Movie Review: Shazam!

April 1, 2019

by Erin Hatch, Editor

Superheroes- especially DC superheroes- tend to have an aspirational quality to their personas. They aren’t just larger-than-life figures, they are also ideals that the readers can look up to and try to emulate in their quest to be the best possible version of themselves. This is especially true for children, who see in superheroes an idealized adulthood that represents an escape from the limitations of childhood. Shazam!, Warner Brothers’ latest entry in their DC Extended Universe films, does not feature this kind of idealized hero. Instead it captures the process of becoming your better self as the central concept of the movie. The film deviates from the pattern set by recent Batman and Superman features. Shazam! deconstructs the superhero formula in a way that manages to be fun and interesting and silly and occasionally messy.

Shazam! follows the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a clever but misguided young man, who is navigating the foster system in Philadelphia while searching for his missing mother, who had lost him at a carnival several years before. After running afoul of the law, Billy is placed into a new home with Victor and Rosa Vasquez (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans). Here he is faced with a new set of siblings: Darla (Faithe Herman), Eugene (Ian Chen), Pedro (Jovan Armand), Mary (Grace Fulton) and his new roommate, Freddie (Jack Dylan Grazer). While adjusting to his new situation, Billy is transported off of a subway and into a magic lair by a wizard named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou). Shazam gives Billy mystic superpowers to be used in the fight against the Seven Deadly Sins, a group of demons that had escaped Shazam’s custody thanks to the interference of Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong). These superpowers turn Billy into an adult version of himself in a ridiculous superhero outfit (Zachary Levi). Billy and Freddie explore both the supernatural possibilities of his new powers – throwing lightning bolts, jumping buildings in a single bound, and withstanding bullets – and also his completely mundane adult abilities – buying alcohol, visiting strip clubs, and skipping school without question. It is like a mashup of Superman, Big, and a teen drama about foster kids. Eventually Dr. Sivana catches up to the kids, and Billy is forced to finally act like the hero he resembles.

Shazam! is fun and funny, with plenty of jokes playing off superheroes and Billy’s misconceptions about adulthood. Zach Levi is great as the superhero eventually known as Shazam, capturing both the strength of a caped hero and the goofiness of a child suddenly able to become an adult at will. The rest of the young cast is strong as well and make the Billy Batson portions of the film entertaining. The rest of the film is an odd mix. The wizard sections come off as slightly silly. The opening of the film seems a little awkward as it establishes the villain’s backstory before finding its way to introducing the hero. Djimon Hounsou and Mark Strong do their best with the material but also come off as rather goofy and exaggerated in their respective roles of ancient wizard and possessed scientist. The CGI for the Seven Deadly Sins was unsettling, and not always in a good way. The demons looked unreal, which was appropriate, but they also looked fake. In general Shazam! ends up more of a comedy than a comic book movie. This could be a good thing but could also disappoint fans looking for the latter. Most of the film seems like it is directed at younger audiences, but there are several portions that feel like they might be too violent or scary or sexual for younger crowds. It is hard to understand the filmmakers’s intention. Connections to the DCEU exist in the film, but are minimal, with most appearing after the credits start to roll.

Despite the inconsistencies in quality, and the general focus on silliness over action, Shazam! was an entertaining experience and a lot of fun. It did a good job capturing the incongruity of a young man who suddenly finds himself in an extraordinary adult body, using that situation to explore various themes of maturity and identity and a greater deconstruction of how we perceive superheroes as a concept. Despite some rough edges, I think it is worth watching and is a fine entry in the DCEU, especially for younger viewers.