Shazam! is a movie I would usually not watch or even pay attention to. However, thanks to my friends I got convinced I should give it a chance and I was not only surprised by how it made me feel, I was quite shocked (pleasantly, yes). I am not a fan of DC movies at all and the idea of Shazam! just seemed ridiculously stupid to me, if I have to be brutally honest. Well, it was just another reminder to always give things a chance before you judge. Targeting a younger audience this superhero movie has some things to offer to all types of viewers.

The review is spoiler free by the way.

“I would love to see this movie with my nephew”

-Hans

Yes, I totally agree. One thing to set straight from the start is that Shazam! is a children’s movie. It is made in a way which would definitely make it one incredibly fun and amazing experience for a child. To be honest, if I saw it when I was a kid it would probably become my favorite movie at the time. But despite all of that it wasn’t a children’s movie adults cannot enjoy. What I loved about it was that despite it was targeting children it had a great number of jokes, funny situations, and references to pop culture only adults could understand and appreciate. It is a great mix of various elements which can entertain different generations and I think this makes it a great film the entire family can enjoy together without anyone getting bored.

Short story summary: The battle between good and evil is never-ending. The last living wizard is in the search of a champion he can entrust his powers in. However, after countless failed attempts the seven deadly sins have started gaining power and finally found someone who they can possess in order to put an end to the wizard. Is there a ray of hope in the face of the foster kid Billy Baxton whose biggest concern is finding his mother and navigating his way into various foster homes?

I will be honest, I had a strong prejudice about this movie. I thought it will be another imitation of Superman (judging by the trailers) and the idea of turning into an overpowered superhero by saying Shazam! was just stupid for me (and the fact that I am way off the target audience probably contributes to my feelings). Maybe my low expectations contributed to the overall end result, but it turned out that it is not at all a Superman copy and there was a solid story which actually made sense when it comes to getting the superpowers.

The Storyline

The storyline of the movie is quite the basic one at the start but gets very well developed and proceeds to involve various relevant topics. The movie is a combination of many elements and topics which work in an incredibly interesting and fun way. The story progresses well with a steady and pleasant pace. There is no over exaggeration and stretched development, rarely any plot holes and the pace is anything but slow – a perfect combination. Shazam! is actually quite different than the majority of superhero movies we see nowadays – I believe this one was way more original and interesting. We have a main character with an interesting past and a villain with actual motive and an equally intriguing story. I wouldn’t say there were many plot twists or surprise moments but I admit it was nonetheless entertaining to watch and the bundle of puns, funny jokes, and several references to pop culture made up for the predictable plot. Hints in regards Batman and Superman which will make you question the turn of events were included as well as a good reference to the Street Fighter games – all playfully and masterfully incorporated at the right time in during the story. The best part for me were definitely the jokes which were diverse but all funny as hell.

Also, stay after the credits to see a post-development and a possible setting for the sequel of the movie.

The Characters and Filming

The characters were genuinely good – all interesting and unique. As mentioned both the main protagonist and antagonist have interesting stories and the events that lead up to their present situation make perfect sense. The supporting characters are equally interesting to get into and even tho we don’t get much screen time of some promising faces they all demonstrated their uniqueness in one way or another.

For a 2019 movie, Shazam! naturally had a representative CGI and special effects. There were a few times I personally thought they are a bit off but in general, the editing, the way it was shot, and the overall vibe of the movie were very satisfying. The action scenes and the transformations of Billy Batson into Shazam were also a good touch to the experience of watching the movie on the big screen. I also have to compliment the choice of songs for the soundtrack since everything was perfectly in place – in regards to intense moments, emotional ones, and even the funny and humorous ones everything fitted perfectly.

Should you watch it?

I think that no matter what type of movies you are into Shazam! is a good choice. It has the elements of a fantasy/superhero movie, then we have Christmas movie vibes with topics regarding family relationships and friendships, an all-ages comedy, and lots of action all in one. This makes it suitable for various occasions and people of all ages can find something intriguing. It definitely managed to help me completely immerse into another dimension but do keep in mind that it is, after all, a movie targeting children. Lots of things might seem to be off if you are watching with the idea of seeing something spectacular and polished. It is nonetheless quite entertaining if you view it at the right mindset and allow yourself to just ease up and relax during the screening. Despite my original opinion, I believe it deserves a chance and there is lots to enjoy.

I hope this was helpful in your decision of whether to see Shazam! or at least it was fun to read. Anyway, thanks a lot to everyone who read the post, stay tuned for more blogs on various topics!

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