Written by Cameron Erickson, Staff Writer
The new entry into the constructive World of DC, Shazam, is a fun, exhilarating joy ride that is fully aware of what it is. What echoed through my mind as I exited the theater was this was the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long time.
You laugh with the movie as the seemingly ridiculous plot unfolds. A teenage Billy Batson is chosen by the powerful wizard, named Shazam, to become the next protector of the world. He transforms into an adult version of himself through the command of the magic word: SHAZAM!
The movie plays out as you may expect; it’s a predictable and very formulated script. It doesn’t throw anything new your way. Everything has been seen before, created by better directors and screenwriters. But if you take this film for what it is, it is an enjoyable two hours at the cinema.
It embraces the superhero genre with plenty of meta jokes referring to other DC superheroes and even a few nods over to the successful Marvel movies.
Zachary Levi plays the adult version of the hero, and he is the evident leader of this film. His humor and charisma charms the viewers every time he is present on the screen. The kid counterpart, played by Asher Angel, is a complementary piece that completes the character of Billy Batson very nicely. He is as good as the older, kiddish version of himself.
Shazam! was an insanely fun ride, but was nothing special. It brought the DC Universe to a new light side in contrast to their other dark toned films. It was a fresh look into what could be for this franchise, but it’s not a new idea.