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Review: Shazam (2019)

Shazam (2019)

I think we can all confidently say that it's nice to no longer have Zack Snyder spearheading the cinematic DCU. No offence to Snyder - he has a specific style that works for those dark and stylistic stories - but he is not the right man for the usually whimsical and optimistic tone that permeates much of the DC universe. Aquaman and the studio's newest entry, Shazam, have now both succeeded in effectively evoking that fantastically high-concept and family-oriented side of the DCU that has been missing for quite a long time.
Overall, Shazam is a fun and entertaining superhero film. In this it is quite reminiscent of Donner's original 1978 Superman playing out with a lighthearted self-awareness. There were a number of children in the theatre when I saw the film who were audibly enjoying the film with laughter and cheering - a nice change from the morose and grimness of BvS (which those kids likely weren't even allowed to watch). The cast here are all great, especially Zachary Levi who seems to have been born for this role, convincingly playing the 14 year old superhero Billy Batson/Shazam.
The film does struggle a bit in its first half, going through some of the mandatory background material in order to set up DC's world of wizards. Some of the dialogue and scenes here are a bit awkward and unevenly paced. It is when Billy becomes Shazam though and begins experimenting with his newfound powers that the film finds its footing, and it does not let up from there. The final act of the film in particular is absolutely stellar and has some grand surprises that will wow both the comic book lovers and newcomers alike.
8/10


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