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Shazam Non-Spoiler Movie Review


JayC

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Do you remember the 80’s movie “Big” starring Tom Hanks where the character who was a kid made a wish to be an adult then woke up the next day in an adult body and quickly had to really learn what it means to be an adult? Well, take that premise and add the powers of Superman to the equation - and that is essentially what you have with Shazam, the latest DC Comics based film from Warner Bros.

The movie is definitely light-hearted (no dark Man Of Steel storytelling here) and fun which I think makes it a good film for kids and most adults who are fans of the Shazam comics or even the old classic TV series. Zachary Levi who plays Billy Baston/Shazam, like Tom Hanks before him, does a good job of portraying a kid in the body of an adult who has now been endowed with incredible powers. Jack Dylan Grazer who becomes Billy’s best friend and semi-teacher also does a nice job portraying what it would be like as a kid who has to help take on an incredible responsibility.

While the movie is good and will make you laugh more than once, I can’t say the movie is really epic either. Even at its most serious points, the movie fails to really grab you. Mark Strong, who plays the villain character known as Doctor Sivana, does his best to seem threatening, but you never really feel that dramatic impact you should when the hero and the villain stand-off against one-another.

Like the rest of the movie, the special effects were decent but not epic. There were a few scenes that came off a little too CGI-looking.

For those hoping this movie gets things back on track for Warner Bros. all encompassing DC Universe building, don’t expect too much. Similar to Aquaman, there are a few minor references to a larger DC Universe, but nothing that really builds upon that in any significant way. Several other DC heroes are referenced throughout the movie but mostly in a jesting way such as Shazam throwing a Batman toy at Sivana during one of the fight scenes.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the movie as a lighthearted take on the super hero world, but the lack of any real DC Universe building was disappointing to me. Honestly, I am not sure if that is really even a goal for Warner Bros. anymore. I did like it better than Aquaman and probably rate it up there with Wonder Woman, but I can’t say this movie got me overly invested in the characters or the universe long term which I felt was a lost opportunity.

There is two after-credit scenes. The first one is a possible opening for things to come and the second like the rest of the movie, is fun.

Grade: B

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And just to be clear I did enjoy the movie but if my review seems more negative than it should for a movie I liked, it's probably influenced with my overall unhappiness with WB and their seemingly lack of a real plan for a DCU. I guess I am spoiled by Marvel but if these movies don't lead you to something bigger its hard for me at least to get as invested in them

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I just got back from the Fandango Preview Screening. I really enjoyed the movie. I think they did a great job of fleshing out the characters of Billy and Freddy, and even Sivana.

 

I would say the CGI was a bit iffy at points but that didn’t really bother me. The humor was great and there were more horror elements than I anticipated. 

 

Overall it was a lot of fun. 

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7 hours ago, krashman5000 said:

"There is one after-credit scene which, like the rest of the movie, is fun."


At my showing there is 1 mid credit & 1 after credit scene.

You are absolutely right, the second one totally slipped my mind but actually is more important. I updated the review.

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Loved this movie!. Lot of deep cuts if you grew up reading The Power of Shazam or the Fawcett Captain Marvel comics. I do think there's a little bit of weirdness where the characters seem really well versed in stuff they never learned about, but maybe the scenes showing them find those things out messed up the pacing. Hope we get deleted scenes on DVD if that's the case.

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I never really had high hopes for this movie, Ill still watch it but I wasnt one of those people who was hoping DC got back on the right track after this movie, heck I was expecting nearly nothing with Aquaman and was still disapointed (even though I knew what I was going into when I saw it) at this point I onnly keep going to watch DC movies to the theatre to support comicbook movies as a whole (same as the x-men movies), I dont expect anything form them but In my opinion if I dont support them a little soon theyll stop making comic book movies, also if these do good in the box office even if they arent the best movies it gives us a chance to get less know character movies from other companies like Dredd did, the Spawn movie hopefully we'll end up getting, Hellboy and hopefully more of characters that arent of the big 2 Comic Studios

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I had the chance to see an early fan screening through WB, but I couldn't get the day off so I'll have to wait and see it, which is fine. I'm really looking forward to this one. Before this movie was announced, if you asked me what DC superheroes I thought should get their own movies I'd say Orion and Shazam. Now we just need an Orion movie, come on, DC! 
I think DC is on the right track, and they're ahead of the curve in a way. DC reps have said many times they aren't as concerned with doing a shared universe. I'm sure some films will be in the same universe, but there isn't one big story to tell that links all the films together. But Fiege from Marvel has said that after Endgame that'll be the case at Marvel as well. I think it's a good idea for DC to have the freedom that Marvel never had to tell elseworld stories and even tell stories with a few iterations of the same character. Like having the Pheonix Joker film and having a more classic Joker in another universe. I guess it's all about personal preference, but this is what DC should be doing in my opinion. Telling elseworld stories and one off films that don't need to be connected to each other, but a few that could be. Then later down the line, you can expand one of those universes more than the others, but continue to tell the elseworld stories too. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I saw it Thursday and I thought it was great! A funny movie that has a few moments that hit me right in the feels. I hope we see more of Shazam in the future. 
I also hope we get an import or a Mezco Shazam, that would be cool! 

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