After the tremendous success of Aquaman (James Wan, 2018) DC has high hopes for its latest movie Shazam! (David Sandberg, 2019) based on the Golden Age Superhero, originally named Captain Marvel, the story centres around a young Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who is able to turn into an adult (Zachary Levi) with powers similar to Superman when he says the word "SHAZAM!". Whilst not a very well known superhero, the character does have something of a cult following and is very well known among the DC fanbase. Particularly for being able to hold his own against Superman. But whether or not he can hold his own movie, particularly next to DC's highly iconic Superhero pantheon, is another thing.
Initial Thoughts
This is a damn good movie. It has a lot of fun and entertainment, mainly from Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled) and Jack Dylan Grazer (It: Chapter One, Beautiful Boy). But it also has a lot of heart to it and a very important message about family. The action is pretty good and the comedy is very well-utilized. If you're a fan of DC, or of Superhero movies in general, then you will definitely love this movie!
Zachary Levi/Shazam
Overall, I really enjoyed Zachary Levi in this role. He does such a good job portraying a boy in an adult's body. He's very good at playing goofy characters, like what we've seen in his previous work. For instance, when he's testing out his powers Levi really sells the child-like wonder of the scenario. But he's also quite good at the more serious moments that come up around the end of the movie. I really look forward to seeing where DC decides to take Shazam and how he will react around other heroes in the Universe.
Asher Angel/Billy Batson
Whilst Zachary Levi does a good job as the fun and joyful version of Billy Batson, it's the younger version of the character, played by Asher Angel (Andi Mack, Jolene) that delivers on the more emotional moments. Angel does a great job at selling certain scenes that it really holds up the movie. My only concern is that he seems like a very different character to what Zachary Levi is portraying. It doesn't ruin either character for me but it was a little jarring. Hopefully, if this movie gets a sequel, the two actors will coordinate more to create a more singular character.
Jack Dylan Grazer/Freddy
I absolutely loved Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) in this movie. Mainly because I used to be just like him in school. Always talking about superheroes and superpowers. So I related to him on a number of levels. I also really liked his relationship with both Zachary Levi and Asher Angel. He has some of the best scenes with Shazam, such as the scenes where Shazam is testing his powers, to the more serious moments about what it means to be a Superhero. Freddy was probably my favourite character.
The Foster Family
Overall, the foster family are quite enjoyable. They don't get a lot of screentime but they are very good in their scenes. My personal favourite being Darla (Faithe Herman) who is just adorable in every scene that she's in due to her very young and naive nature, that comes to play incredibly well around the end of the movie. The other characters aren't focused on a lot but all have their own personalities highlighted rather well. Eugene's (Ian Chen) gamer personality and Mary's (Grace Fulton) mentality of a very protective older sister. The movie is very centred around the importance of family and the Foster family are a shining example of that.
Mark Strong/Doctor Sivana
Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass) has played quite a few villain roles that he has it nailed down at this point. Whilst he doesn't really do anything new in this role he does give a solid performance. And Dr Sivana is incredibly chilling in this movie. Whenever he demonstrates his power it's great to watch, and the death count he builds is seriously scary. He definitely lives up to DC's high standard of villains.
Action
For a Superhero movie, this is rather light on action. And when there is action it's nothing ground-breaking. However, it is very enjoyable to watch. Especially in the third act where Shazam's true power is on full display. What I will say is how very much like Man Of Steel (2013, Zack Snyder) the action is in this movie. Usually in cinematic universes the action aesthetic changes due to whoever is behind the camera. But with DC movies the look of the action has been quite consistent. So I have to give the filmmakers props for that.
Comedy
This is arguably the funniest movie that DC has ever made. Probably because it's aimed more of a family audience whilst previous have been a little more for adults. And it's understandable why this movie would be heavy on comedy as the premise is kind of silly. The comedy in this movie is very well written, doesn't undercut any serious moments and actually quite clever in places. So if you're going into this movie for humour then you will not be disappointed!
Horror
For a family picture, there is a fair bit of horror in this movie. Which makes sense, given as it's directed by the man who directed Annabelle: Creation (2017). The movie does use horror rather well and sparingly. Mainly for moments concerning Dr Sivana, which adds a little more to his menace. There is one scene in particular around the middle of the movie which is very horror inspired and kind of pushes the boundaries of what is considered to be in a family movie. But I personally loved it and thought it looked great! It seems like DC might just have more horror elements with their last two movies being made by Horror directors and Walter Hamada, who ran Warner Bros's horror division, now overseeing the DCEU, we might have more horror in future movies. And if it's as good as what we got in this movie then I imagine it'll be great!
Conclusion
This is a pretty fun movie. It's got plenty of action and comedy but it also has a lot of heart to it. It has a very interesting use of horror that'll freak you out and makes the villain look extra menacing and it introduces audiences to a very lovable hero.
So that's of Shazam! What did you think of the movie? Do you agree or disagree with any of my points? Please leave a comment down below. And, if you liked this review then you can follow or subscribe to this blog for more content. Thank you for reading!
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