Shazam!

So I finally decided to give this a go and I have to say, I'm a little annoyed I waited this long, because it's a very fun film.

So what put me off initially was that from the trailer it seemed a bit too silly and childish and I'm not too fond of that humour. But I have to say it was done very well and I didn't find it daft at all.

So as my title says, I did find the film I little predictable. You could see what direction the film was heading in early doors and it never really veered from that path. I felt like it was just missing that "wow" factor to break this movie into 8/10 and beyond. It was very down the middle lane kind of film, which don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with that. But I just wanted a little more.

Sticking with the plot theme. It kept me entertained throughout and I remained interested for the entire 2 hours or so. So clearly it did something right! My only negative on this subject was that I thought they expanded in the wrong areas. So the first 45 mins or so was developing the characters so we didn't even see "Shazam" until 45 mins in. Then it sort of whizzed through the 'dealing with the idea he has powers' phase and went straight into the overly long end sequence. I feel like they could have done more with the mid section and even shortened the beginning and end to do so.

Beyond that though I thought the characters were great and they were all likeable and the arcs were also fun and interesting to get stuck in. And overall it was just enjoyable and a fun watch. It does what you expect it to do! The humour isn't over the top, stupid nor overdone and it's not complicated either. Yeah I'd recommend this if you're debating it. It's enjoyable!

The DC Universe has been a mess since day one.

What with one facial expression Cavill and him slapping the fans in the face bailing. Affleck's solo movie being on hold and then him slapping the fans in the face bailing. Them rushing into Justice League without establishing the characters. All the drama around Suicide Squad with Leto after the editor got a bit over zealous. And of course the inconsistent tone and just underwhelming quality.

Shazam looked promising, but was it really a good idea for them to go further away from the dark tone people are used to? And is "Shazam" really a character that can carry the franchise on his back now Batman and Superman have gone walkies?

Truth be told I liked the trailer, but only in the sense that I didn't view it as a DCU movie. It looked like a fun family film and I was fairly looking forward to it, I did however think it would be predictable Hollywood stuff and the trailer is basically the entire film compressed.

Well, I was right. It's exactly that, but it's also an enjoyable enough little take your brain out movie.

Levi is great as our lead, Strong hams it up suitably as our villain and the supporting cast (Mostly kids) do a passable enough job. The movie is big, flashy and exactly what you'd expect if you saw the trailer.

So it's fun, it is but it's not without its flaws. It's tacky, badly so in places whereas in others the CGI makes me think that somebody overpaid the SFX team by a tremendous amount. Then you have the plot and the general delivery which is basically exactly what you'd expect with absolutely no surprises. It's a Hollywood film, and as usual they play it very safe and by the numbers.

In my opinion this has done the DC Universe absolutely no favors, this isn't a character that will save the franchise and I still believe they need a miracle to turn things around.

Regardless it's fun dumb stuff and a perfectly passable little film.

The Good:

Great laughs

At least John Cena never got the lead role *Shudders*

A fair bit of fun

The Bad:

Some sfx are unforgivably ropey

Generic, tacky, Hollywood stuff

Asher Angel looks like Maisie Williams, seriously it oddly confused me throughout the film

This movie brings some refreshment to a superhero genre, but still, it's nothing special, just your typical movie from this genre. Super corny characters and "deep" sub-plot. If you want to watch something fun and family-friendly it's a good choice.

My only previous reference to Shazam! is the 70s morning TV series that Michael Gray and Les Tremayne starred in with two different actor playing the adult Captain Marvel. It was shot on a shoestring budget with Gray and Tremayne wearing the same clothing every episode.

No budgetary expense here was spared in Shazam! the movie. We get some background on the teen Billy Batson who is in a group home in Philadelphia and wants to find his parents. He's not a bad kid, but a mischievous one who is the troublemaker for the adults at the home.

One fine day he's contacted from an alternate world and given the power of a superhero. Which he's fine with, but not sure how to use. Asher Angel is Billy and the adult superhero he can transform himself to is Zachary Levi. Watching Levi as the adult is like watching Adam Sandler. Maybe the producers tried for Sandler originally.

Things go great until he runs into a super villain Mark Strong. It seems back in the day when Strong was a kid he entered the same realm, but was rejected. Now he's back having aligned himself with demon forces.

Shazam! for all its technical wizardry is a show for kids of all ages. By the way no name for the superhero is decided so you will not hear Captain Marvel.

That comes in a sequel I'm sure.

General Thoughts:

The most fun I've had in a superhero movie since...well I was going to say Infinity War but that plotline is not very fun. Point is: this movie is fun. It really feels like it was made for kids, with a sprinkling of adult themes here and there. As someone who is suffering from extreme super hero fatigue, this is an excellent film to enjoy without having to put too much thought into it.

The Good:

The characters do not feel like they make stupid decisions. Every time I was questioning something that was being done, I could essentially chalk it up to the kids being...well kids. The film treats its children like children in the best way. There is no profound philosophical dialogue coming from the mouth of an eight year old. The film was just plain fun.

The Bad:

There are some minor continuity errors throughout the film that would not distract most people but if you are thinking about the film-making it may take you out of the film for the briefest of moments. Two examples I can think of are characters swapping their locations very quickly (likely in-between takes), and a character flying through the air faster than a plane with absolutely no wind affecting him or his clothing whatsoever. The movie does make up for this with a comical flight scene near the end of the film which I wont spoil.