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Shazam!
It takes a minute to get going and it takes a little too long to wrap things up, but the 2019 spectacle Shazam is an eye-popping, slam-bang comic book adventure that takes just about any comic book movie we've seen and mixes in a generous portion of the Tom Hanks classic Big to give us something quite unlike anything we've seen.
So this spoiled son of a rich businessman named Thad Sivana and a 15- year old orphan who lives in a group home named Billy Batson have both been summoned by a Wizard named Shazam to be his Champion. Billy was selected to be the Champion but Thad was rejected and was endowed the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins. It's not long before Billy discovers that uttering the word "shazam" turns him into a superhero of undetermined powers, but Dr. Sivana is not happy with the power of the Seven Deadly Sins and has decided he wants to be Champion instead and, after destroying his father's company and murdering his father and brother, goes after Billy Batson to steal his powers.
What gives this story an air of distinction is that Billy's adventures are carefully monitored by Freddy, a crippled kid who also lives in the group home, who works tirelessly to get Billy to embrace his new life as a superhero, as well as helping Billy determine exactly what kind of powers he has. Of course, as expected in a situation like this, Freddy begins to take advantage of his friends' new powers while, at the same time, Billy's powers start to go to his head and starts blowing Billy off.
Screenwriter Henry Gayden is to be applauded for his seamless blending of comic book fantasy and childhood friendship even if it is overly-detailed. The opening scenes with the Wizard go on way too long and are a might confusing. but once Billy becomes aware of his powers, this is where the movie becomes so much fun. Remember those scenes of Peter Parker experimenting with his new powers in the Sam Rami Spiderman? Well this movie takes that to a whole new level as we watch Billy and Freddy trying to figure out exactly what Billy's new powers are, not to mention their difficulty in finding a proper name for the superhero or their initial disappointment at the fact that he can't fly.
What also makes this movie fun is the almost child-like innocence and joy that Billy experiences as he realizes what kind of powers he has inherited...loved when he and Freddy encountered the thieves in the convenience store and Freddy immediately knew that the thieves had to shoot Billy in the face to determine whether or not Billy is bulletproof or if it's the suit. I also LOVED when Billy was strutting through the mall charging everyone's cell phones. Turning his group home family into superheros was a lot of fun but it should have happened a little sooner. The whole story just could have been a little tighter.
Director David F. Sandberg has employed first rate production values in pulling off this terrific popcorn movie, with special nods to film editing, sound, and visual effects. Zachary Levi appears to be having a ball in the starring role and golden-voiced Mark Strong made an impressive Dr. Sivani, but the real scene-stealer here was Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy, who impressed a couple of years ago in It. Grazer steals every scene he's in. This overlong but effective combination of comedy and CGI action has a wide appeal that should make it appealing to multiple demographics.
It takes a minute to get going and it takes a little too long to wrap things up, but the 2019 spectacle Shazam is an eye-popping, slam-bang comic book adventure that takes just about any comic book movie we've seen and mixes in a generous portion of the Tom Hanks classic Big to give us something quite unlike anything we've seen.
So this spoiled son of a rich businessman named Thad Sivana and a 15- year old orphan who lives in a group home named Billy Batson have both been summoned by a Wizard named Shazam to be his Champion. Billy was selected to be the Champion but Thad was rejected and was endowed the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins. It's not long before Billy discovers that uttering the word "shazam" turns him into a superhero of undetermined powers, but Dr. Sivana is not happy with the power of the Seven Deadly Sins and has decided he wants to be Champion instead and, after destroying his father's company and murdering his father and brother, goes after Billy Batson to steal his powers.
What gives this story an air of distinction is that Billy's adventures are carefully monitored by Freddy, a crippled kid who also lives in the group home, who works tirelessly to get Billy to embrace his new life as a superhero, as well as helping Billy determine exactly what kind of powers he has. Of course, as expected in a situation like this, Freddy begins to take advantage of his friends' new powers while, at the same time, Billy's powers start to go to his head and starts blowing Billy off.
Screenwriter Henry Gayden is to be applauded for his seamless blending of comic book fantasy and childhood friendship even if it is overly-detailed. The opening scenes with the Wizard go on way too long and are a might confusing. but once Billy becomes aware of his powers, this is where the movie becomes so much fun. Remember those scenes of Peter Parker experimenting with his new powers in the Sam Rami Spiderman? Well this movie takes that to a whole new level as we watch Billy and Freddy trying to figure out exactly what Billy's new powers are, not to mention their difficulty in finding a proper name for the superhero or their initial disappointment at the fact that he can't fly.
What also makes this movie fun is the almost child-like innocence and joy that Billy experiences as he realizes what kind of powers he has inherited...loved when he and Freddy encountered the thieves in the convenience store and Freddy immediately knew that the thieves had to shoot Billy in the face to determine whether or not Billy is bulletproof or if it's the suit. I also LOVED when Billy was strutting through the mall charging everyone's cell phones. Turning his group home family into superheros was a lot of fun but it should have happened a little sooner. The whole story just could have been a little tighter.
Director David F. Sandberg has employed first rate production values in pulling off this terrific popcorn movie, with special nods to film editing, sound, and visual effects. Zachary Levi appears to be having a ball in the starring role and golden-voiced Mark Strong made an impressive Dr. Sivani, but the real scene-stealer here was Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy, who impressed a couple of years ago in It. Grazer steals every scene he's in. This overlong but effective combination of comedy and CGI action has a wide appeal that should make it appealing to multiple demographics.