Movie Review - Shazam: Fury of the Gods

 

Well after Marvel's start to Phase 5, all eyes are now on DC to see if they can pull off a better film and while not perfect, I think this Shazam film does that well. Part of the three films that New Line Cinema made for the DC Extended Universe, and also the last one of theirs before it ends with the Aquaman sequel. No one knows what to expect, but what many of us like about the DC films, despite their issues, is how bendy the in-universe rules are. Much more creative freedom compared to Marvel, which has worked out well mostly for DC since Wonder Woman with very few bad or disappointing films. Makes me wonder if this new cinematic universe will follow course, but we shall see. For now, let's get powered up in a little place called Philadelphia:

Following the battle against Sivana, the broken staff that once belonged to the wizard (reprised by Djimon Hounsou) is stolen from the Acropolis Museum by Hespera (played by Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (played by Lucy Liu) who intend to use the staff to take back the powers that their father Atlas once had which are now used by the Shazam Family. The superhero family, do their duty to fight crime and save innocents in Philadelphia, but soon drift apart due to growing up and having personal interests, such as Freddy Freeman (reprised by Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody) taking a liking to a new girl at his school known to him as Anne (played by Rachel Zegler). In a dream, Billy Batson (reprised by Zachery Levi and Asher Angel) is warned by the wizard that the daughters of Atlas will be coming for their powers and sure enough, they do in fact arrive. With each wanting the same thing, but having different views of the matter at hand, they go about their plan, putting all those in Philadelphia at risk, prompting the Shazam family to stop them before they get depowered in the process.

Although not perfect and far from a step up from the first film, this second Shazam film is good. Lots of genuinely funny moments and a fair bit of character development, fun and heart-warming moments, makes this a sequel that should really be getting more praise than it actually is. It's definitely a lot better than Quantumania for sure, and I hope the remaining DCEU films coming soon, continue to be this entertaining. Because they may as well end things on a high note. 7/10