‘Shazam!’ is not just a superhero movie, but a creative blend of effortless humor, family drama and suspense, all packed into a compact action film. Based on DC Comics character of the same name, this movie is the seventh installment of the DC Extended Universe.x
In the wake of such successes like ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Aquaman’, expectations from DC movies have risen and this film doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it raises the bar higher for upcoming DC films.
The movie revolves around the 14-year-old foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who can turn into a superhero, Shazam (Zachary Levi), by shouting ‘Shazam!’
In his life before his superstardom, this pure-of-heart boy is desperately searching for his birth mother from whom he had been accidentally separated during childhood. Away from his parents, he finds real home with a foster family.
By and by, Billy gets chosen as ‘the one’ by an old wizard who is keen to transfer all his superpowers on to a decent human being.
The wizard wants to give his powers to Billy so that the young man can fight the super-villain Dr Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), the embodiment of the seven deadly sins.
In the first half, Billy as Shazam is shown trying to discover his superpowers—Can he fly? Can he produce electricity with his bare hands?—which gives us some hilarious moments.
The second half is more action-oriented as Shazam finds himself locked in a pitched battle against the evil Dr Sivana.
The casting does justice to a strong script. Levi is a perfect fit for Shazam, as he ably channels the innocence of the 14-year-old Billy into a muscular adult body with multiple superpowers. Levi is hilarious, heartwarming and, above all, believable as an ‘adult child’.
The brilliant use of VFX in this 3D film completely transports you into the DC Universe
The character development of Billy, and Levi’s comic chemistry with his ‘sidekick’ foster brother Freddie (Zack Dylan Grazer) are also interesting. Freddie, a sickly boy in a crutch, helps keep Shazam grounded, reminding him that “with great power comes great responsibility”. Mark Strong as Dr Sivana is scary as hell, and the perfect embodiment of a comic super-villain.
The brilliant use of VFX in this 3D film completely transports you into the DC Universe. A master of the horror genre, Director David Sandberg (‘Lights out’, ‘Annabelle: Creation’) effortlessly blends some creepy stuff—in the monstrous depictions of the seven deadly sins, for instance—into this superhero film as well, and as such will hook lovers of horror as well.
Besides this, with a sunny couple fostering five homeless children of diverse backgrounds, ‘Shazam’ offers a poignant picture of model foster families.
A complete package of action and comedy, this movie is good enough to win many new fans, appealing even to those not normally into superhero genre.
Who should watch it?
DC Comic fans will love it. Even those not into superheroes and fantasy should watch. You are sure to like big chunks of it, if not the whole thing. Go get Shazammed!
Movie: Shazam
Genre: Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Zack Dylan Grazer
Direction: David Sandberg
Rating: 4/5
