PLOT: In Philadelphia, Billy Batson is an abandoned child who is proving a nuisance to Child Services and the authorities with his stubborn search for his lost mother. However, in his latest foster home, Billy makes a new friend, Freddy, and finds himself selected by the Wizard Shazam to be his new champion. Now endowed with the ability to instantly become an adult superhero by speaking the wizard’s name, Billy gleefully explores his new powers with Freddy. However, Billy soon learns that he has a deadly enemy, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, who was previously rejected by the wizard and has accepted the power of the Seven Deadly Sins instead. Now pursued by this mad scientist for his own power as well, Billy must face up to the responsibilities of his calling while learning the power of a special magic with his true family that Sivana can never understand.
REVIEW:
What did I like?
No time to brood. In the past, we have seen so many superheroes lamenting the “curse” of the powers they have been given. Shazam does just the opposite, he embraces his powers and has fun with them. I suppose I would too if I suddenly became super strong and invincible. Still, it is refreshing to see this trend of superheroes enjoying what they have, rather than being Debby Downers.
Fun in the sun. On the topic of fun, remember when the DC Extended Universe was dark, grim, and no fun? I think it was Batman v. Superman when they decided to shift to a more fun style of film, starting with Wonder Woman. This was also aided by Zach Snyder’s departure, which may not have been for the best reasons, but has definitely been for the best. Watching Shazam ham it up for most of this film (in the comics, he is sometimes referred to as “the big cheese”), and the fact that they didn’t even try to mute the bright red costume like they did with Superman’s outfit in Man of Steel is another sign that the powers that be have decided to go in a lighter direction; finally realizing that every superhero is not Batman.
Adolescence. The biggest challenge in making this film work was getting a nearly 40 yr old Zachary Levi to act like he was a 15 yr old boy who was just given all the power in the world. Levi has a manchild quality about him naturally, so I imagine this wasn’t too big of a challenge. Watching the progression of Shazam, I couldn’t help but think that his actions are exactly what I would have done if I had been given that much power at that age. Yes, I would have gone into a strip club, given a lightning powered street performance for money, bought and tried (nasty) beer, etc. What 15 yr old boy wouldn’t have done these things?
What didn’t I like?
Tonal shift. Earlier, I mentioned how fun and lighthearted this film turned out to be. However, there are a few instances that suddenly shift the film’s tone. Murder, child abandonment, teen pregnancy…are these things you would expect to see in a film aimed at a more family oriented audience. Granted, these elements brought in some much needed conflict to film that is mostly fluff, I still felt they were a bit too heavy handed in how they were handled, particularly the stuff involving Billy and his mother.
Padding. The Shazam suit looks great and about as close to the source material as humanly possible. However, I do have a small complaint. The tone of this film and the nature of Shazam are more cartoonish in nature than all of the other superheroes we’ve seen, so his look should be a bit more cartoonish or exaggerated. Initially, I was fine with this until I started thinking. If the time comes and we see Shazam team up with Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, the Flash, etc, pending changes to their suits he is going to look quite out of place. I say this thinking of how Captain America looked in the first Avengers and how his look has changed. I’m not saying Shazam needs to totally alter his appearance, mostly just making an observation. Also, I read the Zachary Levi packed on some muscle to play this role, but with all the padding, you can’t see the work he did.
Scum and villainy. There is still a problem in superhero movies with trying to use too many villains. With this picture we have essentially 8 in 1. The “big” bad is Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, played by Mark Strong. My only issue with him is how different from the source material he is, going so far as to use the Seven Deadly Sins as a super power. Yes, I said the Seven Deadly Sins. I equate this to Parallax in the Green Lantern movie (which also starred Mark Strong). They are just a CGI threat meant to make an exciting final fight. The focus should have been either on them or Dr, Sivana. I suggest Sivana and upon his defeat they are awakened, leading to the sequel.
Final verdict:
Shazam! is probably one of the first superhero films in recent memory that feels like it could change people’s opinion on the genre. Does it have its faults? Yes, but who goes into a superhero flick expecting to see something akin to Citizen Kane? The important thing is that this is a fun flick you can take the whole family too. I highly recommend it!
4 out of 5 stars
Mystery Man's Musings 