DC’s latest stand alone film is another solidly entertaining diversion from the failed attempts at a Marvel-esque multi-verse. “Shazam!” follows the unexpected journey of orphaned teen Billy Batson and his hilarious & unexpected transformation into a legendary, lightning-wielding, YouTube trending superhero.
What You’re Going to Like
It’s Fun - The movie doesn’t just have funny moments (as shown in the trailer), it has an overall tone of lightheartedness and humor. While it definitely has it's serious moments, it’s overall just really fun to watch.
Family First - The film’s theme of family is refreshing, and Billy’s adopted brother Freddy Freeman is a scene-stealer. Freddy, in many ways, is the heartbeat of the film as he helps Billy explore his super powers and delivers most of the best lines. On the whole, Billy’s entire adopted family make for really entertaining and endearing side characters.
Realism...Sort Of - The movie gives a pretty realistic portrayal of what a modern-day teen would do with such ridiculous super powers. The mischief & realism really adds to the entertainment value as Freddy and Billy discover (and often misuse) Billy’s new abilities.
Dr. Sivana Backstory - Mark Strong’s villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, is given a detailed (and pretty sad) backstory that provides legitimate (although twisted) motivation for him throughout the film.
Self-awareness - The film is able to poke fun at typical superhero tropes while simultaneously executing some of them right in front of you. For example, when Freddy talks about how loved ones make perfect hostages he’s basically giving away that at some point someone in their family will end up in danger. The fact the film is poking fun at what it’s doing (similar to “Into the Spider-verse”) makes the origin story seem much more refreshing and original.
Zachary Levi - Zachary Levi’s portrayal of our hero is (as it should be) the best part of the movie. It’s humorous and insanely charming as he grows from lost teen to true superhero over the course of the film.
What You Might Not Like
Super Suit - The Shazam suit is cartoonish to the point of being distracting at times. It’s not awful, but the arms and shoulders are just way too big to be convincing.
A Little Too Close to Home - If you’ve been involved with fostering/adoption or dealt with familial rejection, this movie might mess you up in a few spots. There are a couple of scenes of all-too-real heart-wrenching family dynamics that cut surprisingly deep.
It’s long - It clocks in at 132 minutes, which isn’t too crazy, but the final act drags a bit. It’s packed with action, but…
Average Action - The action is back-loaded in the last ⅓ of the movie, and it’s fine. The problem is...it’s just fine. It’s not nearly as creative or fun as the action in “Aquaman” or “Captain Marvel,” and it feels like the fights could’ve involved more than just flying, punches, and crashing through walls.
PG-13 - The movie is slightly less kid-friendly than you might expect, with more violence than advertised (although no blood or gore) and some language. It’s not a problem, it’s just slightly edgier than you might have anticipated.
Movie Rating
Plot - 6/10 - It’s about as straightforward as can be, without minimal twists and turns.
Dialogue - 7.5/10 - The dialogue is much less cartoonish than “Aquaman,” but less witty and clever than “Wonder Woman.” Billy and Freddy share the film’s best and most entertaining lines.
Characters - 8.5/10 - The film leaves you wanting to see more of Billy AND his family, which is a testament to the strong secondary characters. BUT -- it hurts that Dr. Sivana turns out to be a less complex villain than you’d hope for given his detailed backstory.
Music/Score - 6.25/7.5 - The score is fine, but unremarkable, but the movie does a nice job mixing in popular music to create more a modern and realistic feel in certain scenes.
Emotion - 7.25/7.5 - The deep dives into familial hurt and rejection bring up a surprising number of feels.
Visuals - 6.5/7.5 - The CGI is really good, and this would be higher if not for the problems with the suit mentioned earlier.
Originality - 5/5 - This is a humorous and refreshing take on the superhero origin story.
“It” Factor - 7.5/10 - This won’t get any nominations for best picture, but it’s a fun popcorn flick that made me want to see more of the character AND his family.
Final Score: 54.5/67.5 = 81% (B-)
The Final Verdict
If you enjoy turning off your brain, laughing, and being entertained, this is a movie for you. “SHAZAM!” continues DC’s move away from brooding emotional complexity and plot sophistication in favor of movies that are less demanding and a lot more fun to watch. DC’s shift away from a shared universe has generated it’s most well-received movies (“Aquaman, “Wonder Woman,” and “SHAZAM”) and it will be interesting to see if that continues with October’s much darker, but promising “Joker” film featuring Joaquin Phoenix. Either way, “SHAZAM!” is an entertaining, re-watchable movie and another solid entry in the DC Extended Universe.
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