Black Adam slammed by film press

Dwayne Johnson's debut as a superhero has received a frosty reception from the world's film press, and at the time of writing the average rating on Rotten Tomatoes stands at 44%. Much of the criticism is directed at its total lack of originality, depth or really any kind of ambition. Total Film even went so far as to outright accuse the film of being a train wreck and The Independent was not much kinder, calling it excruciatingly monotonous. However, there were publications that were kinder in their choice of words and Forbes thought it was reminiscent of early MCU films in all their simplicity. Below you can read what a handful of critics have to say about Black Adam.

Inverse: "Ultimately, the needs of the DC Universe butt up against the overwhelming star power of Dwayne Johnson, and the film ends up losing many of the entertaining qualities it might have had."

The Independent: "It's relentless but stubbornly monotonous - what I imagine it's like to be picked up curbside by the FBI and have a cloth bag thrown over my head, all while the car I'm in barrels through the dark towards an unknown destination. "What do you want?" "Where are we going?" "What do I have to do with any of this?" Don't expect answers to any of the above."

AV Club: "There's not really much to stew on with Black Adam once you've left the theater, except to be somewhat amazed at how the story comments-but-doesn't-comment on the actual political situation in the Middle East."

Total Film: "Repressing his smolder judiciously, Johnson shoulders the show well enough. Sift through the wreckage and there's potential in Adam, even if his film is more an extended, excess-all-areas introduction than a Batman Begins-ish slam-dunk. To paraphrase the curiously under-surprising credit scene, he gets our attention. But the major question left frustratingly unresolved is, can he do anything new with it?"

Associated Press: "Director Jaume Collet-Serra and the design team do a great job in every department but are let down by a derivative and baggy screenplay by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani that goes from one violent scene to another like a video game."

Vanity Fair: "There's no point in denying the 270-lb wrestler in the room: even within the realm of the superhero genre, this is an ephemeral motion picture, lacking depth, originality, or storytelling panache. Much like a McDonald's hamburger is technically food, Black Adam is technically a movie, and both can be intermittently enjoyable before you come around to ask "why am I consuming this?"

Rolling Stone: "Should you not have entire multicharacter histories at your beck and call, you may find yourself lost in the worldbuilding wilderness, wondering how so much of this fits together, who's capable of doing what, why certain sacrifices matter, and why you should care about these peripheral, yet supposedly important characters that take up so much screen time."

The Wrap: "The idea of introducing new heroes with powers first, origin later, seems appealing on paper, but knowing nothing about the Justice Society and its members doesn't make them particularly interesting adversaries for our anti-hero protagonist."

The Hollywood Reporter: "Johnson creates a magnetic antihero, volatile and antisocial. He doesn't fly so much as stalk the sky; he swats opponents like the bundles of weightless CG pixels they are. And this passion project serves the character well, setting him up for adventures one hopes will be less predictable than this one."

Forbes: "Black Adam is a joyfully over-the-top action fantasy tentpole. It has the pulpy and no-pressure pleasures of a New Line flick, even as it comes armed with a WB-level budget. Like Doctor Strange 2, it reminded me of the early MCU movies (Iron Man, Thor, etc.) from before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was anything other than a single ambitious Hollywood franchise amid other Hollywood franchises and non-IP blockbusters."

Screen International: "The latest installment in the DC Extended Universe too often succumbs to the conventions of its genre, but some compelling performances and director Jaume Collet-Serra's ebullient B-movie flourishes prove to be sufficient compensation."

Movie Web: "Black Adam gives the DCEU a bad-a** with zero moral compunction. If only the script kicked as much behind as our anti-hero. Dazzling action saves the simple narrative; which results in a popcorn cinema spectacle that should delight fans."

ScreenRant: "Though suffering from repetitive plot beats and thin characters, Black Adam is powered by Johnson's performance and its promise of an exciting future."

What are your expectations for Black Adam, and do you plan to go see it?