Shazam!
UK Release Date: 5 April 2019
Certification: 12A
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Asher Angel, Jovan Armand, Ian Chen, Grace Fulton, Jack Dylan Grazer, Faithe Herman, Djimon Hounsou, Zachary Levi, Mark Strong
Rating: 68%
Review:
Shazam! is by far the funniest movie of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
The strength of Shazam! is it's cast - I thought the cast were brilliant. David F. Sandberg trusted in the youth and it paid off. And whilst Zachary Levi and Mark Strong are excellent in Shazam!, both are definitely overshadowed by the younger actors especially, Jack Dylan Grazer, who I thought was absolutely amazing. Jack Dylan Grazer steals the show as Freddy Freeman, a disabled foster kid who is a superhero fanatic. It is Freddy who knows what to do when Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is turned into Shazam! Freddy helps Billy discover his superpowers only to be repaid by being blanked by Billy. At different points in the movie Freddy is funny, sympathetic and jealous of his friend - but above all his fanatical knowledge of the DC Extended Universe is an asset to his friend.
The origin story is excellent. Billy Batson is a fourteen year old foster kid who lost his mum when he was young and has been looking for her ever since. A wizard named Shazam! (played by Djimon Hounsou) selects Billy as his preferred champion to defeat Dr Sivana (played by Mark Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed, Sloth, Vanity, Lust, Pride, Gluttony and Envy.
I usually don't laugh out loud in the cinema but Shazam! had me laughing throughout. From jokes about other DC superheroes' powers to Dr Sivana telling his evil plan to a distant Shazam!, who couldn't hear him. In general, the movie was just really funny.
There are so many nods to DC comics and the DCEU in Shazam! Like the cameos, the Justice League T-Shirts worn by Freddy throughout the movie and a vision that sets up Black Adam as part of the DCEU. Black Adam is Shazam's! main villain in the comics and is rumoured to have a solo movie in the works and will be played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
This movie has also been compared to Big with superheroes. David F. Sandberg even fits in a nod to Big when Shazam! dances on a piano` in a toy shop.
Shazam! does have a few problems. I didn't really enjoy the third act where it all got a bit messy with so many characters on screen. The movie doesn't really know it's target audience. One moment monsters would be biting off people's head and throwing them out a skyscraper and the next Shazam! would be in a strip club. I also didn't like the design of the Seven Deadly Sins. To me they were generic and boring.
But I loved Shazam! It is my second favourite DCEU movie. I would definitely recommend the movie and I would love to see a sequel, a Black Adam solo movie and Shazam! teaming up with other members of the DCEU.
Certification: 12A
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Asher Angel, Jovan Armand, Ian Chen, Grace Fulton, Jack Dylan Grazer, Faithe Herman, Djimon Hounsou, Zachary Levi, Mark Strong
Rating: 68%
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| Superman meets Big in Dc's new release. |
Shazam! is by far the funniest movie of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
The strength of Shazam! is it's cast - I thought the cast were brilliant. David F. Sandberg trusted in the youth and it paid off. And whilst Zachary Levi and Mark Strong are excellent in Shazam!, both are definitely overshadowed by the younger actors especially, Jack Dylan Grazer, who I thought was absolutely amazing. Jack Dylan Grazer steals the show as Freddy Freeman, a disabled foster kid who is a superhero fanatic. It is Freddy who knows what to do when Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is turned into Shazam! Freddy helps Billy discover his superpowers only to be repaid by being blanked by Billy. At different points in the movie Freddy is funny, sympathetic and jealous of his friend - but above all his fanatical knowledge of the DC Extended Universe is an asset to his friend.
The origin story is excellent. Billy Batson is a fourteen year old foster kid who lost his mum when he was young and has been looking for her ever since. A wizard named Shazam! (played by Djimon Hounsou) selects Billy as his preferred champion to defeat Dr Sivana (played by Mark Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed, Sloth, Vanity, Lust, Pride, Gluttony and Envy.
I usually don't laugh out loud in the cinema but Shazam! had me laughing throughout. From jokes about other DC superheroes' powers to Dr Sivana telling his evil plan to a distant Shazam!, who couldn't hear him. In general, the movie was just really funny.
There are so many nods to DC comics and the DCEU in Shazam! Like the cameos, the Justice League T-Shirts worn by Freddy throughout the movie and a vision that sets up Black Adam as part of the DCEU. Black Adam is Shazam's! main villain in the comics and is rumoured to have a solo movie in the works and will be played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
This movie has also been compared to Big with superheroes. David F. Sandberg even fits in a nod to Big when Shazam! dances on a piano` in a toy shop.
Shazam! does have a few problems. I didn't really enjoy the third act where it all got a bit messy with so many characters on screen. The movie doesn't really know it's target audience. One moment monsters would be biting off people's head and throwing them out a skyscraper and the next Shazam! would be in a strip club. I also didn't like the design of the Seven Deadly Sins. To me they were generic and boring.
But I loved Shazam! It is my second favourite DCEU movie. I would definitely recommend the movie and I would love to see a sequel, a Black Adam solo movie and Shazam! teaming up with other members of the DCEU.
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