Black Adam shows just how complicated it can be to be a hero and that maybe the world doesn’t always need a white knight.
By Fizza Ahmed published October 24th, 2022
Set in the imaginary country of Kahndaq, Teth-Adam (the name Black Adam is called throughout the film) is summoned back from his tomb after 5,000 years to the present day. He is seen as a hero to the nation, calling him the ‘Champion’ and celebrating his return as a means to stop Intergang, an international mercenary controlling the nation. But as the film goes on, we learn he was not the champion Kahndaq believed he was.
The story revolves around the idea of what it means to be a hero and if Teth-Adam is one. From the beginning, he says that he isn’t, and he’s not here to save anyone. He kills people who deserve it and those who may not. The family that sets him free attempts to convince him to help but he doesn’t make any promises. In the midst of him fighting with soldiers, the Justice Society of America comes in to detain him, before eventually teaming up to stop the mercenary and their leader.
Introducing the Justice Society into the DC Extended Universe for the first time, there is much that comic book fans could look forward to. Along with the protagonist, an entire team is seen on the big screen for the first time. Just seeing both Hawkman and Doctor Fate in the trailer was a key factor in seeing the film myself. Accompanying the two members of the Justice Society, we see Atom Smasher, the nephew of the original Atom, as well as Cyclone, the granddaughter of Ma Hunkel’s Red Tornado. By introducing these characters into the universe, and hopefully more to come, it gives fans hope for any plans DC may have revolving around this golden era of superheroes.
With realistic special effects, gorgeous graphics, spellbinding action scenes, and the occasional humor, this film is definitely eye-catching. At no point will you be feeling bored in the theatre. You see first-hand just what abilities Teth-Adam has: shooting lightning from one soldier to the next, being bulletproof, catching and withstanding the blow of a rocket, all of it. And that too, in slow-mo. It’s safe to say that he is one of the strongest people seen in the DCEU thus far. But that doesn’t mean the other heroes have any less of a feat. Hawkman’s hammer and armor are made from nth metal, one of the strongest, making him nearly impenetrable. He was on par with the anti-hero when they were having a ‘disagreement’. Doctor Fate has visions of the future and what’s to come, creates mirages, and has powers of the mystic arts. He was even able to awaken Teth-Adam from his prison telepathically. Cyclone, with nanotech injected into her body, can control the wind and make tornadoes. The VFX team certainly made use of her abilities, showing the audience just what she can do with magnificent effects. And Atom Smasher, although still new to being a superhero and using his abilities, can grow up to 60 feet tall and did amazing in Kahndaq as his first mission.
Despite richness in plot, there’s a lacking in character.
The film had a nice set-up in terms of unfolding Teth-Adam’s backstory and theme for his character, yet most of the characters were not as thought out. The villain of the film, Ishmael seems very one-dimensional to the point where there’s no surprise that he gets defeated. We find out early on in the film that he’s not a friend of the brother-sister duo, Adrianna and Karim, but instead works with the soldiers to retrieve the ancient crown they are all after. The one thing that can be unanticipated, is that he dies but then comes back to life as the demon Sabaac, although that in itself seems a bit bewildering. Ishmael isn’t the only character who isn’t fleshed out, but it seems all of the Justice Society as well.
The most we see of the team is all the action in their fights, and although the graphics are jaw-dropping, besides small interactions we don’t get to know much of the characters, something comic fans must’ve been excited for. To a general audience who has no knowledge of these characters beforehand, they may not know just how powerful—and dangerous—Doctor Fate and the helmet of Nabu are. They may not understand why Hawkman was so resilient about death and his morals of killing. They may not even know who Atom Smasher and Cyclone are and their importance in the Society. Based on how DCEU has been in the past with movies such as Justice League, we can hope that these characters will be back and fleshed out in upcoming movies.
In terms of Teth-Adam himself, he slowly grows as a person and becomes accustomed to the modern world as well as the mother-son duo he first meets. From not wanting to work with or help anyone, he forms a bond with the boy Amon, even slowly creating a superhero persona with the boy. He went from this mindset of destructive and vengeance that led from his abilities and past self, to accepting that he can help the people of Kahndaq and be their protector. He started out as this destroying machine, killing anyone in his way with no regards. This, of course, angers the Justice Society and they say he’s not some hero. By the end of the movie, although he is still his violent self, he learns there’s not only good and bad, black and white. There can also be grey in between.
Much darker than the previous movies, Black Adam shows a new side to the DCEU. With the amount of killing, it is incomparable to its counterpart in powers, Shazam, or the films before so. The only one that can perhaps be comparable is Zack Snyder’s director cut of Justice League. This doesn’t mean it’s better or worse than the previous films, but it’s certainly a breath of fresh air. Being one of the first anti-heroes with their own movie, Black Adam breaks the norms of just what it means to be a savior. There are briefs cameos, consisting of Amanda Walker and a special surprise, subtly comparing this type of hero to that of Suicide Squad. But all in all, Black Adam brings a new type of warrior to the big screen. As Adrianna says in the film, “the world doesn’t always need a white knight, sometimes it needs something darker.”