Read Logan's review of Shazam!
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong). David F. Sandberg (“Annabelle: Creation”) directs New Line Cinema’s “Shazam!,” the origin story that stars Zachary Levi (TV’s “Chuck”) as the titular DC Super Hero, along with Mark Strong (the “Kingsman” movies) in the role of Super-Villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, and Asher Angel (TV’s “Andi Mack”) as Billy Batson. Peter Safran (“Aquaman,” “The Conjuring” and “Annabelle” films) produced the film. “Shazam!” also stars Jack Dylan Grazer (“IT”) as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, and Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) as the Wizard. The cast also includes Faithe Herman (TV’s “This is Us”), Grace Fulton (“Annabelle: Creation”), Ian Chen (TV’s “Fresh Off the Boat”), Jovan Armand (TV’s “Hawaii Five-0”), Marta Milans (TV’s “Killer Women”) and Cooper Andrews (TV’s “The Walking Dead”).
Shazam! is in theaters on April 5th, 2019.
In the new era of DC films, in my opinion there’s only been two winners so far, with Man
of Steel and Wonder Woman, but I am happy to say that Shazam is also a winner! Shazam is a
story about a 15-year-old boy, Billy Batson, gaining the abilities to say one word, and transform
into a hero with more abilities than Superman. Thankfully, the tone and script that is delivered
on screen perfectly embodies this concept. Shazam is the Elf of superhero movies!
Asher Angel plays young Billy Batson, and I was very surprised by this kid’s acting
abilities. Billy hasn’t had the easiest life, being a foster child that never found a place of
belonging, and the script allows the character of Billy to have some strong emotional moments
throughout the film, and Asher plays them beautifully.
The other standout young actor Jack Dylan Grazer plays Freddy Freeman, Billy’s disabled
foster-brother and absolutely hilarious addition to this film. You may recognize Grazer as one of
the standouts from 2017’s IT remake, and he does not disappoint in this one either. He also has
a few small moments of deep emotion, and he embodies it fully. The kid’s and their experiences
are what allows the audience to care about these characters and they give the film a ton of
heart.
What makes this film a homerun is Zachary Levi as Billy Batson’s alter ego Shazam! Levi
is to Shazam, what Ryan Reynolds is to Deadpool. It’s as if they were born to play these
characters. In his performance, never does it feel like a grown man is playing this superhero.
You always understand that this is a 15-year-old boy who is either having the time of his life
with these powers, or a nervous wreck with the responsibilities the powers require of him.
Shazam’s chemistry with Freddy is phenomenal, you love every second of when the two are on
screen together. I could have a full movie of them sitting in the same room bickering like
siblings do.
If I had to give a negative, it might be the relatively clueless and one-dimensional villain
Docter Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The character is supposed to be so intelligent that he’s
gained unlimited financial resources but seems to completely look past the obvious signs of
being used as a puppet throughout the film. The script attempts to make it seem like he has
real motivations for his actions, but in reality, it’s a 40-year-old man that’s lived his entire life
angry about one moment as a child. But I will say, with a child as the main hero of the story,
having a classic mustache twisting villain opposite him makes for an incredibly fun movie.
Overall, I had an absolute blast with Shazam! I look forward to a bright future with this
franchise and hope to see it continue for many years to come. Definitely go check this one out
in theaters! It deserves to be seen on the big screen, with a crowd that you can laugh along
with! DC is on the right path!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Logan (Contributor) is a Texas native and a massive fan of all genres of film. You can find him talking about movies on YouTube or in line for the latest Star Wars/Comic Book film.Click Here to check out Logan's Articles.