Shazam!

Easy watching, some funny bits. Starts off well but then gets a bit muddled in its ideas and a bit 'seen it all before'. I think the 7/10 is accurate but it a good seven.

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.

It was pretty much exactly what I expected which is a really enjoyable and lighthearted superhero film with some funny moments and that will be enough for most people but it just didn't blow me away. No way this is a 10 like some are suggesting and to nitpick, adult Billy acts nothing like young Billy at all. Don't get me wrong - its still a fun movie which I can recommend.

Technically a 6.5, but definitely not anything to be thrilled about, as there isn't much novelty. I'm not familiar with the comics so I had no special expectations. I can honestly say it was a fun movie, but I just don't see where the glowing praise is coming from.

Story-wise, it does its job without much surprise or imagination. The little drama with Billy searching for his long-lost mom, while being unable to accept companionship from others, is alright. The special FX are good, but there aren't any mindblowing scenes (no real fighting or magic other than smoke and lightning). I didn't mind the villain being one-note, but I wish they did something better than the old "7 deadly sins," or at the very least been more creative with the designs (which look like clay concept models of generic gargoyles and you couldn't even tell which sin was which).

Maybe I'm just cynical, but I didn't find it very funny. Sure I had a few smirks and chuckles now and then, but there wasn't anything roaringly hilarious. If the trailers didn't exactly make you LOL, then you'd probably won't within the full movie. The comparisons to a kid-friendly Deadpool are apt, but without the wackiness that "seals the deal" as most of the jokes are simple/cheesy/cheap (At the very beginning, Billy steals a cop's lunch bag while he pleads against it. Later on he uses his adult form to buy beer and visit a strip club like every teenage boy's wishes. That's pretty much the bar of humor throughout, besides the numerous "Look what I can do!" moments of discovery for the powers.)

There's a large disconnect between the ever-brooding Billy and the upbeat Shazam, almost like a reverse Jekyll/Hyde. I'd be pretty stoked too if I suddenly gained superpowers, but neither character is a natural extension. And except for Freddy, everyone is entirely one-dimensional and stereotypical: overly enthusiastic foster parents, the tech-wizard gamer Asian, the sweet 16-type daughter going off to college, bullies, etc. Billy has probably less than 10 minutes shown interacting with the fosters that him eventually accepting them as family is a giant, unsatisfying leap.

Overall, it's highly forgettable, but kids will enjoy it, assuming they won't be affected by the CG monsters.