Shazam!

I’m officially ready to concede that the DC Extended Universe has me excited.  It’s been a rocky road ever since Man of Steel debuted back in 2013.  For a while, this current DC iteration of films subscribed to the gospel of Christopher Nolan.  Moody and brooding realism equaled a quality flick.  I adore The Dark Knight trilogy so, in theory, it sounded like a good idea.  Then one joyless, poorly written project after another proved that something wasn’t working.  I wasn’t a fan until Wonder Woman came along in 2017 and then Aquaman solidified that love in 2018.  Both were entertaining episodes that stood on their own.  They were individual chapters that didn’t depend on having seen the rest of the series.  Justice League, which was sandwiched between the two, negated that concept, but let’s focus on the positive.  We currently have a new offering based on a DC Comics property previously known as “Captain Marvel” when it was originally published by Fawcett Comics 1940–1953.  Branded as the DC character “Shazam!” In 1972, the superhero has made his first appearance in a theatrical feature since the 1941 movie serial from Republic Pictures. What took so long?  This production is an outright charmer.

Well color me surprised.  I had seen the trailers and thought the whimsical — no make that goofy — mood was a tonal misfire.  We haven’t seen such brightly colored tights on a superhero costume in quite a while.  The whole thing seemed too irreverent to be taken seriously.  Turns out the jokey tone is the screenplay’s greatest asset.  Not since the halcyon days of Christopher Reeve has a buoyant, upbeat tone been employed so effectively.  Superman II (1980) is one of the greatest films ever made (not kidding) so pardon the aforementioned blasphemy.

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a foster kid with a mischievous and arrogant demeanor at first, but he has a kind and compassionate heart.  While escaping a couple of schoolyard bullies, he’s magically whisked to a magical realm known as The Rock of Eternity where he meets the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou).  No stranger to comic book adaptations, Hounsou has played Korath the Pursuer in Marvel productions (Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel) and (using CGI) the ruler of the Fisherman Kingdom in DC’s Aquaman.  Here he portrays the sorcerer who chooses to bestow his magical powers on Billy.  By saying the word “shazam”, Billy receives Solomon’s wisdom, Hercules’ strength, Atlas’ stamina, Zeus’ power, Achilles’ courage, and Mercury’s speed.  It’s all in the name.

A big part of the chronicle is the joy of discovery as young Billy becomes acclimated to his new god-like abilities.  Remember, he’s still fundamentally a teen, but when he becomes Shazam, he is an adult.  Incidentally, he never embraces that name here.  An ongoing joke is trying to come up with a suitable moniker.  Zachary Levi is absolutely winning when Billy transforms into the musclebound champion.  He perfectly conveys that naive enthusiasm even as a grown adult.  His “golly gee wilikers” expressions convey pure innocence.  He’s a do-gooder that kids can look up to.  His friendship with Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), one of the foster kids he goes to live with, is a sheer delight.  The two of them have a lot of fun figuring out what superpowers he has.  Grazer is an actor to watch.  He memorably portrayed the youthful hypochondriac, Eddie in 2017’s It.  Here he stands out as well with his wide-eyed charisma.  His curiosity is contagious.  The chemistry he has with both actors Angel and Levi is captivating.

Of course there’s a villain.  He’s Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, ably played by the dependable Mark Strong.  This adventure actually begins with his story.  We learn how the poor treatment he had received at the hands of his older brother and father led to his dark desires.  He too was summoned by the Wizard Shazam as a child but was not chosen.  A bunch of CGI gargoyle monsters that each represent the 7 deadly sins assist him in his sinister ambitions.  They might frighten very young toddlers.  There’s a moment where Dr. Sivana pushes his equally corrupt brother out of a skyscraper.  If you can manage the cartoon level violence of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons, you can handle this.  Although I completely understood why Dr. Sivana turned evil, I didn’t particularly care.  His saga is less compelling.  It occupies a lot more time in the narrative than I cared to indulge.

Ultimately Shazam! emphasizes the happiness in comic books.  This celebrates the feeling of wish fulfillment.  Billy’s childlike wonder in savoring his newfound abilities is so palpable.  We appreciate his euphoria.  Writer Henry Gayden (Earth to Echo) and horror director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation) also emphasize the importance of family.  After being separated from his mother, Billy is sent to live with a foster home that includes other children.  Based on this account, I suspect these individuals will become more important in the inevitable sequel.  Besides Freddy, there’s college-bound Mary (Grace Fulton), gamer Eugene (Ian Chen), shy Pedro (Jovan Armand), and youngest Darla (Faithe Herman).  The close camaraderie that develops proves that a family isn’t necessarily about blood relations.  It’s surprisingly uplifting.  Even when Shazam! gets bogged down in less interesting plot machinations, it’s the heart that shines through.

03-23-19