When audiences think of the film Shazam, they generally view it as being one of the DCEU's (DC Extended Universe) few bright spots with the rest being viewed as being one giant convoluted mess. Not only was the characters first comic book outing exciting, but it carried a perfect balance of humor and heart that was lacking in many DC films. With Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, the titular character returns to the big screen in an thoroughly enjoyable follow-up to its breakout predecessor.
Continuing from where the previous Shazam left off, the sequel has Billy Batson and his fellow foster siblings still learning to balance their teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. Their powers soon become tested when a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them prior, prompting Shazam and his allies to defend not just their superpowers, but also their lives, and the fate of mankind. In terms of scope, Shazam 2 definitely feels bigger than the first film while maintaining much of its spirit and charm. Although the original Shazam was low-stake, its plot provided a juvenile feel that essentially felt like a cross between Tom Hanks BIG and a goofier version of Superman. While not as well-focused and personal as the first, Fury Of The Gods still works as being a worthy follow-up that's hilarious, exciting, and heartfelt.
As far as performances go, Shazam's extremely talented cast demonstrate complete devotion to the franchise with everyone playing their parts to a T. Zachary Levi nails it again as Shazam with him brilliantly playing a young boy, who magically finds himself in a Superman body with him fully realizing the responsibility that comes with it. Asher Angel impresses with complimenting Levi's work as a young good-hearted Billy Batson, whose willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family along with the rest of mankind. Other noteworthy works include Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Billy's physically disabled foster brother, Freddy, with Grazer portraying his regular form while Brody portrays his adult superhero version. Rachel Zegler shines as Anthea, the youngest daughter of Atlas whose misguided though good-hearted. Both Grace Caroline Curry and Ross Butler do well as Billy's mature and academically-driven older foster sister Mary with Butler and Ian Chen playing the superhero and young versions of Billy's younger foster brother Eugene. Rounding out Shazam's cast is D.J. Cotrona and Megan Good as Billy's openly LGBT brother Pedro and younger foster sister Darla. Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, and Djimon Hounsou command the screen while adding to the films already appealing cast as the middle and oldest daughters of Atlas with Hounsou playing the last surviving member of the Council of Wizards, who bestowed his powers on Billy Batson.
Returning to the directors chair is original Shazam director David F. Sandberg with him being given more creative freedom this time around. With the sequel, Sandberg aims to recapture much of the originals juvenile feel while raising the stakes with the sequels level of action. The latter is presented in comic book-style form which includes mass amounts of property being destroyed, monsters running amok including a terrifying dragon, and intense imagery including gods transforming humans into zombie-type creatures as a form of enslavement. In terms of pacing, Shazam 2's story is kept fast-paced but never to the point where character and plot development takes a backseat to the action. The music by Christophe Beck who composed the first, is effective in driving the stories mystical feel while clearly being inspired by other classic superhero films of the genre like Richard Dinner's Superman. The tone of the music appropriately fits the films free-spirited tone while enchanting the level of excitement that audiences feel given that it's a story which revolves around gods and monsters. Like the previous Shazam, the costume design remains stellar once again with Sandberg doing a fine job of bringing what's undeniably a more bright and colorful version of the DCEU to life.
The key message that Shazam 2 drives home is that everyone has the power of a hero inside of them as evidenced by Billy's will to do good. Courage, bravery, compassion, and teamwork are themes that are heavily prevalent in the films script with the latter realizing what must be done in order to protect his family as well as humanity. The script juggles numerous subplots ranging from Billy trying to keep his siblings motivated with being superheroes as they try to balance their normal lives. The writing does much to emphasize the positive impact of having a strong family foundation, whether its biological or foster. The script also contains fun pop culture references including Shazam's character poking fun at Fast And Furious' tagline regarding family. When it comes to the films main trio of female villains, the Greek goddesses Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso are well-fleshed out and carry a strong presence throughout the story with their motives and allegiances ultimately becoming tested. What Shazam's sequel does that connects both stories together so well is how its writing stays true to the things that audiences loved about the first Shazam, while showing Billy's growth as a superhero along with the rest of his family.
Despite its positives, it would be a bit misleading to say that the sequels storyline is as strong as the originals. The story doesn't quite remain as well-focused as the film sometimes struggles with juggling multiple character and story arcs in addition to placing a slanted focus on Shazam this time around rather than young Billy, which was the heart of the originals plot. Where the sequel lacks in its predecessors skillfulness, it makes up for in retaining much of the previous films magic while expanding the stories scope. It helps that its main star and cast remain as equally committed in playing their parts with Levi's charismatic performance making Shazam! Fury Of The Gods a worthy, if not flawed, sequel.
Final Verdict: Worth watching if you're a comic book fan, just don't expect it to be as good as the first Shazam. Expect surprise cameos.
Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers Discovery
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