Shazam!

Though Marvel had gained success and won over unbelievers with their ‘’cinematic universe’’ idea, DC, after the impressive success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, proceeded to plummet and disappoint moviegoers with their needlessly dark, emotionless, and overly simplistic comic book movies. Despite how far behind they were, three gems appeared that seemed to give that glimmer of hope that DC fans longed for; the 2017 Wonder Woman film which was a surprise hit and major success for the character and for the brand, the 2018 Aquaman film which was another big success and appreciated picture, and then came an even big surprise in 2019 with Shazam!, the smash hit that definitely confused audiences at how much they loved this stupid movie about an decently known but not huge DC hero. In Philadelphia, fourteen-year-old foster-homed kid, Billy Batson (played by Asher Angel) continues running away from his families in order to return to his real mother (played by Caroline Palmer), but is placed within the foster care of Victor and Rosa Vásquez (played by Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans) and their five foster children, Darla, Mary, Eugene, Pedro and Freddy (played by Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand and Jack Dylan Grazer). Still attempting to run away despite his new family being pretty friendly, he soon finds himself warped in front of an elderly magician named Shazam (played by Djimon Hounsou) who views Billy as the perfect candidate to bestow the superhero-like powers and adult physique of the superhero Shazam (transforming him into Zachary Levi). With the powers of a god, but with the mindset of a child, he and Freddy relish in the fame and attention he is getting now as this perfect figure, but he quickly discovers his foster family has now been put in the lien of danger from a crazed scientist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (played by Mark Strong) who was once turned down as host of Shazam and now harbors the seven deadly sins in his body and views anyone holding the power of Shazam as a nemesis. He must decide whether to fully become Shazam and stop this evil bad guy for the family that he has now or continue running from responsibility and hold out hope for his mother to return. This movie was a drastic and massively needed change from DC’s normal line up. Instead of being dark, lifeless, colorless, and needlessly gritty, this movie was upbeat, bright, childish, and overloaded with humor, which no surprise left audience members feeling unsure and lacked faith in the underground picture (although it did perform well for critics, audiences and at the box office). While it looks meaningless and very stupid on the outside, the film actually harbors some great emotionally effective scenes matched with likeable child-like adult humor, colorful bright visuals, realistically portrayed environments and tone, and some very good acting.

From the trailers alone, this movie doesn’t seem to focus on the plot, instead acting more like a edgy teen flick with a superhero coat of paint which makes sense considering the character it focuses on, Captain Marvel, bases his entire premise on being a child who has the ability to morph into a grown man (the name was later changed to avoid copyright from Marvel who also has a hero named Captain Marvel). While this element and tone is very evident throughout the movie and provides a modern and even age-appropriate attitude which can fall into the corny and even awkward range at times, it isn’t enough to distract away from what this film does right. It has a fair heaping of cliches and even the character himself is recognizable to hard-core fans but not to the mainstream audience, so it would be risky making a film about him, but it manages to keep the audience engaged throughout its surprisingly long running time of over two hours, it never goes too far that the clichés become distracting, and the emotional turmoil of the characters and the way the resolve their conflicts is always at the focus, making this a more engrossing, down-to-earth and even approachable DC film. The film does have a long running time and parts where Shazam is just messing around with his powers feel a little drawn out, but for the most part, it doesn’t feel its length and keeps the issues of focus always relevant. There is at the centre of this story written by screenwriter Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke, an engaging emotional through-line surrounding Billy trying to find his mother, and while it does lead to an outcome that a majority people would’ve seen coming, its delivered with this unique sense of harshness and bite that feels like a great mean-spirited pay-off that was built up very well and acted pretty great as well, it’s easily the emotional highlight of the film and calls into question the film’s surprising dark sensibility. Despite its child-like appeal and tone, the movie has an appropriately gritty edge that is conveyed through the way the people act and talk, the very genuine interactions every character has between the other, and the more street-level world that doesn’t feature a sense of rose-tinted glasses for all its superhero theatrics (outside of how the kids view it) as there is apparent death and mayhem visible present in this movie. The movie is a satire of a superhero film while still containing the right properties to work as a superhero film, in how it delivers hopeful messages and role models, while also having a good sense of humor and feeling of authenticity.

Most of the characters in this film are very likeable and work really well off each other because of the stellar cast who are all able to handle that right balance of grit but also over-the-top engagement. Even when the roles are pretty straightforward and the writing is predictable, everyone in this movie whether they be a small or a big role is delivering some truly great performances. Asher Angel as the young version of Billy is very believable in this part and does a great job holding a good chunk of the film surprisingly well despite his age. His foster siblings could come off as annoying tropes but instead work wonderfully together and truly feel like a family which can also be said for Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews as the parents, who still manage to be fun and likeable despite very minimal screentime. Zachary Levi does a great job at capturing the energy of a kid as well as the stature of a superhero, and while a common criticism about him and Asher Angel feeling like entirely different characters is valid (it doesn’t truly feel like an adult version of Billy, but rather a new face with the same story line), he does still work in the role and for the movie. No one feels like an actor stuck with a character, they all feel so natural against each other and work off the other very effectively, which again adds to both the wholesome and even gruesome element of this story as the fear feels all the more real because of how well they’ve built this family unit, made even better come the end of the film when they start to participate. They aren’t the most complex people and some of the siblings don’t get as much screen time as the others (with both Ian Chen and Jovan Armand pretty secondary for most of the movie), most are given realistic wants and issues that feel relatable and realistic so the audiences can better identify with them. The only issue is that the villain, while acted very well by Mark Strong, is a bit too vague with his motivation and too simple in his characterization, which leaves him being pretty forgettable. While his powers are fun, and his delivery is nice and intense, the movie could’ve used a stronger antagonist to balance out how well it built up its main character (Dwayne Johnson was originally supposed to play one of Shazam’s main villains, Black Adam, yet moved on to work on a solo project for the character).

The movie actually captures that nice balance of slightly immature humor where its goofy and very childish, but not to an annoying or stupid degree (with a vibe very similar in style to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy which this film no doubt partially inspired by). It has the edge and talks about topics that would fit easily in an adult film, which makes it even more entertaining when it comes from such a childish scenario and such a childish environment. It comes off as a kid’s movie for its personality, tone and cast of characters, but one that kids shouldn’t watch for some of its content, feeling very similar to a lot of popular 80s kids’ movies that were known for featuring scenes and topics that wouldn’t fly by today’s standards, making it a beautifully muddled picture that works for both kids and adults. It doesn’t have nearly as many groaner lines or forced references as the trailer seemed to show and though not as strong as something like Guardians which has the benefit of being more creative and outlandish, emulates a similar tone that managed to win over so many. The action is nothing special or out of the ordinary for any superhero-type story, not helped by the fact that the effects, while colorful and fast enough to show off some fun visuals, aren’t the best, but the film doesn’t feel like it relies on its action as its writing and characters are thankfully strong enough to hold the film up. The climax itself does feature some fun visuals and action, and effectively closes off the movie on the best note. The costume design by Leah Butler is also very visually pleasing, with great bright colors and simple but memorable designs that feel like something that would come from an older comic book, but one that still works in modern day due to a few modern updates. The film also warrants the higher rating, not only with the somewhat racy jokes but also in some off-screen but still brutal death scenes (no doubt coming from director David F. Sandberg’s past work on horror films like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation)

DC had been heavily criticized for years until these movies came around and reignited the hope that DC fans needed in their superheros who deserved faithful and well-made adaptations. While Wonder Woman and Aquaman were to show that they could handle the scale and epic quality of a typical DC product, Shazam arguably gave the world the one thing it needed to know about DC; it could make a movie that is predominantly funny without being too dramatic or gritty, and it would pay off. Shazam took a character that while well known, wasn’t as popular as some of the heavy hitters of DC and gave him a movie that would make his name very well-known from now on. The film has the upbeat childlike atmosphere that would naturally come from a child who suddenly has superpowers, but still ultimately has the superhero drama and realistic edge that makes them such engaging and relatable stories. Though not the most complex, Shazam has some brilliant acting, some great emotional moments, and a story that hides its cliché much better than most do. Against all odds, the movie is a definitely win. When many scream its name, while a superhero won’t arrive, a surprisingly great superhero movie will come to mind.