A movie review written by Lee Sonogan
2hrs,12mins (2019) Action, Adventure, Comedy
Originally published on entertainmentcultureonline.com
Being a nice addition to the new and variety DC Comics films, Zachary Levi plays the kid turned adult superhero Shazam! With little references to other movies within the DC Comics franchise, almost anyone could easily pick up this movie and watch it. Even people who are not normally fans of this superhero-like genre. Saying this, even though it has its own style, the tone may not appeal to everyone’s liking.
Shazam: So this is like the Seven Deadly Sins, right? I mean, I’ve never been great at math, but, uh, the big angry one, that’s Wrath, yeah? And then Gluttony, obvi. Pride, Greed, Sloth, Lust, who I thought was gonna be way hotter, if I’m being honest. But that’s only six.
As mentioned by the Wizard at the start of the story, SHAZAM is an acronym formed from the names of the gods that grant powers: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Shazam! originally known as Captain Marvel was the subject of Hollywood’s first-ever superhero film adaptation: Republic Pictures’ Adventures of Captain Marvel in 1941.
Disappointed that The Rock was not in this movie to portray the character, Black Adam, I now know originally, this was going to be one film with Shazam and Black Adam meeting and clashing, but the producers decided to split the film into two origin films for both characters, with Black Adam (2021) being its own story. Mark Stong who played the villainous Dri. Sivana performed a decent job in his origin story.
Not entirely as bad as it looks, this film knows what it is. Stating my feedback, while I enjoy the comedy side to it, the story and characters were too predictable for my liking. Understanding that some of these stereotypes are based on the source material, the overall flow was here and there. Still excited to see Black Adam in 2021, if they want a higher score from me, then they should get more innovative in the next script. Do not want the video provided below if you do not wanna see SPOILERS!
7.05/10
Billy Batson: SHAZAM!
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