written by Adam
Adam and Robin were lucky enough to get themselves an early viewing of DC’s newest entry into the crumbling DCEU. With ups and downs ranging from Aquaman to Justice League, this shared cinematic universe hasn’t quite found its footing. The strongest entries to this point have been Wonder Woman and Aquaman, two superheroes who most would never have guessed would be the savior the DCEU so desperately needs. With Aquaman’s smash success to end 2018, Shazam! tries to build upon the formula of a superhero film that allows its hero to be fun.
Shazam! does this better than any entry so far in the DCEU. The young cast bring a youthful exuberance and fresh take to a premise that’s been rehashed repeatedly for over a decade. Despite Marvel’s take on the superhero genre being lighter in tone, each superhero origin story carries with it the narrative thread of the new abilities being viewed as a curse or a burden. Asher Angel (and his older counterpart Zachary Levi) ensure this is a thread that Billy Batson never trips over. Supporting this enthusiasm towards the fantastic is Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, the handicapable foster home roommate to Billy. While Angel and Levi are great in their roles, Grazer carries the lighthearted tone of this movie on his back. This isn’t surprising as Grazer is a “veteran” of young ensemble casts from his time on the wildly successful 2017 remake of It, where he played neurotic hypochondriac Eddie.
From the moment Angel and Grazer meet, this movie goes from interesting to genuinely entertaining. I can honestly say I haven’t laughed out loud in a theater this often in years. Forget Aquaman’s tongue-in-cheek humor of a wise-cracking protagonist. Shazam! allows the cast to experience becoming a superhero with the excitement a real child (or full grown 33 year old man) would feel.
That’s not to say there isn’t internal conflict along the way. Zachary Levi’s portrayal of the actual superhero Shazam is about as spot-on as you could hope for. Billy’s self-doubt mixed with excitement while exploring his powers is handled perfectly. The groundwork of “selfish” kid with a heart of gold carries over between Levi and his young counterpart. They hand off the role to one another after speaking the command word, complimenting each other’s performance where the sum is greater than the parts.
My main concern with the film was whether the antagonist, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana played by Sinestro himself Mark Strong, would be able to pose enough of a threat to make the film feel compelling. Truth be told, Sivana’s rise to power and subsequent revenge were some of my favorite scenes in the film. By the time he even realizes he needs to confront Shazam, I almost didn’t want him to. I wanted to see more of what he had to offer up on his own. While this isn’t a character with the rich depth of Magneto, there is a feeling of sympathy from the audience. The overall result is a wonderful entry level villain that has enough depth to keep us interested.
Shazam! isn’t without its shortcomings. Some of the character development takes a bit more time than it should, and the pacing of the internal conflict causes a slight detour from the overall enjoyment of the film. The common thread of the villain ultimately being a dark reflection of the hero rears its familiar and boring head, but at the very least the premise of an adult confronting an angst-filled teenager who actually enjoys their newly found power gives the premise somewhat fresh legs. Despite these issues, I never had a desire to look away.
The climax, while fairly satisfying, does feel like the weakest part of the film. This is, of course, my humble opinion. The strength of the movie came from its actors working with one another and having fun. When we get to big combat set pieces, it takes away from that. At that point, the film has you invested into the characters enough that you do want to see the resolution. I had wondered how close the film would stick to the source material, and which version it would take inspiration from. I was happy that the New 52 iteration served as the primary influence. This allowed emphasis to be on found family and belief in one’s self, and its done surprisingly well.
Bottom Line: This is a good movie, with pieces of greatness throughout. I would watch this film again in a heartbeat, and have already made plans to take my father to see it when it officially releases. The best way I can convey my feelings regarding this film is this: I took bathroom breaks during both Aquaman and Captain Marvel. I refused to leave my seat during Shazam! That’s saying something. Keep your expectations in check, but go see it.