A young boy is granted the power to become an adult
superhero simply by saying the magic word "shazam." ACTION/COMEDY/FANTASY
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Shazam! (2019)Directed by David F. Sandberg
Written by Henry Gayden Starring Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews Based on characters from DC Comics |
It took a lot of pothole-swerving to get here, but I think it's safe to say that DC is finally in the market of fun, entertaining films that could potentially one day compete with Marvel. Shazam! is a hilarious, wildly fun movie that perfectly captures the essence of a superhero movie and plays with the expected tropes constantly. Zachary Levi is perfectly cast as the grown hero with the mind of a child, and the supporting cast of mostly unknowns is surprisingly brilliant.
Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a troubled foster teen searching for his mother, who abandoned him at a carnival when he was a toddler. When he is chosen by a powerful wizard (Djimon Hounsou) to be his champion, he is granted the power to transform into the adult superhero Shazam (Levi). But Billy has a lot to learn about being a hero, and he gets a crash course when he is targeted by the evil Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong). The scenes where Billy is learning the scope of his powers is absolutely hilarious, and the chemistry between Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer who plays his foster brother Freddy Freeman is impeccable. I'm glad that Shazam! is continuing a trend of fun, memorable DC Comics movies that Wonder Woman started and Aquaman continued. Makes me wish Cavill and Affleck were still along for the ride, because we are now in the best time of the DCEU, where directors are getting to do their thing and the studio isn't mandating as much as they used to be. You can thank Geoff Johns for that, I bet. Shazam! is the laugh-out-loud hit of the summer that brings to life one of DC's most wondrous heroes. |
Thank you, DC. Thank you so much for getting your heads out of your butts and course-correcting your movies. After an awful start, things seemed to perk up with the recent release of Aquaman. It proved to be one of DC’s more fun movies that also happened to make a huge killing at the box office. And then the trailers for Shazam! dropped. Trailers which made this out to be one of the most fun-looking superhero films to date. But the question was is DC going to pull this off? Or was Aquaman just a one-time fluke? I’m happy to say it appears that DC is finally on track as Shazam! furthers the uphill swing they’re on. And with Joker looking good, Marvel may finally have some competition.
The first thing I have to point out that this movie does right is its tone and pacing. While this isn’t usually something I point out in my reviews, I feel it’s important here. Instead of forcing an oppressive tone and slow pacing, Shazam! continues the lighter tone and more well-done pacing. Which is good for this type of film when you honestly consider the plot. It’s goofy and the movie rightfully relishes in it. Which leads me to the performances. While everyone does good across the board, Zachary Levi and Asher Angel stand out the most. Levi does a fantastic job of playing a grown kid with superpowers. Seriously, his amusement at everything provides endless laughs throughout. On the flip side is Angel, who does a great job of portraying a young kid who wants nothing more than to have a family of his own since his mom abandoned him. This film does so much right that the only thing that stood out to me negatively was the CGI in the third act. Unfortunately, it looks fake and the constant slow motion doesn’t help. But that’s a small quibble in an otherwise fun movie. Shazam! further cements that the DC universe seems to finally be in good hands. It was a rough road, but I’m glad at where we’re at now. This is, by far, DC’s most fun movie to date with plenty of laughs and a whole lot of heart. It embraces the absolute ridiculous concept of its premise and just runs with it. Add in some excellent performances mixed with great chemistry amongst its cast, and you got the best DC film I’ve sat through to date. And, for the hardcore fans of the character, look out for some fun Easter eggs and surprises which should leave you with a smile on your face. With all that said, it’s time for me to go be a superhero. SHAZAM! |