Shazam! A Coming of Age Drama with Superhero on the Side

DC has been mostly in the gutter of the film industry as of late. Disasters such as Suicide Squad and Justice League have made many DC Comics fans give up hope for future films, especially with Marvel’s huge and very successful cinematic universe, with box office hits left and right. But DC’s newest film Shazam! shines a beacon of hope for DC fans and the future of DC films.

Shazam! follows protagonist Billy Batson, who gets carried into a magic realm by a wizard named SHAZAM, who tells Billy he needs him to take his powers and stop the 7 deadly sins trapped within the film’s villain, Dr. Sivana, from ravaging the earth.

When Billy utters the name SHAZAM, he morphs into an adult, costumed version of himself, with powers rivaling that of Superman’s, the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury.

Dr. Sivana isn’t the only hurdle Billy faces in the film, in the beginning, he is placed in a new foster home with 6 foster siblings. When he gets the powers of SHAZAM, he puts his trust in his foster brother Freddy, who is an in-world superhero fanboy.

Shazam! has plenty of action. It has many well-choreographed fight sequences amongst its heroes and villain, and some twisted killing scenes driven by the antagonist, played by Mark Strong.

However, while it shines brightly in the superhero work, it really shines in the coming of age story of Billy and his foster siblings. Both Zachary Levi and Asher Angel shine as Shazam/Billy, and both of them have great chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer as their brother Freddy. The other foster siblings are great too, especially Grace Fulton, who plays Mary.

Shazam! is very well paced, it knows when to have highly intense action sequences with a great blend of drama and comedy, and when to tug on your heartstrings with great character scenes, and the scenery in the movie, for the most part, is nothing short of stunning.

This is one of the better superhero movies as of late, and especially for DC and it’s fans, is a beacon of hope for the future. It was entertaining throughout, and despite some flaws, the great acting and cinematography were enough to make this film great and very much worth your time and money.

Verdict: 8/10