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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WHAT I LIKED The chances are if you're watching 'Shazam' you'll go in expecting a fun little movie to while away a coupe of hours to, and not a whole lot more. The heaviest thing in the trailers looks to be the sheer amount of red spandex covering Zachary Levi's body, and the concept of effectively taking that Tom Hanks movie 'Big' and giving it a heavy dose of comic-book heroism hardly seems like the most serious stuff. But whilst you'd hardly be wrong about the fun-factor, there's actually more to Shazam than you first might expect which turns a fun film into one that you can genuinely invest in.
Yes rather than simply relying on the laughs, this is actually largely held-up by some pretty serious character-building as the main adopted kids (and in fact Mark Strong's villain) are pretty tortured souls looking for belonging and family, and for our central character the superhero thing serves as a really interesting change. Crucially all of that gets proper development too, and in the end you'll doubtlessly find yourself genuinely engaged from start to finish.
Couple that with the fact that it is indeed a whole lot of fun as well - especially with Zachary Levi doing such a great job of playing a little kid in adult superhero shoes - and what you've got is a fun blockbuster which also has a surprising amount of heart.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The plot is a bit silly, and even if the film somewhat embraces the silliness, the moments of exposition do weigh the film down, and the third act does get a little tiresome at times.
VERDICT: A fun blockbuster for sure but also one with a surprising amount of emotional resonance, for all of its flaws 'Shazam!' is better than you'd think. It's got real heart.1 member likes this review.
