Shazam! (2019) Review

"I'd like to purchase some of your finest beer, please."

-Billy Batson

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has been shipped from foster home to foster home as he continually runs away in search of his birth mother.  After saving his new foster brother, Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), from bullies, Billy is chosen by an ancient wizard, Shazam (Djimon Hounsou), to become a champion and take on the wizard's power.  As Billy learns how to control his new superhero body (Zachary Levi) a dark force arises.  Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) was rejected by Shazam when he was a boy and now he wants to take Billy's power for himself.

What Works:

The DCEU has been getting away from the overly-serious nature of its first few films and Shazam! is the best example.  This film is hilarious and almost more of a comedy than a superhero movie.  The cast does a great job of keeping things light and the film is a lot of fun.

That said, there are some really dramatic and emotional moments.  Billy is a flawed character and we really see how messed up he is when we have scenes involving his mother and his search for her.  One scene in particular was an emotional gut-punch that had me tearing up.

Zachary Levi was perfectly cast as the superhero version of Billy.  He really captures the energy of a 14-year old kid who just got superpowers.  He has great chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer and is simply a blast to watch.  He does great with the comedy as well as the badass superhero stuff.

The premise of the film is great on its own.  Giving a 14-year old kid superpowers is a fantastic idea for a movie.  Shazam! is a light-hearted version of one of my favorite superhero movies, Chronicle.  It's a breath of fresh air in a genre that is starting to get a bit stale.

Finally, I really like the emotional center of this story has to do with a foster family.  That isn't something we see a lot of in mainstream movies.  The characters here are great and I love how much they care about each other.  Most foster families in media are portrayed in a negative way, but that isn't the case here.  They are all very warm and likable and it makes us want to see Billy accept them. It's definitely a different setting for a superhero story, but it works really well.

What Sucks:

My only problems with Shazam! comes from the villains.  I love Mark Strong, but he doesn't get enough to do in the film.  Even worse are the Seven Deadly Sins.  This was a great opportunity for the filmmakers to get creative with these demons.  If they had each had a distinct personality, they could have been a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, all of the Sins are pretty much indistinguishable.  All in all, the villains were a missed opportunity.

Verdict:

Shazam! is a very fun movie that is the new high-point for the DCEU.  It's funny, but has heart.  The cast is great and the foster family story is really interesting to watch.  The villains are wasted, but the rest of the movie more than makes up for that.  Shazam! has definitely got it going on!

 9/10: Great