Before going to see “Shazam,” I spoke with a number of people about it. Most said it looked like it was going to be a mediocre superhero film and that the only good parts were shown in the trailers. With all this in mind, I decided to see if my friends’ opinions of the film were correct.
The film follows Billy, a boy who constantly runs from foster homes in search of his birth mother. Billy is given superhero abilities to stop the Seven Deadly Sins after they are set free by the revenge-seeking Doctor Sivana. Along with the help of his foster brother Freddy, Billy has to figure out his powers in order to stop the Seven Deadly Sins from hurting anyone.
“Shazam” is probably one of the most hilarious DC comics movies. It had fresh jokes that kept you laughing throughout. Though the film starts off in a rather dark place, the tone quickly picks up as we meet the film’s protagonist, Billy.
The plot of “Shazam” is as unique as it is entertaining, though it follows some of the usual superhero movie tropes. That being said, the way the script is written makes those tropes easy to disregard as you get more invested in the plot. Since the film was designed to be family-friendly, they added in some life lessons about the importance of family and standing up for others.
The movie had an excellent and extremely talented cast. Zachary Levi, who played Shazam, did a fantastic job playing a superhero who is unaware of his own strength. Every joke was well-delivered. Asher Angel did a great job with the emotions needed to portray his alter ego, Billy. The funniest character by far was Freddy, played by Jack Dylan Grazer. Every comedic line was delivered naturally, which was reflected in by the reaction of the audience to Grazer’s dialogue. Mark Strong played the villain Doctor Sivana and he was convincingly evil.
The actors and actresses from Billy and Freddy’s foster family all brought the personalities of their characters to life, and it worked so well for the family dynamic needed for the film. From the loving and innocent younger sister Darla to the ambitious but scared-for-the-future older sister Mary, the depth each member of the family brought added to the film immensely.
“Shazam” was one of the most captivating DC superhero movies I have seen; it was action-packed and full of hilarious and heartwarming moments. Even if your expectations were high for this film, you will not leave disappointed.
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Calista Giroux is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at calista.giroux@gmail.com.
