By Kevin Reardon
May 2, 2019
DC has been on a bit of a roll recently. Wonder Woman was great, Aquaman was a lot of fun, and now Shazam has arrived as the best DC movie since The Dark Knight (2008).
Shazam is as funny as it is touching, and it’s the most fun you’ll have in theaters all year. Not only is it a great superhero movie, but it’s an emotionally charged story about what’s most important: family. This heartwarming film’s family story is made all the better with Zachary Levi’s stand out performance as the integral Shazam. He’s perfectly cast as this “Kid Superhero” who has no idea what he’s doing. As the story goes, young Billy Batson is seeked out by the wizard Shazam who passes his powers onto him for being “pure of heart”. Billy is transformed into a superhero with powers equivalent to those of Superman when he utters the word Shazam. From there he learns how to be a hero, not just to Philadelphian citizens, but to his family as well.
It’s true, Levi is to Shazam as Rami Malek is to Bohemian Rhapsody; he’s the heart of the film. That’s not to say that his alter ego, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) isn’t great in his own respect. The cast really does deliver in this film, with the heavy hitters being the aforementioned Zachary Levi, and his “sidekick” (or at least his best friend) Freddy Freeman (Zach Dylan Grazer). The two make a perfect team with the clever “superhero who doesn’t know what he’s doing and nerdy comic book kid who’s his mentor” dynamic they have going throughout the film. They have great chemistry and make the film hilarious. There’s also a good amount of side characters as Billy is a foster kids living in a halfway home, so most of the kids who live with him have a good amount of screentime and great personalities. This is also where the film gets the majority of its comedic chops. Of course Levi is the funniest one in the film, playing a role similar to that of Tom Hanks in Big, but that’s not to say the kids in this film aren’t also amusing. Freddy is great as the one-liner cracking, fast talking, cynical thinking best friend, and it doesn't stop there. Among the other kids in the halfway home there’s the youngest and most hyper of the group Darla, the smack talking video game loving Eugene, the good-looking college bound Mary, and the gentle giant that is Pedro. Everyone contributes something different to the film and they really help to further enhance the family oriented theme.
Then, of course, there’s the villain Dr.Sivana, as played by Mark Strong who is unfortunately a tad underwhelming. Now, I Love Mark Strong with a capital L, and I think he plays a great villain (see Kick-Ass for reference), it’s just that he doesn't have much to work with here and it’s kind of frustrating. As far as super villians go, Dr. Sivana is kind of lame. His super power is basically just that he summons the seven deadly sins in the form of demons to attack his foes which I think is sort of dumb. Every time the film cut to a scene with Dr.Sivana I started to feel pretty bored, and I honestly didn't really care for his story. It lacks the humor and charm that makes the Shazam story arc so lovable. Mostly we just watch a guy walk around killing people with demons until he finally meets Shazam. Now that doesn’t mean that Mark Strong doesn’t pull off the real menacing villain role to his best abilities, and the fight scenes without the demons are some of the best, but I would’ve liked to have seen a cooler villain.
Besides the outstanding performances seen in the film, the next best thing you’ll see is the action. Shazam has got it all, flight, invincibility, super speed, super strength, etc. So seeing him save the day as a caped crusader is a ton of fun. The film does a great job of establishing Shazam’s powers in the most memorable scene in the film, a montage of Shazam and Freddy figuring out what powers he has all while Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” plays in the background. Besides testing out his powers we see Shazam as he helps the citizens of Philadelphia, catches a bus, and fights Dr.Sivana among other things. The initial Shazam vs Sivana fight scenes is one of my favorite superhero fight scenes of all time, watching as the two take to the skies for a high-flying fist fight. Then there’s the grand finale of the action spectacles, the final fight against Sivana that takes place in a carnival. This final scene is a light show of demons and suspense, as Shazam has to simultaneously defeat Sivana, the seven deadly sins, and save citizens in the way of danger. The action in this movie is heart-stopping and it really packs a punch (pun intended).
If you haven’t seen Shazam yet, you better get yourself to a theater sooner rather than later. If you like superheroes, or movies, or both, then Shazam is definitely for you. With a great cast, a light tone, great action, and some superb set pieces Shazam is sure to satisfy many a moviegoer.
6 deadly sins out of 7.
Meet the Writer!
Meet the Writer!
Kevin Reardon
Kevin Reardon
Kevin Reardon is a senior at Dedham High and the film critic for The Dedham Mirror. When not in school, Kevin can be found in his room watching movies in his basement or working in the meat department at Roche Bros. in Westwood.
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