Shazam! Review

Shazam!
Director: David F Sandberg
Cast Headliners: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong, many other minor silly others
 Original Release Date: April 5th, 2019


   Another few months another superhero film (or to those in the know another few weeks ANOTHER technical Captain Marvel) but at least it's good to see that the DCEU is increasing its output pace. Shazam! also shows that it's good to see that they're improving their continual upwards growth into fun, unique movies like they have needed before. It's a very different kind of superhero by having everyone's dream: what if as a youth one could turn into a hero. It's an answer that leads to some hilarious situations and a lot of bright charm amid-st its typical hero's journey. 
Some back-story introduces various lore and characters but the important focus as the modern day. Orphan Billy Batson(Asher Angel) floats from situation to situation in Philadelphia trying to find a family and purpose. He soon is adopted by the kind Victor(Cooper Andrews) and Rosa(Marta Milans) Vasquez in their group home. He must bond with the other kids and teens there including injured leg suphero expert outcast Freddy( Jack Dylan Grazer), college aspiring Mary(Grace Fulton), bright youngest Darla (Faithe Herman), gamer Eugene(Ian Chen), and F-student bodylifter Pedro(Jovan Armand). It's some cheesy yet heartwarming stuff that wouldn't be out of place in many other movies although it's done cheeringly, humorously well amidst about a couple recurring tropes, jokes, and slight drama each between all the listed characters Freddy aside (more on him later.
However things soon take a turn into its comedic, heroic best when Billy finds himself whisked to the magical world of the Shazam Wizard(Djimon Hounsou in a cheesy Dumbeldore-esque bearded seldom role with some cool magic lore). This encounter transforms the teen-aged Billy into an older, super ripped super powerful adult version of himself in the hero Shazam(Zachary Levi). Comedic ruckus then ensues.
As stated the absolute best aspect of the movie is its carefree, light, funny, wacky tone. It's almost a bit like Deadpool meets Big. Truly unique in that the first live action film more with a kids focus adapted from a DC comic that can be enjoyed by all.   Levi's take as the Shazam version he is is great. He's perfectly happy, optimistic, silly and definitely gives off the vibe of a man-child trapped in a body like that. He's quite cool in combat too with flying, super strength, lightning blasts, and “bullet immunity”.  There's some cheese with that flying and perhaps its a bit hard to take him seriously as a hero due to his joking but that appears to be the point of this smile-inducing take.  Dylan Grazer's Freddy also brings enthusiastic energy and has some great lines. Between the two a perhaps iconically fun friendship ends up forming as they get into various shenanigans testing out his powers. Angel's young Billy form is also solid alone or with Freddy. He's a bit of a trouble maker but has some quips and heroics. There's often times where he blasts back and forth between his ages in the span of a few minutes and it all mostly works.
  Of course for every superhero there's most often a superhero to go against them. Here it's a mad scientist in Dr.Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) who has a grudge against the Shazam wizard. He leads a corporation and soon obtains an evil, Seven Deadly Sins demon infused eye which grants him his own superpowers.  He gives an effectively fierce if slightly hammy generic performance. He has a menacing look and his quips but his plans are about as generic as they can be mostly acting as someone who Shazam can punch and face-off with on even grounds. He has his moments of value however with some alright stuff in his side plot with his father Dr.Sivana Sr(John Glover in a bit part). For a more energetic youth bright focused film the  surface level mustache twirlingly evil take Strong does more or less fits even if it's not one for the ages.
That's the thing of this film is that it's best at its silliest and loosest. It's a bit of a contrast when some more darker and attempted epic elements appear. There's just a couple of action scenes but they do maintain the laughs among-st the punches but one won't be impressed by the actual spectacle of them. Shazam himself is best in smaller actions here and there than CGI flying (even moreso Sivana). There's some CGI creatures that show up which have a cheesy look too although bring some cool interest in their designs and even some slight villainous scares.
This is not a knock on director David F Sandberg at all because aside from the action the movie has some alright stuff in the rest of the production design. It's not to a clap worthy level but there's some nice homes and grey skies in its winter setting. One can't help but like the interesting angle the Christmas period brings with fights in a toy store (including some of the only other DCEU connections at all... apparently people don't mind buying children's toys and replicas of vigilante murderers, aliens, and goddesses?) and a colorful winter carnival theme park. The world of the Wizard is also quite cool looking dripping in apparent power even if the visits are brief. One can feel a more epic potential sequel lurking out there.
As a whole it does exactly what it sets out to do. It's a silly fun story of a teen in a superhero man's body who must put aside the antic, but not the warm humorous outlook, to save the world. There's definitely a lot of cheese and “for the kids”-ness to it but there's some things that are truly well done. It's a breath of fresh air for DC in what would otherwise be a semi-often seen MCU film. However since it's DC it's that much fresher...keep it up. Simple fun times, 8 out of 10