Vindication for Fans, A Genuine Treat for Everyone Else: Review of SHAZAM (Spoilerfree)

Welcome Back to another edition of Comic Relief! where we talk about all the goings on in the world of nerd!

There are many ways I could start this review. I could talk about the pressure that was on this movie both from the past failed entries of the DCEU and the fact that it's sandwiched between 2 big Marvel films. However, that's not what I want to focus on, instead, I want to start with a personal statement. If you have read this blog at all, you probably realized that I am a pretty big fan of Superman. However, this love of the Man of Steel is relatively recent, however, there was always a character close to Superman that I had always enjoyed, the original Captain Marvel or Shazam. To me, I had always seen Shazam as the perfected vision of Superman: give all the power in the world with an adult man with his life in order, that story can suffer from stagnancy. However, if you take those powers, and you give them to a child with not a whole lot going for him outside a good heart and a desire to do the right thing, you have the potential for something great. In Captain Marvel/Shazam, there is something truly special, and this film did a tremendous job of showing just that.

A while back, I wrote a piece talking about my hopes and expectations for SHAZAM! and while one can hardly expect everything in a wishlist to be granted, this film came pretty damn close to granting every one. This movie is an absolute love letter to the character. Even though they have taken plenty of artistic licenses, there are several of nods and references to things that have been integral to the character in the past (the Tawny the tiger nod was probably my favorite, and also involves probably one of the best scenes of the film), however, while nods and easter eggs are great, that's not what makes this film as special as it is. This film probably has the most heart I have seen in a superhero film outside Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse, it's fun from start to finish. Seeing Billy go from a loner to accepting his place as both a hero and a member of this new family was such a compelling ride. The humor is spot on and never feels forced, and the themes of family and acceptance that drive the film allow for some beautiful and tender moments. What's most impressive though is just how great the cast plays off one another. While Asher Angel (Billy Batson) does a phenomenal job in his own right, the dynamic between Zachary Levi (Shazam) and Jack Dylan Grazer (Freddie Freeman) will steal your heart as you watch the progression of their friendship throughout the film.

Captain Marvel or Shazam has been my favorite DC hero for quite some time, so it would have been hard to judge this film objectively for me, but the fact that I didn't have to, that this film was just that good is honestly a huge relief as a fan. While this film does have some minor problems (mainly in how it handles some of its visual effects), there are no gaping flaws in the movie to hurt anyone's enjoyment. All I can say is thank you to the director, David Sandberg, for not letting the fans down and for putting out one of the purest films of the genre. Thanks for proving me right, that there is something truly special about this character! (PS stay through the credits, while the post credit scene should be incentive enough, initial credits are so funny you'll kick yourself if you miss them). I would give SHAZAM! a 9.5/10, the movie delivers a fresh entry to the genre that handles the character origin in a unique way that leaves you wanting more!

This has been another edition of Comic Relief! I hope you have enjoyed and please do yourself a favor and if you see any movie in April before Endgame, make sure it's this one!

SHAZAM! opens in Cinemas April 6th.