April 01, 2019



Shazam! is in theaters on April 5th, 2019.

In the new era of DC films, in my opinion there’s only been two winners so far, with Man of Steel and Wonder Woman, but I am happy to say that Shazam is also a winner! Shazam is a story about a 15-year-old boy, Billy Batson, gaining the abilities to say one word, and transform into a hero with more abilities than Superman. Thankfully, the tone and script that is delivered on screen perfectly embodies this concept. Shazam is the Elf of superhero movies!

Asher Angel plays young Billy Batson, and I was very surprised by this kid’s acting abilities. Billy hasn’t had the easiest life, being a foster child that never found a place of belonging, and the script allows the character of Billy to have some strong emotional moments throughout the film, and Asher plays them beautifully.

The other standout young actor Jack Dylan Grazer plays Freddy Freeman, Billy’s disabled foster-brother and absolutely hilarious addition to this film. You may recognize Grazer as one of the standouts from 2017’s IT remake, and he does not disappoint in this one either. He also has a few small moments of deep emotion, and he embodies it fully. The kid’s and their experiences are what allows the audience to care about these characters and they give the film a ton of heart.

What makes this film a homerun is Zachary Levi as Billy Batson’s alter ego Shazam! Levi is to Shazam, what Ryan Reynolds is to Deadpool. It’s as if they were born to play these characters. In his performance, never does it feel like a grown man is playing this superhero. You always understand that this is a 15-year-old boy who is either having the time of his life with these powers, or a nervous wreck with the responsibilities the powers require of him. Shazam’s chemistry with Freddy is phenomenal, you love every second of when the two are on screen together. I could have a full movie of them sitting in the same room bickering like siblings do.

If I had to give a negative, it might be the relatively clueless and one-dimensional villain Docter Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The character is supposed to be so intelligent that he’s gained unlimited financial resources but seems to completely look past the obvious signs of being used as a puppet throughout the film. The script attempts to make it seem like he has real motivations for his actions, but in reality, it’s a 40-year-old man that’s lived his entire life angry about one moment as a child. But I will say, with a child as the main hero of the story, having a classic mustache twisting villain opposite him makes for an incredibly fun movie.

Overall, I had an absolute blast with Shazam! I look forward to a bright future with this franchise and hope to see it continue for many years to come. Definitely go check this one out in theaters! It deserves to be seen on the big screen, with a crowd that you can laugh along with! DC is on the right path!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5


LoganLogan (Contributor) is a Texas native and a massive fan of all genres of film. You can find him talking about movies on YouTube or in line for the latest Star Wars/Comic Book film.
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