​​Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam has Rotten Tomatoes score revealed as first reviews land

​​Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam has landed a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes at 55% as its first reviews have landed.

The Rock's long-awaited debut in the Worlds of DC has promised to establish a new hierarchy in the Multiverse, opening up the legacy of the Justice Society of America on the big screen for the first time.

The film pits the JSA – Aldis Hodge's Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell's Cyclone, Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate and Noah Centineo's Atom Smasher – against the ancient god Black Adam as they try to show him how to become a hero for the people of Kahndaq.

Related: Black Adam producer reveals Doctor Strange 2 similarity in DC movie

In Digital Spy's own review, we found Black Adam to be an "entertaining throwback" that has the potential to kick off a new era for the beleaguered DC Universe after nearly a decade of false starts.

"Black Adam might not totally change the hierarchy of power in the DC universe, but it could prove to be an entertaining platform to build on – assuming that past mistakes aren't repeated," our review read.

Others felt conflicted about the film, though often not outright negative.

Uproxx

"Black Adam is a competent movie. (I hope that quote gets on a movie poster. 'Competent!') And a lot of plot complaints get overlooked when the lead of the movie is noticeably having a good time. Which is weird because we all know how much Dwayne Johnson wanted to play Black Adam, then comes out and gives us this deadly serious take on the character. Yeah, I get he’s the “bad guy,” but also (a) not really and (b) aren’t the bad guys supposed to be having the most fun?"

THR

"A superhero movie in which a likely presidential candidate shows how satisfying it is to wield overwhelming force when nobody’s strong enough to challenge you, Jaume Collet-Serra’s Black Adam will, for most viewers, just be another fine-not-great night of spandex mayhem and franchises hoping to be born."

The Guardian

"With his imposing bulk and gift for deadpan humour, Dwayne Johnson makes a charismatic DC hero – but sadly, he’s in a class of his own."

USA Today

"Like a lot of its ilk, Black Adam tosses out too many new characters without adequate development. Hodge and especially Brosnan are most effective at giving audiences rousing new heroes, even though we don't get a chance to know them well. Then there’s Black Adam himself, who at least earns somewhat of a character arc. While the film’s definitely going for a Man with No Name bent – a Clint Eastwood movie even plays on a TV before Johnson’s antihero blasts it – results are mixed."

Variety

"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."

Black Adam is released in cinemas on October 21.

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.