Shazam!

DC has moved away from their gritty and all too serious, dark tone that never really worked so well. They dabbled with comedy in Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017), but we all know how those turned out. David Sandberg‘s 2019 film Shazam! tells the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a young orphan in search of his biological mother who ends up being given the powers of a magical wizard. He is found by Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), who, as a child, was not given the powers Billy eventually receives, and thus spends his whole life trying to revisit the Rock of Eternity in order to acquire the powers of Shazam but instead harnesses the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins. By the end, Billy Batson as Shazam (Zachary Levi), along with the help of his brothers and sisters of the group home he became a part of, manage to all acquire magical wizard powers and defeat Dr. Sivana and trap the Seven Deadly Sins once again. As you can imagine, a 13-year-old boy receiving magical wizard powers that turns him into an insanely powerful adult can create some humorous and relatable circumstances.

Through its juvenile atmosphere and tone, Shazam! takes DC’s comedy to a different level by playfully mocking superhero tropes and being lighthearted with its storyline. While this is definitely the most enjoyable DC movie I have experienced in recent memory, there are many moments when the comedy just falls flat. Because of character/story tropes and cheesy dialogue, it can be easy to roll your eyes at this movie. Don’t let this deter you, though; Shazam!’s charm makes these awkward moments worthwhile. The movie has been described as “Big (1988) meets Superman” and it’s hard not to think of those two things when watching this movie. In fact, one of my favorite moments in Shazam! is when Shazam stumbles through a toy store and runs across a giant floor piano, much like the ever beloved infamous scene from Big. Of course, the villain is your classic DC Extended Universe villain whose main goal is to acquire more power. I am satisfied, though, with the active choice to kick off the film with the villain’s backstory in order to create sympathy and give him something for us as the audience to relate to. Childhood, family, and acceptance are themes that are littered throughout the film and easily resonate with the audience. In classic superhero fashion, Shazam! leaves audiences set up to expect a sequel, which I am looking forward to. With Avengers: Endgame (2019) just a couple weeks away, it will be easy to forget about Shazam!, so be sure to catch it in theaters before then!