Shazam! is very different from other DC movies. Previously all of the films in the DC Extended Universe have been very dark and gritty. Shazam! on the other hand feels much more like a Marvel movie, it just wants to have fun and be entertaining, without taking itself too seriously.
Synopsis
Foster child Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is searching for his real mother, when he meets a wizard one day, who gives him his superpowers. This allows him to transform into a grown up superhero (Zachary Levy), whenever he says the word "Shazam".Meanwhile Mark Strong's character was rejected from the wizard when he was young and now he has found a way to bond with the Seven Deadly Sins instead. He is jealous of the chosen one and wants to take his powers, before Billy realizes his true potential.
Superheroes can be fun again
Recently most superhero movies have been pretty serious, even Marvel's Avengers got a lot darker after Infinity War, so it was refreshing to see a very simple and lighthearted superhero movie again. Director David F. Sandberg did a good job and he managed to find the right balance between funny and too cheesy.Both Asher Angel and Zachary Levy were a good fit for the role and were able to flawlessly skip between young child and grown up, without alienating the viewers. Seeing a young boy in the body of a man in his thirtees was one of the highlights of the movie. Especially the scenes, where they were trying to find out what his superpowers are, where a lot of fun to watch.
There was also a nice surprise during the end fight, which leaves a lot of potential for further sequels. I'm also curious how they will integrate his character into the Justice League. Maybe he is exactly what is missing in the DC right now and could help them find a better balance between fun and serious heroes. The Flash would certainly be happy about it.
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