“Shazam!”: a fun, enjoyable movie enters the DC Cinematic Universe
Many lifelong fans of comics have been waiting for a live-action adaptation of Shazam, a renown superhero that inspires from children to adults. “Shazam!”, directed by David F. Sandberg was released in China on April 5, attracting many fans and people looking for a family-friendly movie to watch. As a part of the DC Cinematic Universe, “Shazam!”, along with other recent movies such as “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman”, continues to set a brighter tone for DC, compared to other releases such as “Man of Steel,” and “Batman vs. Superman.”
Before its heroes and villains bit, “Shazam!” puts its main focus on the importance of family. Billy Batson, entertainingly played by Asher Angel, is the stereotypical troublemaker foster kid, always shown messing with the Philadelphia police and causing havoc for social workers. When welcomed by another foster home, (after running away from his previous ones) he is warmly met with Darla (Faith Herman), Eugene (Ian Chen), Freddy (Jack Dylan Glazer), and Pedro Pena (Jovan Armand), his step brothers and sisters. Despite of the love around him with this welcoming family, Billy’s main goal is to find his biological mother. The mix of his desire to find his mother, and the warmth of his new home sends a sweet message about how you choose the family that’s around you.
In his first comic appearance in 1940, Shazam was originally named ‘Captain Marvel.’ Photo Courtesy of DC Universe
The superpowers come to Billy randomly throughout the movie; with a single word, “shazam”, he transforms from a 15-year-old teenager to a classical-looking hero, charmingly played by Zachary Levi. Levi had the difficult role of acting the literal image of arrested development, pretending to be a teenager whenever Billy transforms into the Shazam identity. His performance was not consistent, however, many times I had noticed his behavior to be quite different from Asher’s, when they are supposed to be the same. Levi provided a more energized, bright teenager in a form of an adult, while Asher was mainly reserved, and had an angsty mood.
Although this movie sported a mediocre plot and the storying was nothing original, the comedic banter between Billy and Freddy, and the wholesome charm of his family made it up. It is a noticeable downgrade from the James Wan’s imaginative “A Shazam!”, but nevertheless, it is the perfect blockbuster movie with a straightforward purpose and significance to watch with your family and friends. It is enjoyable and engaging without any complicated symbolism or embedded philosophy in the way.
Featured image- Movie poster for “Shazam!” shows a more fun tone suited for a wider audience Photo Courtesy of DC Universe