Shazam Movie Review: Zachary Levi’s DC Superhero Film Will Make the Child in You Jump in Glee!

DC Comics is finally getting some strong footing to level with Marvel when it comes to making entertaining superhero movies. Sure, the mixed response to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and the debacle of Justice League still hurts. But thanks to the individual successes, both critically and commercially, of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, DC and Warner Bros have gained some good mileage. Now with their latest superhero film, Shazam!, directed by David F Sandberg, the studios look to have finally cracked the winning formula for sure. Marvel, you better be careful! Shazam! Movie Review: Critics Are Lauding This New DC Offering, Tag it as the Funniest One Yet.

For those who are unaware of his story in comics, Billy Batson (Asher Angel, reminding me a lot of Maisie Williams as Arya Stark from some angles) is a troubled orphan who gets sent to a new foster home. His new foster parents (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans) are quite likeable and his new set of foster siblings, all orphans themselves are a nice bunch. One of the 'siblings' that almost get to Billy is crippled, but high-on-nerd-stuff Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer). Billy is on a mission to find his real mother, who he lost as a child during a fair. Yes, even Americans have Kumbh ka Mela conundrum!

However, the universe has a different plan for Billy as he is chosen by an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) to be his successor and keep the seven deadly sins which take the form of monsters in control. As Billy imbibes the new powers, he becomes Shazam (Zachary Levi), a superhero with a bulked-up adult body but retains the child-like mind of Billy. Together with the help of Freddy, Shazam tries to figure out his amazing superpowers. At the same time, he is sought out by a supervillain Dr Thadeus Sivana (Mark Strong) who takes over the seven sins and has similar powers as that of Shazam, but with better control.

Shazam! is a child's delight, both the one sitting next to you and the one living inside you. Every adult, brought up on a supply of comic books, would have had a dream of turning into a superhero as a child. Some of us still do. As a superhero, Shazam feels like a manifesto of our desires, when a child enjoys powers that sulky superheroes like Superman possess, and sees them for what they are - an opportunity to stand apart from the rest. A reason why I was rooting for Shazam as a superhero!

Plot-wise, though, Shazam! is quite a standard superhero origin movie. You know the one where the protagonist gets his powers in a bizarre way, we spend time seeing him train and then see him fight a one-dimensional villain with similar powers and vague motivations. Shazam! is also a tad too long, with an overstretched third act that never seems to end. Also, while I agree that Shazam! is a contained movie, the visual effects could have been better.

And yet, Shazam! is such a fun film, mostly due to the lovable characters, the humour and Sandberg's engaging direction. To his credit, Sandberg manages to turn a very standard template into a fun experience, cashing in on our nerd love and making things funny and enjoyable whenever the pace threatens to dip. Even in the long-drawn climax, Sandberg puts in some unexpected fun moments that hold on to your attention.

Billy Batson's search for his mother is empathetic, and his bonding with Freddy both as Billy and Shazam gives the film the movie's best moments, and also its most hilarious too. Zachary Levi, Angel Asher and a scene-stealing Jack Dylan Grazer (of IT fame) give enthralling performances. Grazer shares an amazing chemistry with both Asher and Levi which makes the backbone of Shazam! so strong. Levi, meanwhile, manages to bring the child-like quality in his act that makes his performance so believable and adorable!

Even Billy's other siblings like Mary, Eugene, Pedro and Darla as well as the parents give Shazam! some lovely, heartwarming touches. The casting offers us so fewer reasons to complain. The only slight disappointment is that Mark Strong, an otherwise excellent actor, doesn't get to excel as the main antagonist. Sivana, while possessing terrifying powers, turns out to be just a serviceable villain, albeit with an interesting backstory.

Speaking of the humour, Shazam! is, indubitably, DCEU's funniest movie to date. Unlike Aquaman, none of the jokes feels forced. Not to mention, Shazam! also puts in several fan references to its other properties mostly, Superman and Batman. And the movie also has the guts to make jokes of DC's own properties, like when one character asks another which sidekick has ever been cool (Robin would groan at this). Or in another scene, where a kid playing with Batman and Superman figurines (and making his own BVS) drops the toys when he sees Shazam in action. Nice way to cleanse your past sins, DC! Shazam Actor Zachary Levi Hits Back At Captain Marvel Trolls, Asks Fans To Stop Pitting The Two Films Against Each Other.

The humour may lack the brilliance of the meta references of Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse, but it also doesn't feel irreverent as the Deadpool series. And the Easter eggs are not just restricted to DC. There are also nods to Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and appreciatively, Tom Hanks' Big (a movie where child magically turns into a man, one fine day). Why, even the rival Marvel property, Captain America gets a nod here!

Yay!

- Levi, Asher and Grazer

- The Supporting Cast

- The Fun Moments

- The Nods to DC

Nay!

- A Serviceable Story

- Dodgy CGI At Times

- Sivana is a Forgettable Villain

- Stretched in Many Places

Final Thoughts

Shazam! is a fun superhero movie that has many moments to keep the inner child in you happy. Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer lead the show with captivating performances and give the film most of its enjoyable moments. There is no doubt that Shazam! will turn out to be another winner for DC, after Aquaman's blockbuster success.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2019 02:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).