It’s interesting to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods coming out around the same time as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Not just in the sense that they both act as sequels that aim to go bigger, better, and wider scoped than it’s predecessors, which were mainly smaller scaled, lighthearted adventures. Or that both movies tend to put more emphasis on the main villains this time around that could factor into the future (or not). And of course, both movies have received a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, scored less than an A- from Cinemascore, and on track to perform even less at the box office than their predecessors.
It’s safe to say that we now live in that time where critics and mainstream audiences don’t seem to be overly impressed with the superhero movie sub-genre anymore. Whether it’s because they’ve gotten worse or that everyone has seen just about everything it has to offer is up to you, but a comic book movie that’s just a simple B or B+ just doesn’t seem to get a free pass anymore. And just like with Quantumania, I’m baffled that out of all the recent superhero movies to come out, that and Fury of the Gods seems to be the one to have broken the camels back. Not just because neither properties have proven to be the most successful brand (at least financially) but because they really aren’t that bad.
To be sure, Fury of the Gods is certainly better than Quantumania and, if we are going by recent DC superhero movies, Black Adam. However, I would go as far to say that Fury of the Gods itself is a pretty solid sequel that gives you most of what you would expect a Shazam! sequel to consist of. No, it’s not as good as the original but I really don’t think it’s falls short by that much. If we’re going by some of these reviews, you would assume that Shazam 2! is to the original Shazam! what Mean Girls 2 was to the original Mean Girls. If anything a better comparison would be to that of Deadpool 2 and to some extent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the sense, that both sequels deliver most of the same goods as the original and it all still works but lacks that freshness and “Wow!” factor that the original had. Back in 2017 and 2018, that seemed to be acceptable but five to six years later, I guess not.
Premise: Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson (Zachary Levi/Asher Angel) and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.
(Yeah, I’m not going to go too deep into the description because the movie has already been out for a few days and don’t want to delay this review any further. Even so, I don’t think there’s a ton in this movie that you won’t be able to predict except for a cameo with a certain someone that WB apparently already spoiled in the TV spots. That honestly would have been cool to not know about going into the movie but oh well.)
The main thing that Shazam! Fury of the Gods makes sure to deliver is the one thing that was teased the most at the end of the first movie, which is the family of superheroes fighting alongside each other. There are certain ones that don’t get as much screen time as others (*cough* Eugene) or get as much time in their kid form (*cough* Billy Batson) but they are no doubt fun to watch whenever they are screen. Whenever they are dealing with their own personal family dynamics in their kid forms or their everyday superhero lives in their adult forms, it’s always engaging. While a big portion of that has to do with how lovable the characters themselves are, the one main factor to it as to do with how charming the cast themselves are.
The cast who were great in the first movie are still great here. To start off with the elephant in the room that is Zachary Levi, I think he’s still fine and enjoyable here. Yes, there are times throughout the movie where he comes close to developing the personality of a full-on man child and the less said about his anti-vax views the better but he still has a likable screen presence that it’s easy to ignore whenever you are watching the movie. The downside to so much screen time given to Shazam! strictly is that Ashel Angel gets much less time as Billy himself this time around. While putting more focus on the superhero family itself was definitely the right way to go, there’s not nearly enough of a balance between the kid and adult forms this time around as there probably should be.
As for the rest of the returning cast, they all fit quite well albeit in their kid or adult-like forms. The ones that shine the most is Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary, and Meagan Good and Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley. Graze in particular is the one that gets the most interaction with the other cast members outside of the family themselves and he’s steal about every scene he is in. His dynamics in particular with Djimoun Hounsou as the original Shazam! and the other new villains are major stand-outs. Hounsou himself gets more to do this time around and definitely is where the film’s biggest laughs comes from. The other returning members do good but don’t have as many standout moments as the ones already mention.
When it comes to the new additions, particularly from the antagonist side, that’s where the movie falters. While there is more focus on the villains this time around with the daughters of Atlas, there’s not much to their characters other than they are powerful goddesses that want revenge on Shazam! and his family. The actresses are all good in their roles with Rachel Zegler being a delightful presence as Anthea, Helena Mirren being a ton of fun as Hespera, and Lucy Liu chewing up the scenery every opportunity that she gets. If anything, it’s largely the entertaining performance from the actresses that helps add the non-existent depth to the characters they were playing. As being the mere bad guys/girls of the picture, they are functional but certainly not on the list of greatest villains in superhero movie history.
When it comes to carrying the heart, tone, and resonating family themes of the first one, the movie is able to do that quite well. It’s probably more “funny” than it should be but it does help make it for a very feel-good time. I still enjoy the lighthearted nature of the whole thing that felt reminisce to classic superhero flicks I grew up with such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. I like how it puts a big focus on the majority of the family members on the verge of becoming fully grown adults. And man, does it ever feel nice to see superheroes act like actual superheroes by saving civilians every chance that they get.
If you are someone that was just looking to spend more time with this cast and characters for the sequel, then you should definitely get your money’s worth. So much so, that I would have a hard time imaging someone that thoroughly enjoyed the first movie won’t enjoy their time here. Everything that folks loved about the original is still presence here, even if it’s not as “fresh” as before.
That’s not to say the movie itself is perfect because it’s clearly not. The third act does evolve into the same CGI and action-heavy tropes that most superheroes movies have grown accustom too which goes on longer than it should, there are times where the green screen shots composite are quite obvious, and while there’s a certain cameo towards the end that was welcome, the way the character was implemented mostly came across as a glorified deus-ex machina. And as I’ve stated before, if you have become familiar with the majority of the beats of a typical superhero flick, you will likely see certain beats coming from a mile away.
While Shazam! Fury of the Gods certainly doesn’t break any new ground for the superhero sub-genre and doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first movie, it still makes for a solid albeit formulaic sequel. Director David F Sandberg is able to deliver the exact goods that he delivered in the original Shazam! had even if it’s not able to deliver much else that feels as fresh. It’s not groundbreaking by any means, but with movies that are this lighthearted, fun, and just has it’s own warm tone to it, I really find it hard to be overly critical off.
I can’t help but think that the negative reaction that this movie is receiving is not so much of the quality of the movie itself but with the either the feeling of superhero fatigue or the studio politics behind the DC movies itself. And there’s of course the obnoxious fans that have been whining over the fact that because this universe is about to get rebooted, that this movie is now “pointless” because it’s no longer “canon”. My response to all of that is who cares?
When reviewing any movie, judge the movie on it’s own merits and whether or not it works on it’s own terms. Don’t take out your frustration on the movie based off the genre/sub-genre it’s a part off because of your fatigue or because the folks behind these movies won’t have it as “canon” in the future. Sometimes it’s okay to allow yourself to be sucked into the movie going experience and enjoy the time you are having at the moment you are watching the movie without worrying about the aftermath of it. Only then will the world might be able to enjoy perfectly enjoyable movies like Shazam! Fury of the Gods once again. If that’s so wrong, then who in their rights minds would want to be right? Certainly not me!
Other comments:
- I wonder how in the world the foster parents couldn’t tell that Mary Marvel was the same person as Mary Bromfield when the took look EXACTLY alike. Guess it’s the same logic as no one figuring how that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person.
- Speaking of parents, I’m just gonna say that Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez is a MILF. Just saying!
- I do like the way the film addresses a certain character’s sexuality. It’s quick but also funny and earnest at the same time.
- This is my baseball fandom speaking but I find it odd how even though the Phillies are mentioning on multiple occasions, that the movie never bothers to make a joke about there also being a Freddie Freeman in baseball and not just in this universe.
- I feel really bad for David S. Sandberg. Not only because of the film’s underperforming at the box office and the negative reviews but how the media is trying to twist his words on the movie like it always likes to do just to create their own narrative. I really hate that and it has to stop! Even if he’s no longer going to be a part of superhero movies, I wish the man all the best luck for whatever awaits him in the future, especially in horror!
Adam's Blog 