So here we are with the second superhero movie for 2019 and its none other than Captain Marvel err Shazam. Read up on my Shazam review. The film will be released April 3 and stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer. The film is also directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle:Creation).

The film explores the life of teenager Billy Batson, a troubled kid with a heart of gold who is chosen to become the new champion for the Wizard known as Shazam while at the same time trying to adapt to his new home with his foster siblings.

For this Shazam review, out the gate, I’m telling you this is a great movie. It’s like a superhero family film. Think Big (which gets a homage within the film for the titos and titas out there) with actual super powers and magic involved.

via GIPHY

Shazam is also filled with lightened takes on family and foster families. We don’t have the negativity which was present in the New 52 source material. This makes the movie more engaging for kids and adults alike.

The film is a visual treat from the way shots were done (like a witty retrace of Rocky and Philadelphia), the action scenes (no shaky cam this time) and even other visual effects. There were traces of lazy CGI but that’s forgiveable. Still better than the end product for Cyborg from Justice League.

Zachary Levi was great in this flick sans “muscle suit”. Hi Shazam is genuine and almost innocent. He goes from child-like to a serious tone. Some goes for his comedic timing. Whether its bonding with Grazer’s Freddy to being doofy with Sivana, you can definitely enjoy his work here. Pretty much the next best thing we’ll get to a “Chuck” movie, minus the romance angle.

I also have to write in this Shazam review, that the humor here is topnotch. Have to tip my hat to the writers. Every joke was well crafted and they will make you laugh hard or at least generate a chuckle. So many good jokes here, I can’t zone in to one specific joke because there’s a lot.

If there’s anything that makes Shazam almost the perfect superhero movie, it’s how it’s telephoned in that Billy Batson grew to love his family after a few scenes. It’s like, OK just accept that they work well after a few scenes. It lacked development on that end. I can’t remember a single scene where Billy actually connected with a number of his brothers and sister (except for Freddy, Mary and Darla).

I’m happy to report in this Shazam review that they wrote a decent villain in Thaddeus Bodog Sivana played by Mark Strong. He did not achieve Loki levels of awesome but he’s good enough to illicit changes for Billy Batson both in his mortal form and as Captain Marvel Shazam. He gets them from point A to point B. That’s good enough for me. And they did not go the Marvel Studios route of killing off the villains (which is one of the really strong points for DCEU films… except for Man of Steel’s General Zod).

The way Shazam was written definitely leaves room for a sequel. No spoilers here but you have to know that they took extra care to set up the next chapter in the Cinematic lives of Shazam, his family and even Sivana.

Also heads up fans, there are two Shazam Post-credit scenes. Don’t leave till you see those two. They are definitely worth the wait.

Shazam Review – Verdict

9/10

Shazam was a remarkable film that spells a new and exciting path for DC Comics movies. The tone was clear that this was a family film starring Chuck and that kid from “It: chapter 1”. It does a good examination of what makes a family and how a kid, even at an early age, can make decisions on how he or she wants to deal with their stuff (a bit of sugarcoating though). Lastly, the movie is a fun, light-hearted superhero romp. We’ve been waiting for this kind of film for awhile now and thank DC, Levi and Sandberg for getting it right.

Special thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines. Shazam opens April 3