(MOVIE POSTER PROVIDED VIA IMDB.COM)
***WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***
RELEASE DATE: April 5, 2019
RATED: PG-13
RUNNING TIME: 2 Hours 12 Minutes
DIRECTOR: David F. Sandberg
WRITERS: Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke
STARRING:
Zachary Levi as Shazam
Asher Angel as Billy Batson
Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana
Ethan Pugiotto as Young Thaddeus Sivana
Djmon Hounson as Wizard
Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman
Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy
Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley
Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla
Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield
Michelle Borth as Super Hero Mary
Ian Chen as Eugene Choi
Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene
Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena
DJ Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro
Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez
Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez
John Glover as Mr. Savana
To say that I have been waiting for this movie for a while would be an understatement. When looking at the DCEU (I know that’s not the official name, but I don’t care I like it) as a whole, it shows great strides for the direction of DC on Film. As a fan of DC Comics for a majority of my life, I have a decent understanding of the history and character of Shazam (originally Captain Marvel but not the same one who also had a movie released recently). Many of my friends would watch the trailer for the film and not really understand what they were looking at. They were confused with why a grown man in a superhero costume would behave like a boy.
Again back to my knowledge of the character and his traits and origins. I found myself constantly explaining who he was and why Shazam would be behaving the way he was in the trailers. But no matter how many times I told people, they still did not get it. I’m going to try to explain him now briefly and you can feel free to tell me if you understand if you like. It could be through a message through this website or an e-mail or even through social media. I don’t mind.
Billy Batson is an orphan who goes through many foster homes and never really fits in until he meets his new foster family which include Freddy Freeman, Mary Bromfield, Darla Dudley, Eugene Choi and Pedro Pena. Together they would all share a bond unmatched by any other (...nope, not spoiling that). One day after running away from school bullies, Billy finds himself taking a subway train when he notices that all of the digital signs on the train go haywire and everyone disappears. The train stops in a magical cave where Billy meets the Wizard Shazam who passes his powers onto Billy to create his new champion Shazam. As Shazam, Billy is transformed into an adult with superpowers after he says the word Shazam and then vice versa after she says the word again.
Each letter in the name Shazam comes from the Gods that the hero gets his powers from. Look below for a list of what each letter stands for and why:
"S": The wisdom of Solomon
"H": The strength of Hercules
"A": The stamina of Atlas
"Z": The power of Zues
"A": The courage of Achilles
"M": The speed of Mercury
I was super impressed with this film. I feel that the film makers treated the hero and his alter ego with the respect that this legendary character deserves. Yes the movie felt very different from your typical superhero movie, but it had to be so that the character was explored properly. I loved that they showed him struggle with his powers and that they actually showed how a 12 year old boy would behave if he suddenly acquired the body and powers of a superhero.
I loved the usage of one of my favorite actors, John Glover. Mark Strong was a more than effective villain for our hero. The struggling bond of Billy's foster parents were well displayed by both Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews. The children, especially Freddy, all worked amazing together. And of course the combination of Zachary Levi and Asher Angel made for a complete and sometimes incomplete hero. The acting in this film was excellent all around.
Please see this movie if you haven't already. I promise you that you will not regret it. Enjoy!
