For a few years now, Black Adam producer and star Dwayne Johnson has been saying that “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change,” but if the metric of that is Rotten Tomatoes, seems like that may not be the case. Ahead of Black Adam‘s premiere later this week, the first reviews from the movie have started to make their way online and things aren’t looking too good for the DCEU’s latest release. As of this writing Black Adam has a 52% approval rating, with the dreaded green splat next to its name. Check out some of the reviews below.
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With its 52% rating on the review aggregator, Black Adam is the lowest rated DC movie since 2017’s theatrical cut of Justice League, which clocked in with a 32% approval rating. It’s also the lowest rated Dwayne Johnson movie since 2021’s Red Notice (it’s worth noting that only DC’s League of Super-Pets was released between Red Notice and Black Adam, sitting at a fresh 73%).
ComicBook.com’s Evan Valentine rated the film a 3.5 out of 5 however, writing in part: “Is Black Adam the movie that will singlehandedly bring back the DC Cinematic Universe to stand toe to toe with what Marvel has built? No, but it’s certainly laying the groundwork for this to be a possibility down the line. Black Adam is a fun, frenzied, and flawed film that answers the prayers of many while also giving viewers an action-packed thrill ride with plenty of charisma from its key players.”
Check out what others are saying below.
Kyle Anderson, Nerdist
“While a lot of Black Adam works, the whole can’t escape the messiness of trying to add to—or jumpstart—a franchise rather than tell a good story.”
Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
“Director Jaume Collet-Serra has crafted a solidly entertaining B-movie with smarts and skill, allowing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to flex his trademark muscular showmanship and combine that with character-driven appeal.”
Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
“Director Jaume Collet-Serra and the design team do a great job in every department but are let down by a derivative and baggy screenplay by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani that goes from one violent scene to another like a video game.”
Ross Bonaime, Collider
“Black Adam might not be the hero the DCEU needs, but it’s a welcome shift for this larger world and an invigorating look at the potential going forward in this universe.”
Witney Seibold, Slashfilm
“Black Adam feels more like an outline than a finished film.”
Clarisse Loughrey, Independent (UK)
“Whatever this new hierarchy of power is, it’s confusing as hell.”
Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color
“Black Adam may not be one of the DCEU’s best overall, but it successfully lays the groundwork for an exciting future.”
Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
“Given the number of years this project was in development, and how it was promoted to shift the balance of power in the DC Universe, it’s disappointing that the end result is so unremarkable.”
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