Shazam (2019)

Superheros are being known for dark and gritty story lines. We've seen it done too many time before, especially with DC. Batman, Superman, even Wonder Woman had some serious and dark moments. But now, there is a new breed of superhero, and his name is Shazam. Shazam went through numerous name changes before settling on the hero we know today. And, with a recent film adaptation, “Shazam” provides something that other DC characters didn't have with their films: a sense of humor. Sure, there are some problems with the film, but for the most part, the movie is quite an enjoyable surprise. “Shazam” doesn't take itself too seriously like other comic book characters, but it is definitely an enjoyable one at best.

The story follows a young boy named Billy Batson (Asher Angel), an orphan who is now living with a big foster home, and all he wants to do is find his mother. One day, Billy is taking the train, when all of a sudden, he is transported to a mystical realm where he finds an old wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who informs Billy to take on the role of a champion. Billy takes the wizard's advice, and soon becomes the heroic Shazam (Zachary Levi) by just saying the name. This gets the attention Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) who also saw the wizard, and, with the help of the seven deadly sins, tries to obtain the powers of Shazam. Now, Shazam must learn his powers in order to stop Sivana from unleashing chaos unto the world, but not before having a little bit of fun.

“Shazam” is an interesting piece of work in the superhero genre. In that it doesn't go the dark and gritty route like the above mentioned superheroes. Instead, there is a more comedic tone, while also having that comic book story put to the big screen. The writers even poke fun at a lot of superhero tropes, and take jabs at other heroes in the DC universe, most notably, Superman.

The cast is near perfect. Levi is great as Shazam, and Angel is great as Batson, as well. Strong is also good as the main villain of the feature, giving a commanding force of wanting to be recognized as well as wanting a clear goal with Shazam. There is also Jack Dylan Grazer who plays Freddie, a sort of sidekick to Shazam, who delivers a really good performance on his own.

The action is what a lot people are coming to see this movie for. And what we got is fairly decent. Sure, it's limited to basically the third act, but what we got, is pretty good.

The setting of modern day also is a plus. This is mainly the case as the writing delivers a lot of good jokes around the surrounding area, including a neat little Rocky reference. Plus, there isn't a lot of chaotic destruction during the final climax. A neat little joke at other superheroes.

But what makes the film truly stand out is the amount of fun the movie brings. Everything that is provided here is crazy, totally unexpected, and will bring forth a great laugh from audiences. “Shazam” is probably the rare exception where a superhero movie is just entertaining from beginning to end.

If there is any major criticisms for the film it would be that there are some supporting characters that really do not serve a purpose. Namely, the other foster children that Billy interacts with; they just mainly serve the purpose of being there, and trying to help out Billy whenever the plot needs it.

Another downgrade to the film is that during certain moments, the pacing can be a little too fast. What I mean by this is that during certain key moments, like when Shazam is showing off his powers, the quickness of the moment can become a little distracting for the audience. What I'm trying to say, is that if the pacing had slowed down, the movie would have been perfect.

In conclusion, “Shazam” may not be perfect, but there is a lot going for it. This just goes to show that superheroes don't need to be dark and gritty, and just have a lot of fun with what they are given.