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- Black Adam's Rotten Tomatoes score has risen to 52 percent since this article was originally published.
The reviews for Black Adam are in -- and the comic book film's current Rotten Tomatoes score suggests that the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe may not be about to change after all.
At the time of writing, Black Adam holds an approval rating of 47 percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with 45 reviews having being counted thus far. That said, the score appears to be fluctuating between 47 percent and an even 50 percent. In either case, however, this score would place Black Adam among the weakest entries in the DC Extended Universe as far as critics are concerned.
Currently, Black Adam's Rotten Tomatoes score is higher than that of only three other DCEU projects -- Justice League (39 percent), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (29 percent) and Suicide Squad (26 percent). Still standing above Black Adam are the HBO Max series Peacemaker (94 percent), as well as the films Wonder Woman (93 percent), Shazam! (90 percent), The Suicide Squad (90 percent), Birds of Prey (79 percent), Zack Snyder's Justice League (71 percent), Aquaman (65 percent), Wonder Woman 1984 (58 percent) and Man of Steel (56 percent).
Most of the criticism directed towards Black Adam seems to pertain to the DC film's story. "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," wrote Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press.
"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," added Alonso Duralde of TheWrap.
That said, a number of critics view the DCEU's latest big-screen entry in a more optimistic light, including CBR's own Gregg Katzman. "For viewers that want popcorn entertainment, Black Adam delivers and sets up something that could be really exciting for the future of the DCEU," Katzman wrote in his official review of Black Adam. "It's unclear how the DCEU will capitalize on this... For now, Black Adam has done enough to ensure that viewers will be eager to see what the character does next in the DCEU."
This sentiment is echoed by Andrew J. Salazar of Geeks of Color, who wrote, "Black Adam may not be one of the DCEU’s best overall, but it successfully lays the groundwork for an exciting future."
UPDATE: 2022/10/18 18:49 EST BY NOAH DOMINGUEZ
Black Adam's Rotten Tomatoes score has risen to 52 percent since this article was originally published.
UPDATE: 2022/10/18 21:37 EST BY NOAH DOMINGUEZ
Black Adam's Rotten Tomatoes score has now risen to 55 percent, though this still places it beneath Man of Steel.
Black Adam Premieres in Theaters This Friday
Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the lead role of Teth-Adam/Black Adam, Black Adam is set to premiere in theaters this coming Friday, Oct. 21. In addition to Johnson, the DC film stars Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. Hawkman, Atom Smasher, Cyclone and Doctor Fate, of course, make up the DCEU's version of the fabled Justice Society of America (JSA).
"In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods," an official synopsis for Black Adam reads. "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 released, 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 opens in theaters on Oct. 21.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes