DC’s Black Adam hit cinemas in the UK on the 21st of October 2022, officially bringing the comic to life. The film acts as an action-packed spin-off to the popular 2019 movie, Shazam! and is the eleventh installment in the DC Extended Universe. Dwayne Johnson stars as Black Adam, who to some is perceived as a villain and to others an antihero. Nevertheless, we follow the story of his return to modern-day Kahndaq while delving into his past alongside Sarah Shahi, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Quintessa Swindell, and Bodhi Sabongui, all of whom play key characters in the plot. 

Approximately 5000 years after being granted the incredible powers of the Egyptian gods and suddenly being banished from the public, a series of events free him from imprisonment, and we follow him as he unleashes his peculiar yet intense form of justice on the city of Kahndaq.  

Like Shazam!, Black Adam was packed with action and intertwined with witty jokes that kept the full cinema both laughing and on the edge of their seats. Black Adam’s fight throughout the city was portrayed with great CGI and special effects that truly brought the film to life. Moreover, the features of the plot such as the flashbacks to pre-modern Kahndaq and political commentary on A.R.G.U.S soldiers invading the city allowed for little to no dull moments in the film; it gave context for the events in Shazam! whilst also helping the audience understand who the main character is and how he came about. 

Although the character dynamics were playful and fun to watch, certain characters' introductions were woven into the storyline without context- leaving the audience to question who they were. Moreover, at a 2-hour and 5-minute run time the film consisted of multiple fight scenes, with invincible characters making some parts of it quite lengthy and repetitive. Nonetheless, whilst I am not a major fan of superhero movies, the dark twist on this one made it worthwhile. Having enjoyed the first movie, I had grand expectations for Black Adam, and overall, it did not disappoint. For action-packed, superhero movie fanatics that crave films with complexity and jaw-dropping plot twists, I think Black Adam would not make your top-five list. However, the storyline and action surpassed my hopes; I would recommend Black Adam to anyone looking for an entertaining superhero film that does not need a marathon of movies to be understood.