Shazam! (2019)

I love it when genre films, in this case superhero films, are about something more than just their on the page story. Shazam! found it's magic in exploring the meaning of family. The film looks at families in a number of forms and finds its heart in the family we choose. It's a beautiful take and it imbued the film with more than just its superhero origin story.

Yes characterizing the film as the Big of the superhero genre is a fair description. So fair the film actually references outright in a funny scene. The film is also being described more as a comedy than most hero films but I think this is an unfair description. This is no Deadpool or Guardians of the Galaxy. Here the humour isn't the driving force, shoved down our throats at every turn. It is intrinsically organic to the narrative and always just the right tone.

The film is also assumed to be more "family friendly" than other DC films. Again I'm not sure that's completely true. There are some rather intense moments so the film remains a bit much for kids too young. But for older kids and adults who remain kids, Shazam! finds the sweet spot of all the right kinds of entertainment.

But it doesn't take much to tell a superhero origin story. They are a dime a dozen these days. What Shazam! gets right is the emotional tone and punch. I actually teared up at the end. Asher Angel captures an honest and insightful portrayal of a kid seeking his home. But it's Jack Dylan Grazer ad Freddie Freeman who is my hero in the film. He goes between humour and pathoes effortlessly and gives his disabled foster kid character a very real world power.

Yes Shazam! is as fun as they say. It is an homage to 80s kid adventure films like Goonies and lives up to the legacy. But it is also something even more. I never thought I'd be this excited about a Shazam! film but it was magical.

Shazam!
Starring: Zachary Levy, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong, Grace Fulton, Djimon Hounsou
Director: David F. Sandberg
Writer: Henry Gayden