MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Superhero/Stars: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Rachel Zegler, Ross Butler, Ian Chen, Meagan Good, Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, D. J. Cotrona, Jovan Armand, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Rizwan Manji, Lotta Losten, Michael Gray/Runtime: 130 minutes
I think it’s safe to start this review off by saying that, flaws aside, I really did dig the heck out of the 2019 DC Comics cinematic adaptation of the iconic character Shazam. Indeed here is a slice of cinema that whilst the rest of DC’s cinematic docket at that particular time seemed to be concentrating as much as possible on being bleak, brooding, or a mixture of both decided to go in the completely opposite direction and be both quite comedic and pleasant in equal measure. To be sure there is a bit of pathos to say nothing of a smattering of scares present, a fact that can best be explained by the fact that the film’s director comes from a horror background. Even with that in mind though, there is no denying that the first Shazam proved to be a very vibrant and lively superhero film take on the Tom Hanks movie Big that ultimately works as well as it does due to both the terrific character dynamics and the fairly significant degree of heart, emotion, and charm it is operating with. More than that though, this slice of cinema is also one that comes equipped with a terrific story for both its hero and its villain whilst also operating with some action beats that are a wonderful blend of riveting and amusing respectively. Of course, with that being said that was then and this is now the year 2023. A year that sees the future of DC Comics cinematic adaptations in a state of transition. Indeed not only is the failed experiment known as the DCEU finally taking its last laps around the track courtesy of this, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and the 2nd Aquaman movie, but there is a new continuity just around the corner being referred to as the DC Universe and that is being shaped and molded by DC Studio’s new CEOS James Gunn and Peter Safran respectively. As a result not only is one chapter ending and another beginning, but there is a lot of questions in regards to what this transition means for the actors who are still a part of the former. Well I might not be able to say for sure in regards to the final trinity of heroes, but I can safely say that if there is room for Shazam and his alter-ego Billy Batson to play in this new universe then definitely give Zachary Levi and Asher Angel the opportunity to do so with one caveat. That being to make sure they are given better movies to appear in than this. To be sure, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is by no means a great movie nor is it on the same level as even its predecessor. At the same time though, a genuinely bad movie this most assuredly is not. Indeed there is still enough fun, charm, and energy on display here through the work done by both sides of the camera that at the end of the day this is one superhero movie that is able to be good yet sadly no more or less than that.
The plot is as follows: Moving ahead a few years following the events that transpired in the first Shazam movie, Shazam! Fury of the Gods sees our intrepid hero Billy Batson aka Shazam and his foster siblings consisting of Freddy Freeman, Darla Dudley, Eugene Choi, Mary Bromfield, and Pedro Peña respectively have all managed to make quite a bit of progress in working as a crime-fighting family of superheroes. At the same time though, just because you have experience in something doesn’t exactly mean you’re good at it. A fact of life that is definitely true for this group. To be sure, they do try their best to avert calamity and aid people in their times of need, but when your collective efforts get you slapped with the nickname of “The Philadelphia Fiascos”…..I think it’s safe to say that a significant behind the scenes team evaluation is in desperate order. Of course, making matters even more complicated is the fact that all of the kids are dealing with their own respective issues when not involved in superheroic shenanigans including Billy who not only is suffering from a superhero-tinged case of imposter syndrome, but is also afraid about turning 18 since at that time he might be kicked out of his foster family and thus lose the only family he has ever known. So of course, with all of this internal and external turmoil afoot, this is the perfect time for a new villain to make themselves apparent and wreck some havoc of their own. In this slice of cinema’s case however the villain is actually the titan Atlas’ trio of daughters in the forms of Hespera, Kalypso, and Anthena respectively. This dastardly trio has long been imprisoned in an alternate dimension, but when the broken staff of the wizard who gave Billy his powers is found and put on display the sisters are able to utilize this opportunity in order to escape from their prison, steal the staff, and plot to bring about no less than the end of the planet with its power. Thus can our boy wonder and his super family coalesce, get their act together, and save the day or is this one family feud that isn’t meant to go their way? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now in terms of the work done behind the camera, I have to say that it to an extent is very much a cinematic representation of a mixed bag. For starters, I have to say that the nefarious plan that the villains in this slice of cinema isn’t really all that fresh or novel by any stretch and is instead one that we as movie goers have seen countless other cinematic superhero sagas pull off time and time again. As a result, this really does restrain this film from really being either distinct or just a total game changer for its respective genre. Along with that, it should also be noted that this slice of cinema does have some intriguing ideas that it is playing with like the city of Philadelphia finding itself in a rather….unusual magic-caused situation, but by not really expanding on them in any meaningful way the movie makes them seem more like wasted opportunities and less like the really cool additions that they could (and honestly should) have been. Perhaps the most serious grievance though that I can think of in terms of the work being done behind the scenes however is the fact that this slice of cinema’s sense of pacing is all over the place to put it politely. I mean when the movie should want to slow things down a bit then that is when the action decides to go full speed ahead and then the rest of the time it does slow things down, but it accomplishes this by making this slice of cinema feel like it is moving by at a speed that even a snail could speed past. Suffice it to say that it really is clear to this writer dear reader that the pair of screenwriters credited with this slice of superheroic cinema’s story really did have issues in determining the path they wanted the narrative to traverse which, when taking into account the fact that what distinguishes the character of Shazam from other heroes is the fact that he really is just a boy in a superhero’s body and so is constantly trying to discover who he is without the powers involved, really is just a tad bit of a disappointment due to the richness of the material which could have been mined based off that key supposition about the main character alone. Having said that though, the work behind the camera is also not a total waste by any stretch. Indeed the movie does, to its credit, manage to give us some delightful creature mayhem in the final third and the effects involved in bringing those creatures to life among other things including (I kid you not) a sentient pen by the name of Steve are, for a movie with a 100 million dollar budget, fairly well done. Finally, I will also say that the helmsmanship done here by the returning David F. Sandberg isn’t bad, but by no means does it feel as refreshing as it did on the first time. Rather, in some ways, it feels less like a movie he wanted to direct and more like he one that he was contractually obligated to. Thus no the work behind the camera isn’t terrible, but trust me when I say that it is a bit of a let-down when compared to its predecessor.
Of course, the other big component to any slice of cinema working or not is courtesy of the performances given by the collection of talent that has been assembled in front of the camera to bring that slice of cinema’s respective characters to life. In that regard, I can say that the work done in front of the camera here is, much like the movie itself, good yet not great either. To be sure, Asher Angel might not get nearly as much to do this time around as normal Billy, but as for Zachary Levi I will say that once again this man is a genuine treasure. Indeed not only does he do terrific at conveying the spirit of a boy inside the body of a superheroic man, but he also is effective in selling both the pathos and humor that is very much present in this film’s new arc for the character. An arc that, among other things, sees Billy, in Shazam mode, having to come to grips with a case of Imposter Syndrome and humorously talking about it to a very confused, concerned, and completely out of his element pediatrician. As wonderful as Levi’s reprisal work in this turns out to be though, I think this slice of cinema could also be called The Jack Dylan Grazer Power Hour. To be sure, the character of Freddie does have only a support role to play in the narrative, but Grazer brings such a wonderful and palpable joy and energy to his character that not only does he get some of the best moments in the film, but he also gets to have interactions with every character from his superheroic foster siblings right down to the trio of antagonists. By far though, the best interactions he has are the ones that he gets to have with the wizard who gave Shazam his powers in the first place. No I won’t tell you how they get paired up here, but what I will say is that every time there is interaction between Grazer and Djimon Hounsou in this be prepared to laugh even a little bit because the two have fantastic comedic chemistry together. With that in mind, I also think that the performances given by the trio of female talent as the movie’s antagonists aren’t that bad, but that’s also because they all are very much aware of the kind of movie they’re in and are just having fun with the material they are given. This is especially true of acting icon Helen Mirren who, in the role of the eldest sister Hespera, proves to be just as skilled at shooting a steely gaze as she is at being an assertive and effective foil to the goofiness presented to this film by the family of superheroes her character finds herself going up against. Indeed her work in this is so well-done that I really did find myself sad that the movie didn’t give her the chance to try and invest us in the sisters’ point of view of this film’s central conflict. Lucy Liu as Kalypso on the other hand isn’t terrible and it is through her powers that this slice of cinema is gifted with some of its more riveting action beats and creature designs. However, other than that, since it is Helen Mirren’s Hespera usually speaking for all 3 sisters, though to be fair it IS Dame Helen Mirren after all, we see that this sadly doesn’t give Liu nearly as much to work with as an actress of her talent definitely deserves. As a result, her character in this is definitely intriguing, but also sadly a bit on the one-dimensional side. Faring a bit better than Liu however is Rachel Zegler (Maria from 2021’s West Side Story) who, as Anthena, provides the trio with an equal mix of dedication, even-temperedness, and graceful charisma that is very much appreciated especially when it concerns moments in the film that involve both her more volatile older sisters as well as our titular hero’s best friend/surrogate brother Freddie.
All in all is Shazam! Fury of the Gods a perfect slice of cinema? Honestly and sadly no. I’m afraid not. At the same time however, is this a terrible movie that should be avoided at any and all cost? I wouldn’t say that either. If anything, this is one slice of cinema that is good to be sure, but is also a bit of a letdown especially when compared to what it’s predecessor from 2019 presented us with. Yet despite the fact that the work behind the camera is alright and the work in front of the camera by this slice of cinema’s game cast is fun yet by no means Oscar worthy I would still like to say that there is one big positive above all others that I wish to make known. That being that, flaws with the rest of the film aside, I do really enjoy what Zachary Levi/Asher Angel have brought to the role of Shazam in both this movie and its 2019 predecessor. I say that because, due to the cleaning house that is currently underway at DC Studios to prepare for their new cinematic continuity to get underway, I can’t tell you for certain what exactly is going to happen with this particular character and the people in his distinct corner of the DC Universe. With that in mind though, I do have one plea for Gunn and Safran to hear me out on. That being please give this dynamic duo the opportunity to continue playing this iconic hero because they are phenomenal, but make sure if you do that the material they are working with is fresh, intriguing, and paced fairly well. With that in mind though there is no denying that Shazam! Fury of the Gods might not be a great addition to the iconic legacy of superhero cinema it does have enough positives in its corner to make it one that is worthy enough for me. Not to yell Shazam by any means, but rather to advise checking it out when it makes its way to HBO Max and you have either a rainy day or a few hours to spare and you’re in the mood for a superhero film that feels less like a live action movie and more in the vein of a live action and feature length Saturday morning cartoon. On a scale of 1-5 I give Shazam! Fury of the Gods a solid 3 out of 5.
