Movie: Shazam

Starring : Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, DJ Cotrona, Adam Brody, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Grace Fulton, Michelle Borth, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Marta Milans

Directed by: David F. Sandberg

This movie comes within a month of Captain Marvel (MCU). Shazam, Adventures of Captain Marvel(the character’s original name).Whoa what a movie !!! The movie is simple but very relatable. The simplicity and situational reactions makes most of the gags hysterical. The trailers barely gave out the details. The movie had so much more to offer, the Shazam family and the 7 deadly sins as a concept worked out brilliantly.

The conclusive narrative leading to the final showdown was built up fabulously. This movie was not in 3D but there was lot of scope to do it. Maybe because of budget constraints or the characters popularity in comics. The cinematography and screenplay go hand in hand. Also, it has a Christmas vibe going on, which makes it more of a holiday season movie, shot for December release. But hey, Aquaman swam into the theatres 😛

This is an origin story like no other, its got lot of heart and soul.The power testing sequences are shot and scened smartly.

Its fun to watch, usually movies don’t explore this section. But the film does venture into it and pulls it off cinematically and not making it too TV.

Coming to the cast, its diverse !!! The chemistry between  Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer is best utilized and their interactions bring on most of the gags. Asher Angel as Billy Batson is likeable he resembles Grant Gustin more then Levi. I liked Grazer as Eddie in IT and he is good here as well. The most adorable character is young Darla played by Faithe Herman, she gets all the brownie points every time she is onscreen and even in the final showdown, Meagan Good who plays the adult counter part gets the max screen time amongst the rest. What makes a good super hero movie? An equally brilliant super villain portrayed by Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. Infact, the movie begins with the origin story of the villain which shows great character arc. He is impeccable as the villain, controlled by the 7 deadly sins which burst out of him like sand taking their true monstrous form. The boardroom sequence is when it gets real, this guy means business. He has motive and knows what he wants. Coming back to the shazam family, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi had some good lines in the beginning. Ross Butler playing the adult version is charming. Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña growing into a handsome hunk D. J. Cotrona is the puberty change every guy wants. Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield and Michelle Borth who portrays the adult superheroine alter-ego is under utilized and has has less screen time but adds to the glamour in the film. Rest of the supporting cast has done a good job. Just in case if your wondering what are 7 deadly sins, these are the demons Pride, Envy, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth.

At one point I was wondering if the movie is going to show the faceoff between the Shazam family and the 7 deadly sins or its going to the sequel, but glad they took that route in this movie itself. Overall the movie is  a fun watch. This doesn’t fit exactly in the whole DCEU as the tone of this movie is different compared to the other superheroes which is darker and gritty as they are basically kids, but that’s what makes it stand apart. Say the magic word, SHAZAM !!!!