This won’t be a full review, nor will there be any spoilers, but think of what you’re about to read as thoughts from a comic fan with only a passing familiarity with the character (honestly I know more about the copyright and trademark battles over his name than I do the character’s actual story). If you do want to read a full review, then check out Brett’s over at Graphic Policy (it’s spoiler free, assuming you’ve seen the trailers).
Shazam! is frankly one of the most entertaining superhero movies I’ve seen in awhile. I say that fully aware of the quality of the of the recent Marvel movies (and the odd DC movie), and while flicks like Infinity War, Logan, Black Panther and Wonder Woman were brilliant, none had me grinning as wide as Shazam!. This is a film for everybody; the comic book nods are both subtle and yet open enough that most should at least be able to see a partial reference.
There is a surprisingly dark scene or two that initially had me worried about a bait and switch from the warmth of the trailers to a Batman Vs Superman style of grimdark movie, but my fears were quickly eased when Billy Batson arrived on scene – and even more so when Billy’s older self appeared in a flash of lightning.
As a complete standalone movie, this is brilliant – one of the best DCEU movies (rivaled only by Wonder Woman), but when taking into account how the movie ties into the wider universe, this is without question the best DCEU flick to slot neatly into place since Man Of Steel. Shazam! is a win on every level for DC. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Zachary Levi and Gal Gadot become the faces of the DCEU going forward – because frankly it is their characters I want more of than any other we’ve seen so far.
Shazam! is out now. Go see it.
Ramblings Of A Comics Fan 