Today’s quick review: Shazam!. Fourteen-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has just moved to the latest in a long line of foster homes when an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) chooses him to inherit his power and become the superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi). As Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) experiment with Billy’s newfound powers, Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) tries to steal them for himself using his own mystic abilities.
Shazam! is a superhero actioin comedy based on the DC Comics character. Shazam! follows young Billy Batson as he adjusts to both his new foster home and the opportunities and responsibilities afforded by the life of a superhero. The movie is a light-hearted, loving take on the superhero genre that treats it with all the wonder and excitement of a child. Likable characters, spot-on comedy, and a solid emotional core make Shazam! a fun and refreshing watch.
Shazam! excels at capturing the sorts of antics a teenager with superpowers would get up to. Billy and Freddy spend a significant portion of the movie just figuring out how Shazam’s powers work and how to apply them, ranging from unsuccessful experiments with flight to using Billy’s adult form to buy beer. Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Zachary Levi are a natural fit together, and nearly all of their scenes together hit the mark.
Shazam! also benefits from a heartfelt personal story about Billy coming to accept his new family. Billy has spent years searching for the mother who abandoned him as a child, making him distrustful of others and unwilling to view his new foster home as anything but a stopover. Shazam! stops short of heavy drama, but its treatment of Billy’s personal story gives the movie some heart and fits well with the superhero side of the story.
As far as action and overarching plot are concerned, Shazam! sticks to the basics. Dr. Sivana makes for a straightforward villain, a spiteful man who was once rejected to inherit the wizard’s power. The superhero side of the plot is a fun fantasy adventure without much complexity, leaving more room for comedy and character development. The special effects aren’t that impressive either, but they’re used well and give the action just enough punch.
Watch Shazam! when you’re in the mood for a light, consistently entertaining adventure with great comedy and a dash of heart. Shazam! can’t match the more ambitious entries into the superhero genre for plot or spectacle, but it knows its strengths and plays to them well, making it a fun and very satisfying popcorn watch. Steer clear if you’re looking for deep drama, realism, or more all-out action.
For another light superhero movie from DC with much more in the way of spectacle, try Aquaman. For another superhero comedy with a young protagonist and more action, try Spider-Man: Homecoming. For a darker comedy that has similar fun with the genre, try Venom. For a superhero movie that delves deeper into magic, try Doctor Strange. For another comedy about a reluctant superhero, try Hancock.
7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for fun, innocent comedy, likable characters, and a dash of action.