Shaq missed a great opportunity. With the amount of times I've had a friend think I want to take them to the Kazaam sequel, he could have Icy Hot shimmied his way into some great back-and-forths with Zachary Levi. Say it with me everybody: SHA-ZAM! KA-ZAAM. Two different initial consonant sounds. Luckily, the new DC Comic Book Movie is an exponentially better time than the 90s Genie Family Film.
Shazam! stars Zachary Levi as the title character, who in reality is 14-year-old foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel) transformed into an adult superhero after being granted the powers of an ancient wizard. If this sounds familiar – foster kid/orphan suddenly has the powers of a wizard and way too much responsibility thrust upon him – look no further than the opening scene to see why.
From the Warner Brothers title screen moving towards you in a foggy dark night, Shazam! has full Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone vibes. It announces that Director David F. Sandberg recognized DC’s reasoning for this to be their next movie: no more dark tone, no more lackluster movies, NO. MORE. MARTHA (yes I’m talking to you Batman v. Superman). Shazam! Is absolutely entertaining. It lands perfectly as a children’s movie that carries adult themes and hints of Sandberg’s horror sensibilities. It is Tom Hanks’ Big with superpowers and a cape (are any other movies I can throw into this paragraph???).
This origin story is exposition-heavy at the outset, having to conduct multiple introductions before jumping into the man-child superhero shenanigans. The Harry Potter-esque opening begins with a young Thaddeus Sivana, Mark Strong’s antagonist, stumbling upon the realm of Djimon Hounsou’s Wizard, who li looking for a pure-of-heart champion to bestow his powers. When Sivana is instead tempted by powerfully monstrous manifestations of the Seven Deadly Sins, The Wizard banishes the boy, sending him on a lifelong mission to return to that power. Sandberg entrusts these veterans to introduce Shazam!'s balance of camp with sensibility. You can feel the fun they’re having while the weight of their performance gives stakes to their roles and the rest of the story.
The pace picks up with Billy’s more heart-wrenching than anticipated backstory (wait until you see why he became a foster child… bruh!), following his path to his 20-something-th foster placement in a Philadelphia home so heartwarming you wish this family was yours. Foster parents Rosa (Marta Milans) and Victor Vasquez (Cooper Andrews) exude everlasting nurture, while Billy’s new siblings carry the unconditional heart of the film (not to mention being more representative of the U.S.’ ethnic make-up than a lot of our real-life institutions). Darla (This is Us’ Faith Herman) and Eugene (Fresh off the Boat’s Ian Chen) are stand-outs, being front-runners for cutest little people in entertainment award.
The true value in Shazam! lies in these relationship Billy establishes with the family, especially with his comic-book encyclopedia of a brother, Freddy (It’s Jack Dylan Grazer). Initially, Grazer’s sarcasm comes off a bit heavy-handed. But once Zachary Levi hits the screen, their banter gives the movie a groove deserving of all your popcorn-ingesting, wide-eyed wonder. You relive childhood dreams with the duo as they discover Billy’s powers and manage his fame as the new superhero in town.
Levi shines in this role that he was born to play, He is completely convincing as an alternate Asher Angel, with wit, humor, magnetism, and a child-like nature that avoids being childish. His (and Asher Angel's) chemistry with the entire cast is electric. The themes of family (the one you choose vs. the one you’re given) both Billy's confront ground the film every time the campiness threatens to cross into cartoon-like. The trio of Levi, Grazer and Angel brings soulful laughs and heartfelt drama. Levi and Strong seamlessly bounce off each other, with both trying to one-up the other's humor and resolve. Levi makes the absurdity believable amongst a narrative that could have easily gone off the rails. Cast Zachary now as Tom Hanks’ replacement for the next inevitable 1980’s classic remake.
Shazam! knocks at the door of the best DCEU movie to date. It is the textbook family film for all ages, full of overflowing heart, exciting action, gut-busting humor, and "back in the days when I was young, I'm not a kid anymore..." fun. This is the balance that makes the film awesome. There is no other word. IT. IS. AWESOME. I am giving Shazam! 9/10 teeth-blaring grins for two amazing Captain Marvels in the span of one month.