SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS – Review by Susan Kamyab
DC has always struggled to make solid, coherent superhero movies. One of the few times they got it right was with the first Shazam. Sadly, lightening fails to strike twice in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
The second film picks up where the first one left off in 2019. Teenager Billy Batson still lives a normal everyday life with his diverse foster family, while also fighting crime as Shazam along with his foster siblings, who he shared his powers with. They quickly come face to face with new villains, two Greek Gods played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, who want to destroy the world. There’s a reason they are so mad at humanity, but to be honest it doesn’t matter. Their whole motive to kill innocent people is lazy and makes no sense.
I don’t want to bash this movie right away. What Shazam! Fury of the Gods has going for it is a lovable cast. They utilize the comical Adam Brody and his non superhero self in the film played by Jack Dylan Grazer, which is a smart move. Zachary Levi does a great job as a very committed lead, even popping with the corny lines he’s given.
And the first 45 minutes starts off strong, but as usual, DC doesn’t seem to learn that less is more. They quickly try to jam so much action and detail into the last half that the storylines get muddled, so you lose interest in the characters, and worst of all, the movie begins to drag.
The film has a few cool special effects and still musters up some decent laughs, but the entire cast deserved a better script. Shazam! Fury of the Gods‘ attempt to go “bigger and bolder” ends up turning it into a bloated and ridiculous superhero movie.
