J. Kim Murphy The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe may be about to change with “Black Adam,” but the new film is landing low on the hierarchy of critical reputation for Warner Bros.’ last decade of superhero entries.
With reviews hitting for the Dwayne Johnson vehicle this afternoon, “Black Adam” currently stands at a mediocre 30% approval rating from top critics on the the review-aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.
Should the number stand, it would mark the lowest such figure for a DC film since 2017’s “Justice League,” which netted a 23% approval rating from top critics and was so reviled among fans that a reworked version was eventually ordered by Warner Bros., arriving in the form of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” in 2021.
In a somewhat favorable review for Variety, chief film critic Peter Debruge conceded that “the film’s whole purpose is to give Black Adam a suitably grand introduction on the assumption that he’ll be pitted against a more deserving adversary soon enough.” Most others have been less receptive to the origin story, though many have highlighted Johnson’s performance as a key strength. “Black Adam” marks the star’s first time anchoring a superhero film — a job that the actor’s chiseled physique and commercial dominance would suggest was inevitable.
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