Shazam!

Billy Batson is an innovative and motivated kid with a disregard for authority. His quest to find his mother lands him in the Vazquez group home with five other children. His roommate, Freddy, becomes Billy’s encyclopedia for all things superhero. This is particularly convenient given the sequence of events Billy stumbles into. He is chosen as the Champion of the Council of the Seven Wizards. This pits him against the Seven Deadly Sins and Dr. Sivana with the fate of the world resting in the balance.

Zachary Levi and Asher Angel are the duo tasked with playing Billy Batson. They are pitted against Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana. I almost don’t have to say that Strong is an accomplished villain. I caught myself from saying, “Of course they got Mark Strong” out loud in the theatre. This performance is on par with his other villainous accomplishments. His performance also acts as a counterweight to the levity brought to the table by Levi/Angel. The duo presents a flipped emotional spectrum. Levi offers buoyant and child-like scenes. When Angel is on screen, he carries a lot of the tired and disenchanted emotions typical of an adult. The supporting cast were excellent choices for this adventure. Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews (or, as I refer to him, Jerry) head up the Valaquez family with gentle touches. Jack Dylan Grazer, in particular, shone while simultaneously playing the roles of mentor and sidekick. The relationship between Freddy and Billy brings depth to the whole story, not just to our hero.

I can’t speak to the authenticity of the film to its comic book roots. This was not a collection I was familiar with before the film’s release. I lol’ ed when I went looking into the character’s literary past and found he was initially called Captain Marvel. Awkward given its release date. Shazam! follows in the steps of its big brother, Aquaman, by embracing self-deprecating and, at times, campy humor. We do get an undercurrent of more complex emotional conflict in Billy and Dr. Sivana; however, these are background elements. The main focus of this film is definitely fun and adventure. This might sound like I am about to knock Shazam! for being shallow or trivial, but that’s not where I am going.

Not every movie can be an Oscar winner or even an Oscar contender. If that were the case, people would probably not go to the movies as often. We’d get emotionally overloaded and burn out. This take on a DC staple was delightfully entertaining. Shazam! gives audiences an atypical superhero, one who can put down his personal angst when he dons the mantle. Sorry Batman, I like you a lot. Not throwing shade at you at all, just a refreshing difference. Billy Batson and the Valaquez family are people I would gladly spend another two hours with. Thanks to the Easter egg during the credits, I think I am going to get that chance.