Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Grace Caroline Currey, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren
Release Date: March 17, 2023
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller
Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language
Runtime: 2h 10m
Review:
David F. Sandberg's original Shazam had a sort of goofy charm captured perfectly by Zachary Levi's performance as the titular superhero. The follow up still has that energy even though its more frenetic and unfocused than the first go around. This film is clearly shooting for a more family friendly angle than the majority of the superhero with a lighter tone even with the assortment of action set pieces on display. Those set pieces are decidedly bigger than the first go around which are fun, but they may turn off people who aren't fans of heavy CGI usage. Levi is still the focus, but the story does expand a bit to include more of his adopted siblings/superhero team with Grace Caroline Currey and Asher Angel getting the biggest chunks of the spotlight. Currey and Angel make the most of the opportunity as they flesh out their particular characters. Sadly, the rest of the ensemble only gets a few passing moments leaving Meagan Good's fun performance being terribly underutilized. Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Djimon Hounsou have fun in their roles with Mirren proving more than capable of bringing back some of that classic Morgana energy from Excalibur. Rachel Zegler is appropriately wide eyed throughout but her character is thinly written not terribly interesting which doesn't do the film or story any favors. It doesn't help matters that the film could have used some trimming here and there to make it a more enjoyable experience. Ultimately, Shazam! Fury of the Gods falls into the cliched sequelitis where everything is bigger and louder but it’s not as effective as the original.
C+
