Johnny Thunderbolt- Jakeem Williams and Johnny Thunder Atom Smasher- Albert Rothstein Damage- Grant Emerson Dr Fate- Khalid Nassour

Emily watches "Black Adam"

Because... I am bored at my parents' house.

The father of the kid in the prologue was the Rock. Why are we pretending he Shazamed into the Rock?

Is this set in the past? There was a Smashing Pumpkins song, and the driver has a cassette tape. Is this the 90s?

The prologue reminds me of the opening of X-Men Apocalypse and the scenes in the cave remind me of Moon Knight. Where is Oscar Isaac? He should be here.

I know Dwayne Johnson has clauses in his contracts that he can't lose a fight in movies. But I think it'd be HILARIOUS to have Zachary Levi's goofy Shazam beat him. Or Darla, because Darla is my favorite from that movie. I'd also like to see Shazam beat Superman while we are at it. Because he is supposed to be the one who call when Superman goes evil and that is sort of what happened in Justice League. Doesn't Shazam (then Captain Marvel) beat him and Superman plows fields and penance?

I knew Aldis Hodge was going to be hot in this but I am surprised how into Pierce Brosnan I am.

How does Adam know what a catchphrase is?

At this point I fell asleep, not ENTIRELY the movie's fault. I had some medication issues. But the movie didn't keep me up either.

Hawkman looks hot. I don't know how the citizens can boo him. Sure, non-intervention but also stand there and look pretty.

Who is playing Pierce Brosnan's in costume body double? He's hot too.

I'm sorry I'm so into the JSA when they are doing the bad thing here but the Rock is too bulky for me. LOL. He's also giving lines like "Force is always necessary" like they are gems. And I'm like, "eh, force is often necessary but we prefer if it's not."

Cyclone's suit is interesting but it also looks like something you can buy at Hot Topic. I like her hair though. Great hair.

I don't really like this kid and the mom. I feel like they got everyone killed and I don't know why?

Pierce Brosnan is really bring the only emotional performance to this movie and I thought his James Bond was without depth, and bad.

The ultimate badguy/demon Shazam looks really stupid. Like some middle schooler drew him. "Yeah he's got horns and a pentacle on his stomach and muscles and he flies."

This whole final battle could have been avoided if Dr. Fate just told Hawkman to call the facility Black Adam was in. They spoke to the lady from Peacemaker. Doesn't anyone have her number? Or did he Fate just want to die?

God I hate this kid.

... I mean it's not terrible. It's silly. I think I would've rather seen the origin story with the son. Even though you would've known the Rock would become the hero in the end, it still would've felt like something different, set in ancient times.

Or maybe if they had combined Whirlwind or Atom Smasher with the kid from Kahndaq? Like if one of them were from Kahndaq and wanted to be a hero but fucked up with Intergang somehow--got in trouble with the JSA--so feeling like he or she needs help, awakened the champion from the past without realizing he wasn't Shazam but Black Adam. That way we get can rid of some of these extra characters.

"Kahndaq" also feels like a set with maybe 24 people living there. I know they film on sets to keep the press from seeing, but you gotta do something distinct. Maybe have that weird triangle hand signal all over the place. Give them a cultural backstory. I don't know.

But then I hated the hand signal so maybe not.

END CREDITS: Happy to see Cavill get another chance at Superman but can we agree that Amanda Waller shouldn't have been involved? And also that it should have been Zachary Levi as Shazam?!?

Black Adam started as a Captain Marvel/Shazam bad guy. You can't be saying Shazam multiple times in the movie and not addressing the fact that Shazam has movies too.

Film Review - Black Adam

Our 2022 film reviews remain with Warner Brother and DC again, but now we head back to cinema releases as we consider the Dwayne Johnson passion project that is Black Adam…

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

In 2600 BC, the tyrannical king Ahk-Ton of Kahndaq enslaves his people to mine the mythical metal Eternium, using it to forge the Crown of Sabbac to attain power and invincibility. After attempting to stage a revolt against Ahk-Ton, a young slave boy is chosen as champion by the Council of Wizards, transforming him into an adult superhero. He kills Ahk-Ton, ending his reign.

In the present day, Kahndaq is oppressed by the criminal organization Intergang, as Adrianna Tomaz, an archaeologist, tries to locate the Crown of Sabbac with her brother Karim and colleagues Samir and Ishmael. Inside the tomb, Adrianna obtains the crown, but the Intergang troops kill Samir. As a last resort, she reads an incantation that awakens the ancient champion Teth-Adam from slumber. US government official Amanda Waller deems Adam a threat; after he slaughters the Intergang troops, she contacts the Justice Society to apprehend him. Justice Society members Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher stop Adam's killing spree and explain to Adrianna that Adam was not a saviour but an imprisoned killer.

Ishmael reveals himself as the leader of Intergang's Kahndaq division and kidnaps Adrianna's son Amon, who has hidden the crown, as Ishmael reveals himself to be the last descendant of Ahk-Ton. The group finds the crown and gives it back to save Amon. Ishmael attempts to shoot Amon, causing Adam to lose control, killing Ishmael and wounding Amon.

Guilt-ridden, Adam flees and reveals to Hawkman that Kahndaq's champion was actually his son Hurut, who was killed by Ahk-Ton's assassins, who also had killed his mother. Having been given Hurut's powers to save his life, Adam, blinded by grief and rage, murdered Ahk-Ton and destroyed his palace. Deemed unworthy by the Council of Wizards, Adam killed them all in retaliation except for Shazam, who imprisoned him along with the crown.

Feeling incapable of becoming a true hero, Adam surrenders and the Justice Society takes him to a secret underwater Task Force X black site in Antarctica, where Emilia Harcourt places him in stasis. Fate again has a premonition of Hawkman's impending death. The Justice Society realizes Ishmael tricked Adam into killing him in order to be reborn as Sabbac, the champion of the six eponymous demons (Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Crateis)

When Sabbac summons the Legions of Hell to terrorize Kahndaq, the Justice Society unsuccessfully attempts to stop Sabbac. Fate believes that Hawkman's death can be avoided with his sacrifice and fights Sabbac alone. Fate uses astral projection to release Adam before he (Fate) is killed by Sabbac. Meanwhile, Amon, Adrianna and Karim rally the people to fight the Legions of Hell. Sabbac overpowers Hawkman, but Adam arrives in time to kill Sabbac, causing the Legions of Hell to disappear. The Justice Society departs on good terms with Adam, who destroys the old throne in the belief that Kahndaq needs a protector, not a ruler. He adopts a new name: Black Adam.

In a mid-credits scene, Waller warns Adam against leaving Kahndaq and sends Superman, who offers to negotiate with him.

Review:

Apparently despite turning a worldwide profit against its production budget, Black Adam failed to break even with its overall expenses, and was also negatively received by critics, make it both a commercial and critical failure.  However, as I’ve said many times before, film critics generally don’t know their superhero comics and can’t effectively judge anything adapted from that source material.  Consequently, their opinions tend to be less accurate in judging this genre.  Now my own knowledge of superhero lore runs thin in terms of some of the characters this film uses, but I know enough to bring a slightly more informed perspective to bear, and honestly, while this film isn’t quite a total train wreck, it’s very close to one.

So, where does the film go wrong?  Firstly, Dwayne Johnson in the lead role.  He’s bald where Black Adam is supposed to have hair, and appears to be the one person from the film’s fictional middle eastern setting speaking with an American accent.  Costume, build and skin-tone may be correct, and I suppose the hair is strictly a cosmetic issue, but the accent is a big let-down.  I’d rather have seen Johnson either put in the effort to adopt an accent befitting the character’s place of origin, or step aside to let another person play the role that can manage the accent and aesthetic of the character better.

The portrayal of the character is also problematic at times because it resorts to cliché humour, largely encouraged by fanboy-like character Amon.  This aspect of the film shows how unsuited those working on this film were to do so, and plays into the hands of anti-superhero intellectual snobs in Hollywood that disdain superhero lore on sight.  Superhero story-telling is actually very rich and substantive when the right people tell the right story, and it deserves better than this.  We also have racial shifts in the casting of Hawkman and Cyclone, which could have been better handled if other members of the Justice Society had been included, and that’s assuming they should have been included at all.

The film’s second issue after casting and portrayals is the over-abundance of elements not really allowing each other proper screen-time to be covered better.  With the Justice Society included, we don’t get to develop Black Adam, reducing him to a flashy figurehead of the film with little substance, not unlike the wrestling pantomime acting Johnson originally hails from.  With Black Adam head-lining the film, there’s no room for a wider Justice Society roster.  We get Hawkman but no Hawkgirl and no reference to their arc as lovers cursed to die upon finding each other and then be resurrected again and again.  We get no other major JSA characters, including people of colour like Mr Terrific that would save the film having to race-shift other characters.  Moreover, the Justice Society’s intrusion in the film prevents Black Adam from showcasing his own iteration of the Shazam family.

In comics, Black Adam has allies who share his power just as Billy Batson shares his powers with his foster family.  We actually see these characters in the film by way of mother-and-son Adrianna and Amon, but neither is granted any powers.  Doubtless this is because the film is trying to take a different approach to the comics, since Adrianna is originally a slave that is freed by Black Adam and Amon was subject to some kind of torture prior to gaining his powers.  However, the fact remains that seeing Black Adam share his power and keeping the JSA out, or having the JSA be the focal characters and having Black Adam be an initial adversary, would have been better options than we received.  I just hope James Gunn’s new DC continuity will learn from these errors on future projects.

Now for some good points.  First, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate is brilliant and brings a level of gravitas to the film that not everyone else can manage.  This off-sets Johnson’s leading performance enough to keep the film watchable, as does the fact that the film covers a couple of rare issues for superhero films.  One is that of western society only interfering in the affairs of other nations when they consider those other nations to be either a threat or someone to exploit.  This is an interestingly apt commentary on the foreign policy of many nations in the past several decades, and is probably part of the adverse reaction against the film, not unlike the impact of the Hiroshima aftermath scene from MCU film the Eternals.

The other issue that gets some discussion in the film is the question of whether or not heroes kill.  This is something live-action superhero films seldom touch on compared to their animated counter-parts, which is surprising considering the level of debate that exists on the subject in the source material.  With Black Adam being an historically villainous character, whose more modern incarnations are more anti-hero in nature, he is naturally in favour of lethal force while the Justice Society, as classic heroes that date back to DC’s founding in the 1940’s, are very much against it.  However, the debate in the film isn’t all that deep, and the Justice Society gets a little too comfortable letting Black Adam remain active with such a lethal intent for my liking.  Then again, this Justice Society also seems to be working for Amanda Waller, something that would never happen in any DC lore I’ve read to date.

So, overall, we get an ok film that has some rare moments of substance and an incredible Pierce Brosnan performance, but otherwise picked the wrong lead actor and tried to do too much in its time-frame.  Next time, DC, either do Black Adam or the JSA, not both, and pick better actors or at least spring for an accent coach.  Also, stop putting fanboys in the middle with stupid suggestions about catchphrases, etc.  If you’re going to be serious about superhero films, then be serious about them.  Otherwise, stop making them.  6 out of 10 is all I can consider this one to be worth, and that’s largely based on how well Pierce Brosnan did.

Movie Review...Black Adam

(4.5/5) What an introduction to a new character. Black Adam might have the best intro...set the tone of the character and the rest of the movie. After a history lesson and action packed introduction we are then introduced to The Justice Society. Now here is where my issues came in. Sidebar...they swag jacked my X Men with that jet and mansion, don't think I ain't notice.

Now to the characters...Hawk-man was Cyclops...super by the book to a fault, one dimensional to the point it got taxing quickly. Dr Fate was cast perfectly but was not used in the right way. To be DC version of Dr Strange he needed to do a lot more. Atom Smasher was the comic relief nothing bad, good or exciting about the character. And lastly, Cyclone aka green twirl...absolute trash. I don't know anything about this character but this iteration was simply to spin, look pretty and find the right camera angles. These comic book movies usually try to play these female characters of having any significance beyond sex appeal but this was doing the most.

The antagonist was the pretty much the inverse of Black Adam. Instead of being a warrior for wizards he was a warrior of demons. I would have preferred a different design. .His designed used too much CGI. The other "bad guys" were the intergang (an absolutely horrible name). This group of mercenaries some how managed to take control of an entire country with no interference for super heroes or other world governments. As far fetched as that sounds this aspect of the film was actually used to drive some of the thematic messages in the film (like with history and information, colonizer and their usual modes of destroy culture and land for resources, etc).

This was highly entertaining and I am looking forward to how DC continues this character's story...especially after the end credit scene.

In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Black Adam has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.

Black Adam (2022)

When you try to make an ancient inscription on an evil crown into a not-so-subtle love declaration to your crush. Al Rothstein, poet and master of improvisation.

Shazam tries talking with the Justice Society...

Shazam: okay i think i got your next incredibly cool name - the Assembly of Super Savers!

Al: what the-?

Cyclone: did you just call us ASS?

Shazam: I-uh...maybe? We can workshop the name later.

Y/N: well its better than Al's idea: Super Friends? Half of us aren't even aquaintances!

Al: “You got any snacks? I’m starving.”

Maxine: *Throws a bag of pretzels at him*

Al: “Ah, thanks. It takes a lot of energy to smash atoms.”

Y/N: *Whispers quietly* “ I want you to smash me.”

Al: “What?!”

Y/N: *smiles* “You heard me.”

Lots of news coming out of DC Fandome that was held recently. Probably the most anticipated was James Gunn’s cast list of his follow up to Suicide Squad. Now I’m not a fan of the franchise, but with what’s happening now – I am. James Gunn also is no slouch by any means – so he just may have the golden touch to turn this disaster of a franchise around.

SUICIDE SQUAD II

Viola Davis will reprise her role as Amanda Waller while Joel Kinnaman will play Colonel Rick Flag and Michael Rooker will play Savant. Flula Borg will step into the role of Javelin and of course, Margot Robbie will continue to cause trouble as Harley Quinn. David Dastmalchian will see spots as Polka Dot Man and Daniela Melchior will be Ratcatcher 2. Idris Elba will be armed as Bloodsport and Steve Agee will play King Shark. Mayling Ng will portray Mongal and Peter Capaldi will get brainy as Thinker and Alice Braga will be Sol Soria. Rounding out the bunch is Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Nathan Fillion as TDK, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and John Cena as Peacemaker.

Let me tell you what I like about this. Idris Elba as Bloodsport I think could run away with the movie – and Pete Davidson as Blackguard could make it ten times worse. So it’s a crap shoot – but like I said – James Gunn is no slouch, he knows what the audience wants, he knows what comic fans want, and he understands the comic book universe. I would love to see this thing in theaters – I’m sure Margot Robbie worked out her accent by now and maybe it’s actually worth listening to this time around.

THE BATMAN

Also during DC Fandome – The Batman got his due in the spotlight with a trailer of footage put together so far from what has been shot.

The director Reeves has stated on the panel at DC Fandome that his Batman is Batman Year Two. 

“It’s not an origins tale, but you’re meeting him in the early days. A lot of the other (cinema) stories showed he had to master his fear and himself, to become Batman,” said Reeves, but in his movie “we met in the middle of this criminological experiment and watch him make mistakes.”

Paul Dano plays a version of Riddler that we have never seen before, which will be interesting. Andy Serikis plays a new rendition of Alfred. Colin Farrell plays Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, before he becomes The Penguin. I believe each of these villains do not exactly know their potential as of yet, neither does The Batman. I think as the movie grows, they will all grow into their characters and be ready for future films and fights. Selina is even making an appearance in this – before she becomes Catwoman. So it seems we will get to know all these characters before their iconic status and be able to grow along with them – including The Batman, which could make for a very smart choice. I am excited to see this simply because it’s not Hollywood studio cinema with nipples on costumes and fake explosions everywhere. 

BLACK ADAM

The Rock gave some sweet info on his new DC character, Black Adam. Confirming that his film will include Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher. Which is great because Hawkman has always been one of my favorites and his character is wonderfully suited to some cinematic tales. Finally… The Hawkman has come back… to – well you know the rest. 

Asked if Superman will appear in Black Adam, we know that Cavill is signed to appear in one of the future DC movies – Rock would not answer directly as to which one.

The Rock had a message for existing DC superheros Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg about Black Adam: “Let them know something — things will never be the same hierarchy in the DC universe, it’s about to change.”

THE FLASH

The Flash team had some news about the new stand alone film starring Flash. It was suggested that there will be some kind of time travel involved. This scares me because we have had nothing but time travel from these superhero movies ever since their inception. X-Men time travel all the time and Avengers of course, had time travel in spades. So the fact that time travel is being used again – makes me very weary and almost think that they had absolutely no idea what to do with The Flash. Let’s hope I’m wrong.  Oh, and they revealed that Flash will wear a new suit. Oh Joy. 

SHAZAM!

Yes there will be a sequel to the hit Shazam and Zachary Levi will reprise the role. It will be called Fury of The Gods. The cast came on at DC Fandome to talk about how they could not talk about the movie. The first film made a nice $159 million, and had a great tone and great heart, so I’m glad it is coming back for more. 

WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman 1984 debuted a longer trailer at DC Fandome. This one includes Cheetah in full costume going after Diana. Wonder Woman lassoing lightening and those infamous words from a hero “what did you do?” I was a big fan of the first one, I loved what Patty Jenkins did and I’m glad she got the power and the freedom to do it again. Honestly, anything Gal Gadot is starring in with a short skirt, I am going to watch, so this series does not need much goating to get me hooked. I’m glad it was shot and finished before the pandemic, and now it’s just a waiting game. Wonder Woman gets to face her arch nemesis and let’s hope it’s a battle that will last a few films into the future. 

Al: so how did you and Maxine end up together?

Y/N: simple. She walked up, smiled and said hi. After that I was a goner.

Maxine walks up and smiles.

Maxine: wanna grab a milkshake baby?

Y/N; yep!

The two walk off hand in hand.