Shazam!
A boy given abilities to become an adult superhero in times of need enters the DC Cinematic Universe when young Billy Batson finds himself gifted with the power of the wizard Shazam. What this means is the teenager, when he says "shazam!", transforms into a costumed, musclebound hero (Zachary Levi)... but doesn't develop the brain to match.
The latest champion in an age-old battle between good and evil, Billy Batson mostly enjoys goofing off with his new-found powers, despite the urging of his best friend and superhero enthusiast, Freddy. When he's sought out by a villainous physicist (Mark Strong) embodying ancient evils, Batson will need to transform himself into an actual hero, not just someone that looks like one.
- Director:
- David F. Sandberg ('Lights Out', 'Annabelle: Creation')
- Writer:
- Henry Gayden
- Cast:
- Zachary LeviMark StrongRoss ButlerMichelle BorthAdam BrodyJack Dylan GrazerRon Cephas Jones
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Tony Stamp
flicksIn 2015 Steven Spielberg made headlines when he predicted superhero films would ‘go the way of the western’. Sure, he was taken massively out of context, but it is interesting to see how, four years on, the genre shows no signs of slowing, either financially or creatively.
Flicks, Travis Johnson
flicksSuperhero stories are inherently juvenile and if you want to get upset about that observation it's worth reflecting that the most iconic characters in the genre include a guy who dresses up as a bat and a nerd who can climb walls. They are children’s stories at base, no matter how many fans want to cite books by Alan Moore or Frank Miller as seminal texts.
A nice break from all the angsty DC films
It's nice to see some DC films beginning to stray away from their dark and angsty style and incorporating some comedy especially with Shazam where it fits in the most. It consists of the DCEU style from Zack Synder but done better. The film introduces us to a new and more unknown DC Comic's character Shazam, and it is a relief they did the character...
Funny, sort of
I have no background for comics now movies, so my review is based predominantly on the viewing of it. The movie definitely had some laughs, I'm unsure if I'm hard to please with humour, the trailer showed a lot of the funny moments, Zachary Levi played a great role and there was some great, unexpected actors in the movie. My friend and I thought this...
A rare win for the horror/comedy genre.
In some respects this is a hard movie to peg. The trailer made it appear to be aimed at a young audience. Good natured goofy fun. And there was much of that. However the first half leaned heavily towards horror. And did it well. Shazam! opens with the origin story of it's super-villain. Ably carried by both the junior and senior versions' actors,...
Another Win for DC
Shazam is directed by David F. Sandberg, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong and Djimon Hounsou. Shazam tells the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who’s been chosen by the wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) to take up his mantle As a comicbook movie Shazam works in many ways, the movie in general is fun and it’s highly...
Variety
press"Shazam!" suggests that if you're taking a superhero's powers deadly seriously, you may not be totally connecting with the spirit of the comics. The movie says: You've got to giggle at this stuff. That's part of the adventure.
The Guardian
pressBuoyant and unpretentious, Shazam! aims low and mostly succeeds, a kid-friendly caper powered with enough energy to keep its target audience engaged with a fun central conceit that plays like a cross between Big and Superman.
Stuff
pressIn a genre that often tries way too hard to be taken seriously, Shazam! is a pile of good-natured fun.
Screen Daily
press"Shazam" exudes a boyish spirit appropriate for a superhero origin story about a teenager who gets invested with powers far beyond his adolescent imagination. This latest DC adventure is, however, a mixed bag that doesn't quite work.
Rolling Stone
press...anybody suffering from superhero fatigue, but for the rest of us it's an engaging, heartfelt ode to the slightly jerky teenager inside us all and our often untapped potential to do the right thing.
New Zealand Herald
pressShazam!, like the ridiculousness of its name, never takes itself too seriously. It's a sugar rush of a film, great while it lasts but has you plummeting off the high soon afterward.
Hollywood Reporter
pressLevi is a delight in the central role, hilariously conveying the goofy adolescent within the strapping body of his musclebound superhero.
Empire Magazine
pressThe hardest power to depict onscreen is the wisdom of Solomon, but Shazam! makes clever decisions, mixing middle school snark with disarming sweetness.
Flicks, Tony Stamp
flicksIn 2015 Steven Spielberg made headlines when he predicted superhero films would ‘go the way of the western’. Sure, he was taken massively out of context, but it is interesting to see how, four years on, the genre shows no signs of slowing, either financially or creatively.
Flicks, Travis Johnson
flicksSuperhero stories are inherently juvenile and if you want to get upset about that observation it's worth reflecting that the most iconic characters in the genre include a guy who dresses up as a bat and a nerd who can climb walls. They are children’s stories at base, no matter how many fans want to cite books by Alan Moore or Frank Miller as seminal texts.
Variety
press"Shazam!" suggests that if you're taking a superhero's powers deadly seriously, you may not be totally connecting with the spirit of the comics. The movie says: You've got to giggle at this stuff. That's part of the adventure.
The Guardian
pressBuoyant and unpretentious, Shazam! aims low and mostly succeeds, a kid-friendly caper powered with enough energy to keep its target audience engaged with a fun central conceit that plays like a cross between Big and Superman.
Stuff
pressIn a genre that often tries way too hard to be taken seriously, Shazam! is a pile of good-natured fun.
Screen Daily
press"Shazam" exudes a boyish spirit appropriate for a superhero origin story about a teenager who gets invested with powers far beyond his adolescent imagination. This latest DC adventure is, however, a mixed bag that doesn't quite work.
Rolling Stone
press...anybody suffering from superhero fatigue, but for the rest of us it's an engaging, heartfelt ode to the slightly jerky teenager inside us all and our often untapped potential to do the right thing.
New Zealand Herald
pressShazam!, like the ridiculousness of its name, never takes itself too seriously. It's a sugar rush of a film, great while it lasts but has you plummeting off the high soon afterward.
Hollywood Reporter
pressLevi is a delight in the central role, hilariously conveying the goofy adolescent within the strapping body of his musclebound superhero.
Empire Magazine
pressThe hardest power to depict onscreen is the wisdom of Solomon, but Shazam! makes clever decisions, mixing middle school snark with disarming sweetness.
A nice break from all the angsty DC films
It's nice to see some DC films beginning to stray away from their dark and angsty style and incorporating some comedy especially with Shazam where it fits in the most. It consists of the DCEU style from Zack Synder but done better. The film introduces us to a new and more unknown DC Comic's character Shazam, and it is a relief they did the character...
Funny, sort of
I have no background for comics now movies, so my review is based predominantly on the viewing of it. The movie definitely had some laughs, I'm unsure if I'm hard to please with humour, the trailer showed a lot of the funny moments, Zachary Levi played a great role and there was some great, unexpected actors in the movie. My friend and I thought this...
A rare win for the horror/comedy genre.
In some respects this is a hard movie to peg. The trailer made it appear to be aimed at a young audience. Good natured goofy fun. And there was much of that. However the first half leaned heavily towards horror. And did it well. Shazam! opens with the origin story of it's super-villain. Ably carried by both the junior and senior versions' actors,...
Another Win for DC
Shazam is directed by David F. Sandberg, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong and Djimon Hounsou. Shazam tells the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who’s been chosen by the wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) to take up his mantle As a comicbook movie Shazam works in many ways, the movie in general is fun and it’s highly...
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