Assignment 1

WRITING A FILM
CRITIQUE

PRESENTED TO

MA’AM. RAMSHA MALIK

In partial fulfillment
of the requirement for the course of

ENGLISH COMPOSITION AND

COMPREHENSION-LAB

By

Muhammad
Huzaifa

(22i-1220)

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 “THE SPIKY AND MAJESTIC”
BLACK ADAM

REVIEW:
For over a decade, the DC Film world has oscillated between the
lightheartedness of Shazam! or Wonder Woman and the bleak brutality of Batman vs
Superman. With Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson and filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra aim to
create a great unified theory of DC, combining family-film cliches with a protagonist who
murders people. The end effect is occasionally chaotic, but always amusing. This tale of a
shadowy and supposedly malevolent deity appearing in a long-occupied Middle Eastern
country defies most of the choices that soften even the best entries in the genre. (Thesis
statement: the subject is the movie “BLACK ADAM”, and the opinion is that it deserves
more appreciation. Reasons for the opinion are also mentioned i.e., a unique story and a
different approach.

The first third of the film portrays its title character—a champion who
faced a tyrant ruler thousands of years ago—as a terrifying and mysterious entity with an
insatiable thirst for devastation. Cut to the present, Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), a vaguely
academic freedom warrior, travels to an old tomb. When she reads an inscription, lightning
strikes, freeing Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) to fight the enemies that threaten her and their
common nation of Kahndaq. However, Adam is so strong that Amanda Waller (Viola Davis)
quickly gets the Justice Society involved. They are headed by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), a
flying fighter, and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), a magician, who brings newcomers Atom
Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) to stop this new threat.

There's never any uncertainty about where this is all heading. Given how
he relates with Adrianna (a highly underdeveloped character) and her kid Amon (Bodhi
Sabongui), Black Adam is not that bad. And the Justice Society, while properly accused of
only being concerned with Kahndaq’s misery when a superpowered being appears there, is
well-meaning. There will undoubtedly be a larger threat in the future. But first, Collet-Sera
creates some exciting, destructive action scenarios for Adam and the Justice Society to

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perform in. Also, the movie smartly doesn't pretend that Black Adam is ever in danger: it's
only a matter of how angry he becomes and who gets caught in the crossfire.

Even when it's doing 10 things at once, fidelity to fundamental cinema

narrative keeps "Black Adam" anchored. The movie is full of foreshadowing, setups, payoffs,
twists, shocks, and well-defined main and supporting characters. One standout is Brosnan,
who paints a compelling portrayal of an immortal who is bored of seeing the future and
reflecting on his past. With a mix of sorrow, wisdom, and envy, Dr. Fate admires individuals
who can live in the present.

Still, there's a strange contradiction: Johnson, Collet-Serra, and their crew

desire edge without alienating family audiences. As a result, there are tremendous combat
scenes with no evident civilian losses and godlike abilities with no consequences. The movie
suffers from the weightlessness that has given superhero movies a terrible reputation:
immense power, and little accountability. The film's greatest strength, which runs through it
like a current, is the idea that superpowers may be frightening. Johnson is significantly
calmer and more stony-faced than normal, and his execution of evil men appears as natural as
breathing during his outstanding beginning sequences.

The concept of superhuman fighting for his oppressed people is also

appealing, and it represents an interesting alternative to the normal small-c conservative
superheroes who only save a few people from bad guys. Black Adam may not make his
world better just yet, but he can shake up the DC Universe in ways that might lead to its
unification. Collet-Serra's film respects its viewers and wants to be respected by them.
"Black Adam" provides the audience with everything they desired and more.

WORKS CITED:

Helen O’ Hala. “Review: Black Adam” (2022) Retrieved 19/10/22 from

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/black-adam/

Matt Zoller Seitz. “Review: Black Adam” (2022) Retrieved 21/10/22 from

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/black-adam-movie-review-2022