Shazam!
Synopsis: We all have a superhero inside of us -- it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In 14-year-old Billy Batson's case, all he needs to do is shout out one word to transform into the adult superhero Shazam. Still a kid at heart, Shazam revels in the new version of himself by doing what any other teen would do -- have fun while testing out his newfound powers. But he'll need to master them quickly before the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana can get his hands on Shazam's magical abilities.
Movie Review:
"Shazam" is the 7th movie in the DCU and it is my new favorite DC movie since "Wonder Woman" came out 2 years ago. "Shazam" is a heart-warming and humorous super hero movie that is fun for the entire family to enjoy. "Shazam" is about a kid named Billy Batson, 14, who shouts out the word Shazam and turns into an adult superhero. He must master his own powers and defend his family to defeat the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana who wants to get his hands on Billy's magical abilities. What really works in this film is the relationship between Billy and his foster brother Freddy; their on-screen chemistry and realistic friendship steals the entire movie for me. Zachary Levi who plays Shazam was perfectly cast as a young boy in an adult male body. Levi was charismatic and hilarious as "Shazam". In my opinion, he was born to play this role. What I liked most about this movie is that it is a coming of age movie and it is done in such a creative way. It was emotional to see Billy's character grow from beginning to end as he begins to search for his birth mother and realized the importance of his foster family by the end of the film. "Shazam" is not a perfect film. I wish the villain (Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong) who was frightening and threatening in the role was more than the typical cliché villain seen in most comic book movies—I have seen this character so many times before. Also, some of the humor misses with the audience. "Shazam" is really an enjoyable comic book movie with some great performances by Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer. DC has delivered another comic book hit with "Shazam". I am giving "Shazam" a 4 out of 5 stars.
Director:David Sandberg
Cast:Zachary Levi, Aher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong, Grace Fulton, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Jovan Armand, Ross Butler, and Djimon Hounsou
Runtime: 132 minutes