Black Adam marks the entry of Dwayne Johnson into the DC Universe. The idea is promising on paper. The film is set in the fictional city of Kahndaq and it gives a unique touch to the narrative. The locations are also quite novel and make for a great watch. A few action scenes stand out. But the film’s biggest problem is that certain characters and their traits look straightaway lifted from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have never been reminded of Marvel while watching DC’s films and this is the first time it has happened. A few jokes fall flat while the antagonist is weak. The finale fight is not exciting, though the mid-credit scene promises that the upcoming DC movies will be something to watch out for. Dwayne Johnson is decent and we have seen him do better. Aldis Hodge (Hawkman) is fair while Pierce Brosnan does the best work among the actors in the film. Noah Centineo (Atom Smasher) and Quintessa Swindell (Cyclone) fail to entice. Sarah Shahi (Adrianna Tomaz) leaves a mark and so do Bodhi Sabongui (Amon) and Mohammed Amer (Karim). Marwan Kenzari is okay. All in all, Black Adam doesn’t impress.

My rating - ** out of 5!