Henry Gayden, Chris Morgan, Bill Parker
Truth be told, I was not a huge fan of the first “Shazam!” film, so much so that I haven’t seen it since it was originally released in 2019 remember literally nothing about it. So, at first, I wrote off watching a “Shazam!” sequel, as neither the character nor the action particularly excited me enough to warrant the price of admission. However, at a certain comic convention that I attended a year ago, I found myself standing in line to meet Zachary Levi; so excited to meet him that I blacked out and have forgotten most of the encounter, one thing did manage to stick, forever etched and imprinted in the recesses of my mind: As he signed his signature on the glossy 8×10 photograph that I slid across the table and into his beautiful hands, he looked at me, made direct, piercing eye contact, and said, “Shazam 2 is going to be dope.” And wouldn’t you know, he was right.
I had beyond rock bottom expectations when walking into this film – so imagine my surprise when I enjoyed it so much that I dragged my mom to go see this with me for my second viewing. To put it simply, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” feels like a superhero movie in the best way possible; while perhaps not containing as much high octane action as one may desire or expect, the film does depict something that is equally as integral: super-powered heroes acting like heroes – and that is where the true joy of this movie lies.
“Shazam!” 2 has an infectious sense of fun to it, especially when depicting its group of teenagers turned heroes saving people from imminent disaster; there is a fantastic set piece where our heroes save civilians from a bridge collapse, and the entire sequence is so high energy (complete with “Holding Out for a Hero” blasting in the background) that I couldn’t help but grin for the entirety of the scene. And since the heroes are all children, each and every one of them have similarly childlike personalities that only add to the lighthearted, heroic nature of the film, especially in one Zachary Levi.
Zachary Levi is picture-perfect as the titular hero, and is clearly having a complete blast in the role. He is so, so funny in this movie, with lines that had me laughing harder than I had in a long time. And honestly, the humor is probably the main reason why I enjoyed this movie so much – “Shazam!” 2 is basically a comedy, and it’s one that truly made me laugh from very beginning to very end. However, if you’re looking for action, you will find it… although, you may not be too happy with it.
If I had to fault this movie in any way, it would be for ending, as is tradition with these types of films, in a bombastic, explosive CGI mess. There are creatures galore, including a giant dragon that Shazam is forced to engage in battle with. It does run the risk of becoming tedious, especially since the third act does drag, but I honestly didn’t mind because of how much fun and how entertained I was. Plus, the ending packs an unexpected emotional punch that was very welcome.
Honestly, I really don’t have too much to say about this movie other than the fact that I really enjoyed it – I was entertained from beginning to end, and what more could I have asked for? This movie managed to turn me into a fan of the Shazam character, something I didn’t expect at all, and now my only fear is that, due to the upcoming DCEU reboot, we may never again get another “Shazam!” movie. Only time will tell – but between then and now, give this movie a go, because I don’t think you’ll regret it.