I knew about Billy Batson (of DC Comics, previously from Fawcett Comics) since I was a kid. He was a shy 12 year-old orphan who was endowed with the powers of six Greek gods, becoming a powerful superhero who wore a red suit, white cape and a yellow lightning bolt emblazoned on his chest. He was known to me as Captain Marvel. It turns out that while I was growing up, Captain Marvel became the name a female superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Billy Batson's superhero identity is now the word he shouted to become him -- Shazam!
In this new origin film written by Henry Gayden and directed by David F. Sandberg, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a 14 year-old rebellious boy who would not stay put in any foster home given him because he was searching for his mother with whom he got separated from at a carnival since he was an infant. He is currently lived in Victor and Rosa Vasquez's group home in Philadelphia, with five other misfit foster kids: college-bound Mary, quiet Pedro, gadget techie Eugene, gregarious Darla, and disabled Freddy.
As the story went, one day, Billy was summoned by an old dying wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who was looking for a champion who was pure of heart to continue his work as guardian against the group of monsters called the Seven Deadly Sins. By saying the wizard's name Shazam, Billy became a goofy, wise-cracking adult superhero with a myriad of powers, which he would eventually discover with the help of his roommate and DC superhero fanboy Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer).
When the first trailers for this film came out, I was not so sure about it. The Captain Marvel (whoop, Shazam) here was so silly and harebrained, he was not the superhero I remembered as a child. I was worried about how the whole film will turn out to be, especially since DC just came from a big winner in "Aquaman." However, initial reviews about it have been consistently positive, so we were all excited to go watch it. The hype is real folks, this is one fun and entertaining film.
Yes, there were times when Zachary Levi's man-child portrayal of Shazam (or Captain Sparklefingers, Captain Thundercrack, Mr. Philadelphia, or whatever stupid name Freddy came up with) can get too childish and grating (you can see these parts in the trailer). However, when he finally comes face to face with the very powerful, similarly magic-driven super-villain Dr. Thaddeus Silvana (Mark Strong), that was when he, and the whole film, got down to serious (but still fun) action.
Some scenes can get scary for young kids (hence the PG rating), but they come up with something funny afterwards to lighten the blow. (Well, most of the time. That scene inside the Silvana boardroom was intensely shocking and brutal.) The best scenes were reserved for that final showdown in the amusement park at the end, especially when Shazam realizes the full potential of the magical powers vested in him, and whipped up the Marvel Family! (Well, that's how I knew them before. They were not yet given a name here.) The audience actually whooped it up with that great scene.
There is drama, not only with Billy's search for his mother, as well as the scenes in the Vasquez group home with the other foster kids, a different concept of family. There is comedy, and the good, clean, old-fashioned kind, no dirty jokes or profanity (sorry, Deadpool). There is a formidable evil villain, equally matched in powers, along with his coterie of grotesque monsters, resulting in high-flying, lightning-fast CGI action scenes. There were two extra scenes in the cartoonish end credits (one mid-credits, and one at the very end). This film had it all, right down to that delightful, totally surprising cameo at the very end (for which the audience again erupted in applause and laughter). 9/10.
When the first trailers for this film came out, I was not so sure about it. The Captain Marvel (whoop, Shazam) here was so silly and harebrained, he was not the superhero I remembered as a child. I was worried about how the whole film will turn out to be, especially since DC just came from a big winner in "Aquaman." However, initial reviews about it have been consistently positive, so we were all excited to go watch it. The hype is real folks, this is one fun and entertaining film.
Yes, there were times when Zachary Levi's man-child portrayal of Shazam (or Captain Sparklefingers, Captain Thundercrack, Mr. Philadelphia, or whatever stupid name Freddy came up with) can get too childish and grating (you can see these parts in the trailer). However, when he finally comes face to face with the very powerful, similarly magic-driven super-villain Dr. Thaddeus Silvana (Mark Strong), that was when he, and the whole film, got down to serious (but still fun) action.
Some scenes can get scary for young kids (hence the PG rating), but they come up with something funny afterwards to lighten the blow. (Well, most of the time. That scene inside the Silvana boardroom was intensely shocking and brutal.) The best scenes were reserved for that final showdown in the amusement park at the end, especially when Shazam realizes the full potential of the magical powers vested in him, and whipped up the Marvel Family! (Well, that's how I knew them before. They were not yet given a name here.) The audience actually whooped it up with that great scene.
There is drama, not only with Billy's search for his mother, as well as the scenes in the Vasquez group home with the other foster kids, a different concept of family. There is comedy, and the good, clean, old-fashioned kind, no dirty jokes or profanity (sorry, Deadpool). There is a formidable evil villain, equally matched in powers, along with his coterie of grotesque monsters, resulting in high-flying, lightning-fast CGI action scenes. There were two extra scenes in the cartoonish end credits (one mid-credits, and one at the very end). This film had it all, right down to that delightful, totally surprising cameo at the very end (for which the audience again erupted in applause and laughter). 9/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment