With Dwayne Johnson finally unleashing Back Adam on the film, which will go public with an official release next Friday, M&F got a preview of the blockbuster, which has an estimated budget of $200 million, to see if The People's Champion" emerged worthy of being "Kahndaq's Champion". We soon found that this DJ was more than on par with the rest of the DC Universe.
Once again, Johnson has shown that success comes only with commitment and preparation. There was never any doubt about that, as months before the film's release, the stars' personal trainer, Dave Rienzi, had told us that no stone was left unturned to make "The Great One" look superhuman without the need for a super-voluminous costume to go along with it to give the illusion of serious muscle mass. Rienzi noted that as part of their well-rounded approach to training, they even worked to correct Johnson's neuromuscular patterns so they could get the best technique and form out of every workout. It seems the level of detail with which the duo brought the former WWE Champion into DC form more than hit the mark, and thanks to routines that included sets of four exercises, he performed as many reps as possible with flies , chest presses and aus bodyweight slumps and miles of elevation gain on the stepper, this is possibly the most muscular incarnation of a comic book character we've seen since Dolph Lundgren's 1987 portrayal of He-Man or Arnie's iconic performances as Conan.
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Dwayne Johnson was motivated, disciplined and determined to live up to Adam
"...when you have someone like DJ who is so motivated, disciplined and determined to get the job done. There's an ever-evolving vision that we're always working toward.” Rienzi said of the arduous but ultimately rewarding process. "We worked on the Black Adam film for a while with the goal of creating a real life superhero physique...without the need for a padded superhero suit." Indeed, this should have been a careful process to ensure that Johnson is screen-ready at all times without overtaxing his body enough to negatively impact his other projects. The results? Move over Man of Steel because Black Adam has Quads of Granite! The current King of the Box Office doesn't disappoint, and the film looks set to take flight, too, with estimated opening weekend gross of $75 million.
As expected, The Rock brings his unique, if somewhat consciously controlled, level charisma to a complex role, playing an anti-hero who is rescued from his earthly grave to unleash the almighty powers of the Old Gods. It might not be snooty enough for some film critics, but we'll take The People's Eyebrow anytime, and with out-of-this-world special effects and some thunderous action, Johnson finally has more than a swipe at it, while also electrifying his fans with literal lightning bolts!
At 69, the ever-slim Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of Doctor Fate also deserves special credit for building some of Black Adam's most comedic dialogue, given the great on-screen chemistry between the two alphas. Of course, with any film in this genre, a big part of the fun comes from speculating about what the future holds for this area of the DC Universe, and there's plenty to do here. Because Black Adam had a history of violence in the comics, the film needed to impose a wild tone, and thankfully, with Johnson's incredible presentation and innate understanding of physicality, the film was able to achieve that tone without watering things down too much for those which determine the rating of the film. For his part, DJ exudes everything one would expect from a superman: confidence, intensity and intelligence. Johnson may be gracing the screen as his most muscular since appearing in the Fast & Furious franchise, but he's slimmer now, and even if you strip away the tight-fitting rubber suit or the magic of CGI, you can't quite match the size of "The Great One." escape "shoulders and traps.
Johnson has been recorded as implying that he would love for Black Adam to take on Superman, and he seems keen on expanding Black Adam's DC footprint. Could we see Superman or Batman take a hit? With this first film proving Black Adam is a much-needed shot in the arm for DC fans, the mere thought of Dwayne Johnson vs. Henry Cavill conjures up mental images of what is the most anticipated fight in action film history could be. Shazam!
