Run Time: 2h 12m
Directed By: David F. Sandberg
IMDb: 7/10
Rotten Tomato: 90%
Budget: $125 million
Box Office: $367.8 million
Back in 2019, when DC was struggling with their live-action movies (still struggling), Shazam! was released just 21 days before Avengers: Endgame, one of the most hyped movies of all time. And yet, it remained relevant on the internet, was praised by audiences, and turned out to be a successful movie despite having such big competition. As a DC fan, I felt a bit relieved that they had finally started making good films that also made money.
The movie follows the story of a 14-year-old foster kid named Billy Batson. One day, he’s mysteriously chosen by an ancient wizard to become his champion. By uttering the word ‘Shazam,’ Billy is transformed into an adult superhero with incredible powers, including super strength, speed, and the ability to control electricity. Though Billy gains an adult body, he remains a teenager at heart. He discovers his super abilities alongside his foster brother, Freddy Freeman. Throughout the movie, he faces Dr. Sivana, the supervillain (hope that’s not a spoiler).
Who is Dr. Sivana? How did he become a supervillain? And what’s his problem with Billy? You’ll get the answers when you watch this 132-minute movie.
Spoiler alert: You’ll love it.
What I Liked About This Movie
Well Written: While watching Shazam!, I found something that most superhero movies lack these days—a well-written, balanced story. That’s the main reason why the movie was a box-office success, despite its relatively low budget (for a superhero film) and huge competition.
To explain what makes Shazam!’s writing so good, I need to mention a few specific points:
- Tone of the Movie: One characteristic of DCEU movies is their dark tone, which sometimes feels unnecessary or overdone. But Shazam! stands out by blending humor and heartwarming moments, making it different from other DC movies. The comic relief from Freddy Freeman or adult Billy makes the movie much more enjoyable, but these comedic scenes never feel over the top or undermine the serious aspects of the story.
- Character Development: The characters are well-developed in this movie, especially our protagonist, Billy Batson, aka Shazam. His journey from a troubled, rebellious teen to a hero who understands family values and responsibilities was really touching and engaging. Other supporting characters, like his foster family members, were also well-developed despite having limited screen time. That’s the brilliance of the writing.
- Villain: Analyzing Dr. Sivana’s character could belong to the previous bullet point, but I thought he deserved a separate shoutout, hehe. We all know Dr. Sivana isn’t one of the A-list villains in DC Comics, so I wasn’t expecting him to be a super-threatening guy in the movie. But as a villain, Dr. Sivana’s motivation was clear and logical. His character was written in such a way that he serves as a solid foil to Billy/Shazam. I liked Dr. Sivana as the villain so much.
- Theme: Shazam! effectively establishes the theme of the value of family and responsibility towards them. The parallel between Billy Batson and Dr. Sivana is built on the difference in their family connections. When Fast & Furious tries the same thing, it feels cringe, but Shazam! gives off a heartwarming vibe instead. The movie also touches on the idea that “great power comes with great responsibility,” which worked really well for this story. Why don’t we see more of this in superhero movies anymore?
Emotional Connection: The movie does an excellent job of connecting the audience with its characters’ emotions. It did for me, at least. The struggles of Billy Batson, the warm and loving diverse foster family, and the backstory of Dr. Sivana touched me deeply. When you feel the same emotional connection with the characters on screen, the movie becomes much more enjoyable, and Shazam! is one of those films that will connect you with its characters.
Acting: In the movie, an outstanding performance from the lead characters was expected, and the expectations were fulfilled. Both Asher Angel (who played young Billy Batson) and Zachary Levi (Shazam/adult form of Billy) nailed their roles. Young Billy goes through some serious emotional moments, and Asher Angel was extraordinary. Zachary, on the other hand, perfectly captured the essence of a young boy in an adult body. While watching, I completely forgot that he’s an adult in real life. Also, Jack Dylan Grazer stole the spotlight as Freddy Freeman, one of Billy’s foster brothers, with his tremendous performance. I gotta say, he became my favorite character in the movie.
The rest of the actors were ‘OK’ in their roles—neither remarkable nor bad. I did like the little Darla character, though. She’s so cute.
What Didn’t I Like About This Movie?
Maybe I’m biased as a DC fan, but I didn’t find much that I didn’t like about the movie. However, there were a couple of things that could have been improved:
CGI: We all know that superhero movies these days set a high standard for CGI and VFX to be hyper-realistic. And Shazam! falls short of that standard. In the movie, there are a bunch of CGI monsters (not going into details on them), but they don’t look very realistic. I mean, they’re not as unrealistic as Green Lantern, but it’s still a negative aspect of the movie. Given that Shazam! had a really tight budget, the reason behind the less impressive special effects is understandable. To be honest, a little bit of unrealistic CGI doesn’t bother me that much as long as the movie has a good story.
Shazam-Sivana Fight: Two extremely powerful guys in a superhero movie who can also fly—a fight between them should be legendary, maybe like the Superman-Zod fight in Man of Steel (2013). But in Shazam!, the fight between Shazam and Dr. Sivana wasn’t up to the mark or as I expected. And here comes the budget issue again.
One of Shazam’s powers is ‘the courage of Achilles,’ yet he doesn’t show the courage to stand against the evil guy until the end. Instead, he spends most of the time running from Sivana, which also seemed a bit odd.
Who Should Watch and Who Shouldn’t?
The premise, teaser, and trailer of Shazam! may feel like it’s a kid’s movie, but trust me, the film has enough elements to resonate with adults as well. I watched it as an adult, and if you’ve read this far, you know I loved the movie. I think almost everyone will have a good time watching Shazam!.
However, the movie may disappoint you if you prefer some badass action scenes in superhero movies. But hey, a good story is better than anything, right?
