Shazam! (2019)

Shazam! (2019)

7/10

Starring

Zachary Levi

Mark Strong

Asher Angel

Jack Dylan Grazer

Directed by David F. Sandberg

Unless you’re biased because this movie was supposed to be the Ant-Man of DC movies, you have to admit this is the most fun you can have watching any DC film. The plot and comedy are so well-crafted that you forget about the silliness of the movie.

Well-directed by David F. Sandberg, this is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The actors seemed to be having as much fun as we, the viewers, were. That said, the weakest part of the movie is when the whole family becomes “Shazams.” I hated the acting at that point—it was just too many people being childish at the same time.

Aside from that, this is the best DC movie I’ve seen so far. A lot of that is thanks to Zachary Levi, who plays Shazam, and Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays Freddy. Freddy is Billy’s foster brother and best friend.

Here’s the plot: Shazam, a wizard who’s growing old, needs to pass his power to a new bearer. He summons a young boy named Thaddeus (played by Mark Strong as the older version, who becomes the movie’s villain). When Thaddeus is about to receive the power, he’s tempted by the Seven Deadly Sins, and his heart is no longer pure. The wizard rejects him.

Our soon-to-be hero, Billy (played by Asher Angel), is a young foster child who struggles to stay put. He keeps running away from foster families, searching for his mother. His new foster home includes a boy named Freddy, who’s obsessed with superheroes.

When Billy is summoned by the wizard and found to be pure of heart, he’s given the power to become the new Shazam. The first person he turns to for guidance is Freddy. Things get rocky between them at first, but when the villain shows up, Billy has to step up from being an overgrown child to the hero he’s meant to be.

DC has created a universe for their heroes, but so far, they’ve struggled to keep it running smoothly. We’ve had recasts, reboots, and it doesn’t look like they’re ending anytime soon.
We still don’t know who the new Batman and Superman will be. Suicide Squad is facing a reboot, and it’s just not going the way Disney/Marvel has managed their universe. Now that Disney has the rights to the X-Men back, Marvel is only going to get stronger.

To be fair, DC has delivered with Wonder Woman (2017) and Aquaman (2018), but I can confidently say this movie is the most fun I’ve had watching any DC film.

Go see it—you’ll love it too.