SHAZAM!

Directed by David F. Sandberg and starring Zachary Levi as a 14-year-old kid in a grown man’s superpower enhanced body. Loved this concept, just wished his Shazam personality and his Billy Batson (Asher Angel) personalities were a little more well matched. Even if Billy didn’t have the weight of the world hanging on his shoulders as a foster kid constantly running away to look for his real mom – he still wouldn’t be as childishly goofy and gleeful as he becomes when he’s Shazam. However, it’s this goof that makes the movie very fun and wonderfully silly.

I think it’s ironic that although Disney owns Marvel, these last two D.C. Extended Universe flicks Aquaman and Shazam have a more family, warmth and lessons learned vibe, which Disney prides itself upon. With the loss of both Henry Cavil’s Superman and Ben Affleck’s Batman it looks as if D.C./Warner Bros. may be starting over with a lighter touch. They can’t do sardonic and quippy like Marvel, that would just be stupid to try and imitate their tone. But kid friendly and jovial seems to have hit its mark.

The foster home where Billy meets his sidekick, superhero expert and moral compass Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) is downright love and acceptance personified…

Shazam’s suit is intentionally over-the-top Super-heroey, right down to the lightning bolt resembling a plastic toy from the dollar store. The creatures housed in the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) representing the 7 deadly sins, are not scary enough to frighten a 4 year-old… and yet, it all works, none of it too cheesy. Accessible to all, and somehow not annoying to diehard comic book movie fans!

T&T’s the Large Association of Movie Blogs (aka the LAMb) rating 4.5 outta 5