Movie Review: Shazam

I still think of him as  Captain Marvel, but if Shazam is going to be this good I’ll call him whatever he wants.  Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this film let me say this, this is possibly the most fun I’ve had in a ‘Super-Hero’ film since I was kid watching the Donner Superman films.

If you are at all familiar with the character I’m sure you know the story of Billy Batson, the boy who will become the world’s strongest mortal.  While the story is well-known, I think this film tackles some difficult subjects that have never really been addressed in this depth before.  Billy, as a foster child who has seemingly lost his parents, is adrift and seeking family.  In point of fact, the first scenes with Billy are him doing whatever he can to find his mother.  Although this is a Super-Hero origin story, it is also a story about family and a coming of age movie for a young man who has been searching for that family most of his young life.

In contrast, the very fist young man you meet in the film is Thaddeus Sivana.  He too is searching for something.  However, where Billy will eventually find love and light, Sivana will be corrupted by envy and sin.  At its heart, this movie contrasts the differing paths of the man/boy Batson and the man Sivana.  Make no mistake, the wizard Shazam was desperate and Billy very well could have gone the way of Sivana or Black Adam, when he eventually appears.  Billy is not the pure soul of the Fawcett comics, but instead a good boy with a positive support network.  Because of that you have Shazam, whose powers are grounded in wonderment and an appreciation for the good in people,  against Sivana, a man who has atrophied morally as he has been consumed by his own failings and the influence of evil.

On that note, the story is well written.  It flows naturally, allowing the story of Shazam to progress in parallel to the story of Billy Batson and his extended family.  You also get some good character development for Sivana, who’s descent is sad even if his actions make you root against him.  It should also be noted that the villains, yes there is more than one, are not here merely to be cannon fodder for the hero of the film.  They are motivated, dangerous and very, very deadly.  If not for two moments of insight and cleverness on Shazam’s part I dare say the hero would not have survived the film.  That is refreshing and makes for a good, edge of your seat movie.

The cinematography and score are similarly well done.  There are many beautiful shots in this film and the Rock of Eternity is amazing with the promise of more to come in future sequels.  Similarly, the musical score provides Shazam with a recognizable theme that has shades of Donner’s Superman while being unique and inspiring.  If I had one complaint it would be in the character design for some of the CGI characters in the film.  While the CGI is well done, the standard mottled skin used for these characters feels old and common and I wished that the visual effects people had gone in a different direction.

All in all, this is a wonderful film that I can’t recommend highly enough.  It does tie into the greater DCEU and yet manages to stand on its own.  I can’t tell you how much I urge you to see it, you won’t be disappointed.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

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Author Profile

Nemesis

Nemesis is a poet, writer and author of the upcoming novel The Long Game. He is a writer of science fiction and supernatural thrillers. Besides novels and short stories he writes for UK based ASAP Comics developing new stories for Level 8 and OPSEC. Nem is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and tries to bring those experiences into his writing.

He lives and works out of his home in Riverside, California with his wife and three children. When not writing he enjoys reviewing comic books and graphic novels for ComicCrusaders.com and living the Southern California life with his family.

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