‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ review: Zachary Levi’s plucky man-child leads joyous superfamily sequel
0
0
Under new leadership, the DC superhero cinematic world is experiencing an existential crisis with Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam in limbo and Henry Cavill’s Superman no longer in the picture.
Zachary Levi’s do-gooder with a youthful heart has to remain around for a while, as the sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” demonstrates.
The “Shazam” sequel ( out of four; rated PG-13; in theatres Friday) is a fun, family-friendly follow-up to director David F. Sandberg’s 2019 charmer. It continues the story of teenage foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who is given otherworldly abilities by a wizard (Djimon Hounsou), and his Philadelphia family when they are threatened by a trio of potent Greek goddesses (Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Rachel Ziegler).
Due to its honestly goofy main character, “Fury” manages to stay grounded even when it occasionally loads on the mythos, monsters, and magic a little too heavily.
When someone yells “Shazam!” everyone changes into a “swole” version of themselves since Billy shares his power with his five foster siblings and sisters at the end of the first “Shazam!” When some time has gone, the young people are still trying their best to assist the city but are encountering just as many setbacks as accomplishments. These are known as the “Philly Fiascoes” in the media.
The fact that Billy will officially age out of the foster care system when he becomes 18 in a few months adds to the demands on him. Billy is concerned about having to live alone once more due to this and the fact that his siblings have hobbies outside of becoming superheroes.
The entrance of the Daughters of Atlas does not help matters either. Billy split a magical staff in half during the film’s pivotal conflict, breaking a barrier between realms and enabling Hespera (Mirren) and Kalypso (Liu) to go to Earth. They modify the weapon, want to gain the heroes’ abilities, and want to dominate the world, although their sister Anthea (Zegler) is less ruthless and has a soft spot for Billy’s brother Freddy (played by Jack Dylan Grazer as a teen and by Adam Brody in hero mode).
With a massive man cave right out of the “Harry Potter” films and a terrifying wooden dragon that screams “Game of Thrones,” “Fury of the Gods” goes far bigger in terms of set pieces. Citizens Bank Park and other locations are destroyed during The Daughters’ assault of Philadelphia by computer-generated animals and unimpressive villains. Yet, the “Shazam” trademark remains to be the sentimental, heartwarming family material.
As the first film is skewed towards the wish-fulfilment dream, its follow-up explores issues that individuals can’t tackle with superhuman power and quick reactions. Billy puts up a tough front, but his fears are still there despite his lightning bolt super suit. The film also skillfully addresses problems that the other characters have, such as struggles with coming out to family members and college aspirations. mark.
While DC movies have recently had trouble winning over fans and reviewers, “Shazam” distinguished out from its dark peers by adopting a benign sense of comedy that sometimes mirrored competitor Marvel’s superhero pictures. Batman is cool, but it’s unlikely that he will ever give a unicorn some Skittles. (That guy’s not really into tasting the rainbow.)
Ziegler, a recent addition, contributes to that upbeat mood. And the returning heroes do, which is why Levi is still these movies’ finest quality. He infuses the souped-up Billy with an innate kindness and wonders as well as a crucial vulnerability that perfectly balances his tough-as-nails demeanour.
So let’s continue to support the Shazamily, will we? Levi’s courageous man-child should suffice till DC finds its next Superman.
Shazam! Fury of the God’s release date
