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Shazam! Reviews: What CinemaBlend Thought Of DC's Newest Big Screen Hero
DC Comics is home to some of the biggest names in the entire superhero genre. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all call DC home. One character that predates most of DC's heroes is Shazam. However, while the character has a long history, he's not necessarily that well known by the average moviegoer. That may be about to change as the new Shazam! movie is finally here, and according to pretty much everybody here at CinemaBlend, it is absolutely worth seeing.
The CinemaBlend review for Shazam! was written by Managing Director Sean O'Connell who gave the film four out of five stars. Sean thought the film did a great job handling the necessary information requited in every superhero origin story, and was quite well cast, especially with Zachary Levi as Shazam. He's already looking forward to sequels.
More Shazam! movies will be welcome, so long as Zachary Levi remains in the suit. He’s the right lead for this blend of action and comedy, and while it doesn’t mean that every DC movie moving forward needs to embrace the lighter tones and smaller scale on display in Shazam!, I’m grateful that Sandberg brought that touch to this delightful material.
Zachary Levi plays Shazam, but he's only half of the main character. Asher Angel plays Billy Batson, the 14-year-old boy who gains the ability to transform into a superhero. The catch, is that grown-up Shazam still has the mind of Billy, so a 14-year-old boy is still the one navigating the world with these new found powers.
It's this premise which gives the movie license to be a bit lighter than your average superhero movie. This is what Marketing Editor Adrienne Jones particularly loved about Shazam! It sets itself apart from pretty much every other superhero movie out there.
Shazam! is exactly what DC (and superhero movies in general) needs right now because it's just pure fun. Zachary Levi throws his whole being into embodying a teen who becomes a superpowered adult, and he's surrounded by other wonderful performers who help make the movie a joy to watch while still being able to touch on some serious themes and, of course, throwing a few surprises our way. Can't wait for the sequel!
That feeling of fun, and love for Zachary Levi's performance, is echoed by Events Editor Eric Eisenberg. While the movie may be a fairly predictable origin story movie, it's one that has so much more going for it that you won't care.
DC is finally building a solid run: Shazam! is a delight! Its familiar origin structure is forgivable because of all the new it brings to the table - primarily it's gleeful, childlike enthusiasm, & heartfelt perspective on family. It's also the role Zachary Levi was born to play.
Staff Writer Mike Reyes largely feels the same way. He calls the movie familiar, but credits director David F. Sandberg with finding ways to make Shazam! feel different by including elements we don't always see in this genre.
Shazam! is a fun addition to the DC Comics canon of films, with a good heart and some well earned menace thrown into the usual superhero origin story. Which is probably why director David F. Sandberg's film most comes alive at the moments where it pivots to either the family drama of Billy Batson and his foster family or the creepy quest for power undertaken by the film's villain, Dr. Silvana. Put those two strong pillars together, and mix in an endearing performance by the ever solid Zachary Levi, and you've got yourself a fun, but very familiar, day at the movies!
Shazam! does a remarkably good job dealing with some of the problems that modern superhero movies tend to have. It gives a decent amount of screen time to the movies villain, Mark Strong as Doctor Silvana. By doing so, it helps develop the character better than the bad guys in most comic book films from DC or Marvel. He's also a fairly chilling character, making him feel more threatening and evil than most.
The movie also doesn't short change the human story. While Shazam the superhero has his battles to fight, Billy Batson the teenage orphan does too. He's dealing with trying to find his family, while also navigating the new foster family he's become part of. There's a lot going on in this movie, and somehow, it's able to juggle everything expertly.
CinemaBlend Editor Adam Holmes is another who loved the movie. However, he also really loved the particular way that this classic comic book hero was finally brought to the big screen.
Shazam! is a delightful DCEU entry that delivers on its promise of blending Big with superhero mythology. It effectively translates Shazam’s New 52 origin story to the big screen while also including elements from the character’s classic eras. The main cast also shines bright, particularly Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer. It’s about time that Shazam finally got to lead his own full-length theatrical film, and I’m looking forward to seeing more cinematic stories centered around the World’s Mightiest Mortal and his family.
CinemaBlend writer Sarah El-Mahmoud puts it as plainly as it can be done. She loved it. Even up against critical and crowd favorites like Wonder Woman, she thinks Shazam! is as good as DC has done to date.
I was not prepared for how good Shazam is!! Hands down my favorite thing DCEU has done so far.
As for myself, I absolutely adored this movie. It sort of runs the gamut of emotions. You'll laugh, you'll cheer, you might cry or even scream. As a particular fan of Zachery Levi since his days on Chuck, it's great to see him in a high profile role like this, and it's even better to see him knock it out of the park.
Shazam! is everything. It's got great action, great humor, some surprising scares, and real heart. Zachary Levi is the definition of perfect casting. Bring on the sequels.
Sometimes, all you want is a fun movie here a superhero fights a supervillain. Shazam! is absolutely that. It's also a lot more, but it's able to be more without losing the core parts of what makes a modern superhero movie that so many people love. Also, it's probably a lot funnier than Avengers: Endgame is going to be in a couple weeks.
What the future holds for Shazam in the DC Universe is anybody's guess. The movie's success at the box office this weekend, and in the long term, will certainly go a long way to determining that. But, if we do get sequels, you can bet that the CinemaBlend team will be looking forward to them. Considering that the movie is already doing better than expected at the box office, we're probably not the only ones.
Shazam! is in theaters now.
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