I saw Shazam on April 6, 2019! When it comes to comics, I'm a DC fan! I've enjoyed all of the DCEU movies thus far, and this just continues my appreciation for these movies! Shazam is a movie that I went in expecting to like, but came out absolutely loving it! It's great when a movie exceeds your expectations. The movie combines magic, what the true meaning of family is, superhero tropes, and a solid dramatic story mixed with natural humor that balanced out the story! Essentially, this movie is split into two different stories: the world and character of Shazam and Billy Baston's journey to find love and family.
The movie explores the mystic nature of Shazam and what the power entails. Zachary Levi's performance as Shazam was so perfectly cast! He was so fun in the role! His comedic timing was great, and his dramatic performance really came off well! I think this is one of the better performances in a superhero movie, especially when you take into account that he always has to keep his inner self as a 14-15 year old teenager part of the role at all times, and he never missed a beat. His scenes testing his powers were hilarious, and, watching him evolve into his full potential was an incredible thrill ride. Amazing work by Zachary Levi! I really can't stress it enough-his performance is why we go to the movies. He gives you escape in this fun world of fantasy and magic, but mixed in with all of the magnificence of the magic is a grounded story that carries the dramatic aspect of this movie.
Asher Angel gave a great performance as Billy Baston. I'm familiar with Asher from Andi Mack, which is another show where he gives a tremendous performance as Jonah Beck. Billy's on a journey of his own to find his family, and, luckily by the conclusion of this movie, he finds it when he wasn't looking. His journey was emotional, and gave a lot of heart to the movie...which is apropos since this movie is about finding the one that is pure of heart.The dinner table scene towards the end of the movie shows that Billy finds where he belongs, and, I definitely shed a tear at it, because you are on this journey with him and hope he finds what he's looking for.
One of the most entertaining aspects of this movie is Jack Dylan Grazer's performance as Freddy. He is absolutely hilarious at every turn of this movie. He provides some of the best lines in the movie, and, we also feel for him based on things going on with him physically, but, I also think it's amazing how much he perseveres through everything in his own way. His chemistry with both Zachary Levi and Asher Angel was fantastic! I felt like they were close friends based on how well they interacted. His constant discussion of everything comics was fun, as well as helpful throughout the movie.
I loved the whole magical elements of the seven kingdoms against the seven deadly sins. The visual effects for the seven deadly sins was amazing. The board room scene where Mark Strong's Dr. Sivana reveals his dark half is such a visually amazing scene. At the same time, while he's seen as a villain, there are aspects of his character that you can sympathize with! He does take things to new levels, but, underneath all the envy, there's somebody just looking for acceptance, just like Billy was. The carnival scene was incredible. Everybody in the packed theater I was in started applauding when Billy reveals the true power of Shazam. Really awesome reveals, fun battle sequences, strong friendships coming together as one, well placed drama and comedy. It felt like a finale scene, which, IMO, DC is very good at, and this was definitely no exception.
Overall, this is one of the most fun experiences I had the movies! I loved the stories told throughout, the characters presented to us, the visuals, and of course, the power of Shazam! This is a definite 5/5, and along with Alita, is tied for my favorite movie of the year! I highly recommend this for fans of comic book movies, and anybody that likes that perfect mix of drama and comedy! This has something for everybody!
