"Shazam" feels like a throwback to 90s and 2000s era kids movies. Maybe it's because the references to DC heroes feel more appropriate to a time where Superman and Batman were the reigning caped crusaders. Maybe it's because of the use of slightly outdated tropes like sadistic bullies and D&D style monsters. Maybe it's just because there's been a drought of really kid-centric live action movies for a while, and the last time I can remember seeing this kind of superhero story involving kid heroes was fifteen years ago with "Sky High" and "Spy Kids."
"Shazam" is a couple of degrees darker and more serious than those movies, however. Teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a foster kid who is frequently running away from his placements and getting into trouble. He's never gotten over being separated from his mother, and keeps searching for her while resisting the efforts of anyone else to bond with him. His latest faster parents are Rosa and Victor Vasquez (Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews), who run a group home. Billy has a passel of new foster siblings, including Freddie (Dylan Jack Grazer), who is obsessed with superheroes. Freddie proves to be very helpful when a Wizard (Djimon Honsou) gives Billy superpowers, turning him into the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi).
There's also a requisite villain, Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), who is after the powers of Shazam, and marshalls the forces of the evil embodiments of the seven deadly sins to do it. However, this is not nearly as interesting as watching Billy and Freddie fooling around with the Shazam powers, and Billy abusing the ability to turn into a musclebound, twenty-something version of himself in a goofy costume. I wonder if the film would have been better if it had just embraced being a straight comedy, since Levi is so much fun pretending to be a teenager in the body of an adult. The trouble, however, is that he's a little too good at playing immature, to the point where Billy seems more level-headed when he's a kid. Of course, that could just be because he looks like a kid during most of the film's big, emotional moments.
As a superhero spectacular, there's not much new here. We get a few smart observations and a few send-ups of common superhero behavior, but the usual good guy v. bad guy dynamics are very simple and familiar. All the business with the wizard and the evil beasties is very silly - which the movie points out itself. However, tying the kid's power fantasy aspect of Shazam directly to Billy Batson's struggles as a foster kid is handled very well. I appreciate the film so much for letting Billy confront some uncomfortable truths about himself and his situation. The portrayal of the group home as loving and supportive is also a rare and welcome thing to see.
I'm a little concerned that the filmmakers let some aspects of the film get a wee bit too dark, considering the likely audience. There's a fairly upsetting massacre scene with Sivana, assorted grievous injuries, and a handful of off-color jokes. These can be at odds with the parts of the movie where a stuffed tiger toy plays a big role in Billy's development, and Freddie collects superhero paraphernalia. The film is set at Christmastime, and there's a heavy emphasis on wholesome family togetherness. I'd say the film is for preteens and older, but at the same time it's so kid-centric that I'd have a hard time recommending it to adults.
As part of the wider DC universe, "Shazam" mostly keeps to itself. There are plenty of references for those who enjoy such things, but this feels like a mostly self-contained universe that isn't quite the same as the one "Justice League" where happened. The imagery is brighter and more stylized, to good effect, and the tone is much sweeter, even if it does come with a (perhaps misguided) edge. There's also a welcome specificity to the setting, with the story taking place in and around Philadelphia. There are nearly as many references to Rocky Balboa as there are to Batman.
The execution is shaky at times, but the filmmakers got the fundamentals right. The kids are great. The humor is right. The messages are strong without feeling sappy. It's a perfect movie for certain kids of a certain age - and they really don't make enough of them anymore.
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