Shazam! (2019)
2019
PG-13
132 Minutes
A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
User Review
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Wonder Woman proved it wasn’t impossible, Aquaman brought life back to a franchise and a character that was dwindling faster and faster by the minute and “SHAZAM!” brought the whole thing around full circle with that ancient movie magic that was missing from the rest of this Cinematic Universe: fun. While it isn’t as innovative as first anticipated with very few score and pacing issues aside, what could’ve been a play by the numbers experience instead becomes a joyous wish fulfilled as it offers fun, laughter, emotion, heart, comradere, intense self-awareness followed up by moments I really didn’t see coming and a compelling: everything that the earlier DCEU and Captain Marvel didn’t have for me.
Acting is solid all around, action sequences are good mindless fun, the comedy gets to a certain level of self-awareness where you can’t help but to bawl your guts out (that’s what I did) but the film is at its best when it’s centered around the family dynamic because that’s really what the film is all about and it needs to hammer the message home, it does exactly that. But most importantly, I’d go so far as to saying this is the Thor: Ragnarok of the DCEU because while it might not be as hilarious as that film, it learns to have fun with itself. There’s no gritty darkness to the point where it’s too disturbing, there’s no rage quitting moments like the “Martha” scene and there’s no political bullshit being shoved down our throats like it displays in Captain Marvel: it has a formula and it sticks to it enough for it to become another well-rounded film for the DCEU.1 member likes this review.
