Since the DC Extended Universe was conceived, it has been trying too hard to do what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has already accomplished. With “Shazam!”, DC has finally given us something unique and special that stands out on its own. Director David Sandberg’s “Shazam!” follows the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a 14-year-old in foster care, who is granted powers by a wizard that allow him to transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi).
The greatest strength of “Shazam!” lies in Levi’s portrayal of a teenager in a super-powered adult body. His performance is truly delightful, and his comedic timing is perfect. He actually acts exactly like a real teen would in his position, that is as much a credit to the writers as it is to Levi. Billy doesn’t immediately turn into a hero as soon as he gets powers. Instead, he uses his new adult form to buy beer, prank bullies and show off for girls. Telling the story of a child superhero is what helps this film stand out amongst other superhero flicks. It brings a freshness to the genre that has been lacking recently. The film is also absolutely hilarious, and its self-aware humor had me laughing the whole way through. The film also offers up great score from Benjamin Wallfisch.
The true heart of this film can be found within Billy’s relationship with his newfound foster family, especially with his foster brother Freddy, played by the talented Jack Dylan Grazer. Freddy is a disabled kid obsessed with superheroes who acts as Billy’s coach when he obtains his new powers. Their relationship was the emotional core of the film and led to some heartwarming moments. The rest of the family dynamic was also a lot of fun to watch as Billy had four other quirky foster siblings and two awesome foster-parents, played by Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans. It was refreshing to see a positive representation of foster care, something that has unfortunately been lacking in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, “Shazam!” falls under the trend of underdeveloped villains that has plagued superhero films for decades now. Mark Strong does a fine job of portraying Doctor Sivana, however the character himself is rather bland. He was at least given an okay backstory, but that wasn’t enough to make him stand out. Also, I wasn’t a big fan of his minions. I won’t spoil what they were, but I didn’t like their design and CGI work, and I just thought they were weird. Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the villain, it didn’t really take that much away from the film for me. This story was more about introducing and developing Billy as a hero, so I was fine with the villain taking a backseat to allow for Billy to truly shine.
The biggest issue of the film is its pacing. The film was two hours and twelve minutes. It easily could have been an hour fifty, but the third act dragged on way too long. The opening scene, serving as a backstory for the villain, was also awkward and longer than needed. The special effects were done pretty well except for the flying and the minions I mentioned before. The visuals were also very bland looking. The cinematography didn’t do anything special and the color pallet wasn’t as vibrant as it should have been to fit the upbeat, goofy vibe of the film.
Even the weak villain and pacing issues can’t keep “Shazam!” from flying high as the DCEU brings us a fun, hilarious and feel-good story that has something special to offer the superhero genre. Even though the film’s story does play into some of the familiar clichés, there are still some great surprises in the third act to keep things from being too predictable. I recommend this film to anyone who likes the superhero and comedy genres. Fingers crossed we get a sequel starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Black Adam.
