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#MovieMonday: Shazam! Review: A Superhero Movie That’s Finally Done Right By DC

2019-04-01 , 6:00 pm

Have you ever wondered how it would be like, to just say this magic word and watch yourself transform into another person? Because if you have…

Shazam!‘s your movie.

From the minds behind classic hits such as Batman vs Superman and Justice League, watch as Shazam! fulfils all your childhood fantasies with the deft perfectionism of Wonder Woman…

Only more childish.

**So… what’s Shazam! all about?**

Lest you’re not a DC fanatic, Shazam’s synopsis features as such:

Billy Batson is a streetwise 14-year-old who can magically transform into the adult superhero Shazam simply by shouting out one word. His newfound powers soon get put to the test when he squares off against the evil Dr Thaddeus Sivana.

Directed by David Sandberg, the fantasy/sci-fi film’s produced by Warner Bros. and spans a running time of 2 hours 12 minutes.

Incidentally, here’s the trailer for reference:

And if you’re all about the reviews, you’ll be glad to know that the film’s highly raved about in the critics’ section.

The film stars Asher Angel as titular character Billy Batson, Zachary Levi as the big red cheese himself Shazam and Mark Strong as the anti-villain who’s strangely cool af.

Mark Strong a.k.a. Doctor Sivanna Image: The Wrap

Enter my personal review

As I did for my previous movie review, and the one before that, and the one even before that, I shall break down my review into a couple of aspects:

Visuals
Organisation
Enjoyment

Do take note that this is my personal take on the movie, so if you disagree with my sentiments please kindly abstain from crowding my doorstep in anger.

Thank you very much.

Visuals

DC’s not exactly known for high-tier low-budget films.

And Shazam! is no exception.

Despite boasting a filming budget of just $80-90 million (and around $100 million once post-production was complete, making it the cheapest DCEU film to-date), Shazam! never came across as tarnished or even make-do, with slick visuals that made me wonder:

“Are you sure this film costs less to make than Wonder Woman?”

I mean; no offence towards Wonder Woman but hell’s bells…

Shazam! has some sick cinematography in play.

Take, for example, that iconic office scene.

Now that’s one scene I would like to watch again.

Editor: Are you a sadist or what?

And so… visual rating?

A solid 4/5.

Organisation

Sure, Rotten Tomatoes, despite their reputability and whatnot, do have a tendency to overrate rather average films. Bumblebee, anyone? But even so, you’ve got to believe their track record of rating good films, and seeing how Shazam! boasts a 93% approval rating on the critics’ convention site, it makes you think:

“Surely this film’s above par to command such a score.”

And to that end, you aren’t wrong.

While the film did feel a tad bit draggy towards the end, and it honestly could’ve concluded with a way less complicated set-up, it felt like a smooth ride the first 3/4 of the movie, and the storyline flowed rather fluidly. Sure it could have its improvements, but I feel that overall…

Its organisation is not to be coughed at.

Organisation score: 3.5/5

Enjoyment

As a kid, I’ve often dreamt of having powers. Flying, laser eyes, invisibility, you know, the works.

But unfortunately, the real world doesn’t quite work like that. And so it’s with a sinking heart that I grew into adulthood, distinctly aware that my flight abilities aren’t ever gonna awaken.

Shazam!, however, serves to light up those lofty dreams I had so long ago. With an overarching story plot that revolves around a 14-year-old kid who was all too unceremoniously saddled with powers only one could dream of, Billy Batson’s us, the audience, and what he did was probably what anyone kid would’ve done. And in that sense, it genuinely felt like it wasn’t just Billy living that superhero life.

We all are, too.

And so, with all the fantastic visuals tacked on, and generally appealing storyline, I’ve gotta say…

I really enjoyed this one.

Enjoyment score: 4.5/5

**And so… Shazam! or no Shazam!?**

If you fancy yourself as a superhero fanatic, or are chronically looking for good films to pass the time, it’s really not an option here;

You gotta catch it.

With all the right doses of humour, emotions and perhaps even ‘terror’, Shazam! might not be as illustrious as Aquaman, nor as powerful as Wonder Woman…

But it’s jolly well the most entertaining one of them all.

Rating: 4/5

Fun fact

Did you know that Shazam was actually the original Captain Marvel? 😉