DC powers on‼️
⚡️Shazam!” is easily one of the most fun superhero movies!!
Zachary Levi was hilarious as the buff lightening-wielding goofy superhero. ⚡️ DC is on a roll! After the mega- success of Aquaman, DC is finally onto something. I got to see an advanced screening a couple weeks in advance, and was completely taken by surprise. The fantasy/sci-fi/ action-adventure is officially releasing this Friday April 5, 2019 (USA)/ So far the film has been receiving overall stand-out positive reviews from both audiences and critics alike.
Shazam! offers audiences the perfect balance of horror, comedy and heart. The film is super exciting from start to finish and will have you laughing and smiling throughout. The movie is incredibly super family-friendly, funny and just the right amount of cheesy. Featuring a great cast, vengeful villains, loads of action, magic and charm this film is the perfect origin story.
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam
The DCEU film is directed by David F. Sandberg, and stars Zachary Levi as the titular character, alongside Asher Angel who stars as his human alter-ego, the young Billy Batson. Whenever he utters the word “SHAZAM” he is struck by a magical bolt and calls upon the heroes and gods of various mythologies, (gaining the power and abilities of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury) transforming into the buff- god-like adult-size super hero. Still a kid at heart Shazam! must test his abilities to take on his first evil villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, played fantastically by Mark Strong.
Shazam! while still learning about his new magical abilities must go head-to-head with Dr. Sivana, a former troubled kid himself whose mission is to get his hands on Shazam’s newfound powers. Strong delivers as Dr. Sivana, and is known for playing a great villain. He is the perfect enemy for Shazam and Strong perfectly captures his very dark, dangerously determined and emotionless persona.
“Shazam!” also stars Jack Dylan Grazer (“IT”) as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, and Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) as the Wizard.
The cast also includes Faithe Herman (TV’s “This is Us”), Grace Fulton (“Annabelle: Creation”), Ian Chen (TV’s “Fresh Off the Boat”), Jovan Armand (TV’s “Hawaii Five-0”), Marta Milans (TV’s “Killer Women”) and Cooper Andrews (TV’s “The Walking Dead”).
I absolutely loved the dynamic between Shazam! and his vibrant best friend Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) Freddy was the kid we would all be if we found out that our best friend had super powers. Freddy is obsessed with super heroes always feeding us with his comic-book knowledge, and just watching these two together was authentic, nerdy and purely epic. A stand out scene for me was most definitely Shazam! testing out his powers and abilities with Freddy excitedly coaching him on. The banter between these two was just hilarious.
Yes, he can fly, hurl lightning bolts and make bullets bounce off him!
I also really loved the friendship between both Billy & Freddy. Asher Angel was perfectly cast as the young vulnerable and lonely teenager Billy Batson. Orphaned as a kid, Billy struggled to find a place to call home and loved ones to call family. Having Freddy by his side while learning about his new magical destiny really built this friendship and helped Billy realize his true potential. the genuine excitement between these two really developed these characters.
Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child.
Zachary Levi was made to play this role. He perfectly embodied a naive teenager learning that he has freaking super powers! He was arrogant, childish, curious, playful, scared, and brave all in one. He ignited the excitement that any teenager would have in this position. His character was extremely well developed and genuine. We really followed Billy on his journey as he learned about himself, his sense of purpose and true heroism.
The film does a great job in capturing a love for superheroes, inclusion, the importance of family, belonging, and knowing ones true potential. The comedic tone is really what made Shazam work, if it tried to be anything else it wouldn’t have worked as well. The entire movie is extremely funny without trying too hard, it’s not overly cheesy and still not as dark as other DC movies have been. Shazam! is the perfect character for DC to take a chance with. I’m glad they focused on humor, you expect it to be funny and a good ole’ time.
It also had a big influence of horror and sci-fi. The CGI was actually very well done, both the costumes and effects looked great. The CGI wasn’t overdone at all like say in Justice League. *Slight- Spoiler* The Monsters also looked great, I really loved how they portrayed the seven deadly sins as creatures.* The movie had just the right balance of horror without being overkill or changing the heartfelt tone of the movie.
Final Rating
7.5 out of 10
Overall Shazam! is genuine and heartfelt, and a super good time for the whole family! I went in with no expectations and I left the theater super happy, I really enjoyed it.
The movie flows overall good pacing with no dull moments and great timing. Shazam! is a great stand-alone film and I think this is another big step for the DC universe, and can only hope for more good things to come. Can’t wait for the day we can see a Justice League movie with Shazam!
Must watch! In theaters everywhere April 5th ! STAY FOR 2 End credits!
There are plenty of easter eggs throughout the film & loads of Justice League references !
Gotham Geek Girl 