SHAZAM! (2019) ***

Shazam! is the second-best movie starring a Captain Marvel released in the last four weeks.  It’s easily one of the weaker recent DC superhero movies too.  What keeps it afloat is the plucky, jubilant, and endearing performance by star Zachary Levi.

Foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is not happy in his new home.  While dodging some bullies, he hops on a subway and finds himself transported to the mystical lair of a wizard (Djmon Hounsou, who was also in Captain Marvel, coincidentally) who imbues him with superpowers.  Since his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Glazer) knows all about superhero shit (he has a shrine in his room to Superman and Batman), he enlists his help to test out his superpowers.  Trouble brews when the evil Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), empowered with no less than the Seven Deadly Sins, comes lurking around seeking to drain Billy of his power.

Like the main character, Shazam! seems to be going through an awkward phase.  Long stretches are dark, brooding, and gloomy.  It even threatens to turn into a balls-out horror movie at certain points (which is fitting I guess since it was directed by Annabelle:  Creation’s David F. Sandberg).  Other sequences play like a superhero version of Big (there’s even a direct homage to that film) where a boy trapped in a man’s body takes advantage of being a grown-up (buying beer, going to a strip club, etc.).  These scenes score big laughs, mostly due to the hilarious turn by Levi.  

The superhero scenes are clearly the better, breezier sections.  While the Seven Deadly Sins look better than most generic CGI monsters found in these things (they sort of resemble a stop-motion Harryhausen creation), the scenes where they are unleashed are surprisingly gruesome and a tad unnecessary in what is essentially a kid’s movie.  The tone is out of whack, more so than in Justice League, which tends to keep Shazam! from flying high.

There’s a good message here.  Family is where you find it, and all that.  It’s nothing we haven’t seen before though.  However, the family scenes are held together by the dynamite ensemble cast that help the film over its cliched passages.  

Jarring tonal shifts aside, Sandberg delivers on the superhero mashing.  The scenes of Shazam testing out his powers are quite funny, and the Found Footage shots of Freddy filming Shazam doing superhero shit are kept to a minimum.  The superhero brawls are well done and the finale (which I will not spoil) leaves me hopeful for more Shazams in the near future.

Strong makes for a solid villain.  He’s all business, and Levi makes an excellent foil for his no-nonsense demeanor.  I also enjoyed his scenes with the legendary John Glover who plays Strong’s father.  

The movie really belongs to Levi.  He’s so charming and funny that you kind of forgive the movie for its lapses.  It’s probably not the ideal vehicle for the character as it often uses the premise as an excuse to spoof the genre, but the bottom line is that Shazam! is just plain fun.   

DC Extended Universe Scorecard: 

Batman v Superman:  Dawn of Justice: ****
Man of Steel: ****
Aquaman: *** ½
Wonder Woman: *** ½
Justice League: *** ½
Shazam!:  ***
Suicide Squad: ***

2019 Comic Book Movie Scorecard:

Alita:  Battle Angel:  ***
Captain Marvel:  ***
Shazam!: ***