movie review

  There's nothing inherently wrong about "Black Adam" that it isn't worth avoiding; however, nothing -- other than the enticing presence of Dwayne Johnson--is worth the time to go see. The film's numerous minor flaws and its minor strengths stem from one major issue in its position within the D.C. corporate-cinematic empire. It's better than many high-budget C.G.I. superheroes that have mostly become the norm in studio filmmaking and repackage the bad habits of the genre and the business into a two-hour or more package that only hint at the format's pleasures occasionally. "Black Adam" feels like an unintentional filler for a film still to be made, however, in its essential and shrugged-off quality. It has one good thing that is, if nothing else, will at least be the reason for the film's success. Despite the constant action and the intricately jerry-rigged story, it's hard to get away from the film's impressive display of Johnson as ...