'Shazam!' Movie Review

Released: April 5, 2019 (UK)

Length: 132 Minutes

Certificate: 12A

Director: David F. Sandberg

Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews

Shazam! is very different from every other DCEU film before it—the first to bring things down to Earth and create a production that strives for pure entertainment above all else. It’s an admirable effort that doesn’t quite rise above its limitations.

Shazam! tells the story of Billy Batson (Played by Asher Angel and Zachary Levi respectively), an orphaned child sent to live with a foster family. When he stumbles across a wizard in a mystical dimension, the boy is bestowed with godly powers and the 14-year-old finds himself in the body of a superhero that he can transform into at will. This flips the typical origin story on its head as Billy learns from scratch the trials of being super as well as coming to terms with the meaning of family. The film switches back and forth between Billy and his arch nemesis Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) who was denied the same power years before. Of course, comedy is Shazam’s greatest asset; there’s a lot of witty stuff here that toys with both the superhero genre and previous DC films. Like 2016’s Deadpool, it really is a breath of fresh air to see a film that doesn’t take itself seriously. Pacing and tonal inconsistency hold the film back however. While the jokes create the film’s unique identity, they also produce awkward clashes in the film’s storytelling. They’re mixed in with moments intended to be emotional and at other points they halt the pacing of an action scene to the point where they pad out the film’s running time. This is especially true of the final action sequence which goes on too long for its own good, despite the surprise that awaits the characters.

The goofy, off-the-wall nature of the plot is firmly embraced by most of the cast, the best highlights coming from Shazam himself. Zachary Levi does a great job of channelling the teenage mannerisms transplanted into an adult and Asher Angel gets across the more heartfelt moments well enough. His interactions with his foster siblings form the heart of the film and Shazam’s escapades with Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) work best at creating the funnier moments. On the other hand though, I was left wanting more from the other characters. The foster family are very well portrayed, but the film doesn’t go the extra mile to make you care about them which is a shame because each does have their own individual characteristics; for example, Grace Fulton’s Mary Bromfield has a side story about getting to college, but the film forgets about this thread in the third act. The family looks out for each-other, but more development would have gone a long way. Credit where it’s due, Thaddeus Sivana is given a backstory that opens the film, but it isn’t a central part of the conflict and Mark Strong’s performance comes off as standard fare. The film could have remedied this by getting him involved with the comedy or working to flesh out his backstory more fully. As it stands, the side characters were passable for me, falling short of their potential.

Another difference Shazam! has from other superhero flicks is its colour palette; this is a bright and vibrant production with a real pop to the special effects in that ties in directly with its light-hearted tone. The costumes are put front and centre with their bright reds and shimmering logos. With its mixture of practical and computer-generated effects, the action is always on-point with plenty of high-flying stunts and sparks flying all over the place. “Shazam!” is noticeably more family-friendly than previous DCEU productions and it wears that accessibility on its sleeve. One area that disappointed me was the soundtrack; it’s average at best, lacking a main theme for the hero and instead pulling in widely recognisable tracks to serve the comedic elements. Outside of this though, the film knows exactly what it wants to present and embraces it wholeheartedly.

As a different take on the ever-popular string of superheroes, “Shazam!” is perfectly serviceable entertainment, offering a worthwhile number of laughs and self-awareness to get it over the line. With that said, it runs long and doesn’t do any one element better than its contemporaries, meaning it won’t make the impact it sets out to accomplish.

Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)