Black Adam was considered a box office disappointment for its studio, Warner Bros, and after viewing the 4K UHD Blu-ray release, one can see why.
The Production: 2.5/5
Originally announced to be the villain of DC’s Shazam! movie back in 2014, DC and Warner changed their plans and instead decided to give Black Adam his own origin movie instead. As origin stories go for comic book characters, this one is about as convoluted as they come. In a prologue told so fast it would make your head spin, in 2600 BC the ancient civilization of Kahndaq is under oppressive rule by King Ahk-Ton, who creates the Crown of Sabbac in an attempt to overthrow revolutionaries once and for all. The Council of Wizards grant a young slave boy the powers of Shazam, transforming him into the hero Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson), who takes out King Ahk-Ton, freeing the city.
Flash forward to present day, and Kahndaq is once again under oppressive rule, this time by the Intergang. Archaeologist Adriana Tomez (Sarah Shahi) is in search of the Crown of Sabbac, wanting to find it and hide it in a new and more unsuspecting place before the Intergang finds it. Once she finds it, though, she is under attack and inadvertently awakens Teth-Adam, who ultimately saves her life. Adriana takes Teth-Adam home, where he meets her son, Amon (Bodhi Sabongul). Meanwhile, the Justice Society, led by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), reassembles with Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), and heads to Kahndaq to try to take down Teth-Adam before he becomes a problem. However, the Intergang is still looking for the Crown of Sabbac, and the Justice Society must team up with Teth-Adam to stop the Intergang from obtaining the Crown.
Black Adam is overflowing with story and characters, and that is only part of its problem. The main problem is Dwayne Johnson, who is completely miscast as the titular anti-hero (he becomes Black Adam as the movie reaches its conclusion). Johnson is usually very likeable and charming, but here he is dull and devoid of humor. There is also really nothing for the audience to relate to, nor really care about, and it feels like the actors portraying the Justice Society (not to be confused with the Justice League?) are just going through the motions to collect a paycheck. Black Adam fizzled and sputtered at the box office after a relatively good first weekend, and now having seen the film, it is quite easy to see how bad word of mouth eventually killed this franchise before it had a chance to start.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
Black Adam was captured in 4.5k resolution on a variety of cameras and completed as a 4K digital intermediate in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision high dynamic range for its premium theatrical engagements. Warner’s 2160p HEVC-encoded transfer has been enhanced with both Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range. This is a fine looking film, with incredibly strong detail (you can see the individual grains of sand in many of the ancient stone bricks in the temple, for example). Contrast is excellent, with deep blacks that provide strong shadow detail and bright highlights that never appear washed out, resulting in a strong depth of field throughout much of the film. Colors are on the slightly muted side, but are still well-saturated without any blooming.
Audio: 4.5/5
The default Dolby Atmos track is nearly demo-worthy, immersing the viewer in the many action sequences by surrounding them with sound. LFE is slightly anemic (but nowhere near the levels of a Disney mix), providing some support for all of the crashes and explosions. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout. Warner has included a redundant Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
Special Features: 2/5
Your typical collection of EPK special features can be found on the included Blu-ray edition of the movie.
The History of Black Adam (1080p; 10:08): A quick look at Black Adam through the years in DC Comics.
Who is the Justice Society? (1080p; 14:16): Aldis Hodge takes us on a tour of the Justice Society through the years in DC Comics.
From Soul to Screen (1080p; 6:09): Cast and crew discuss bringing the character Black Adam to the big screen.
Black Adam: A Flawed Hero (1080p; 5:09): Cast and crew discuss the character of Black Adam.
Black Adam: New Tech in an Old World (1080p; 4:49): Producer Hiram Garcia and the design team discuss the gadgets and look of the film.
Black Adam: Taking Flight (1080p; 3:32): Cast and crew discuss the many flying effects.
Khandaq: Designing a Nation (1080p; 6:27): A more detailed look at the design of the city.
The ROCK of Eternity (1080p; 5:42): a look at the ancient languages in the film.
Costumes Make the Hero (1080p; 8:25): A look at costume design.
Black Adam: A New Type of Action (1080p; 6:38): A brief look at the action sequences.
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy in UHD on Movies Anywhere.
Overall: 3/5
Black Adam is a dull and humorless comic book movie with a miscast Dwayne Johnson in the title role. At least the presentation is excellent.
Black Adam [4K UHD]
$14.99 $10.70
Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.
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