ReviewShazam! film review: entertaining DC Comics superhero is a world away from Justice League
- A teenage boy is given superpowers and an adult’s body in this fun, good-humoured story
- The film is a little long, but enjoyable with Mark Strong putting in a good supporting role
3.5/5 stars
As they used to say on Monty Python … and now for something completely different. Shazam! may be a DC Comics superhero, but he’s a world away from Superman, Batman and the other Justice League spandex-wearers.
In fact, he’s your average Philadelphia high school kid Billy Batson (played by Asher Angel), who has spent his adolescent years in foster homes. He lives in a world where other DC heroes exist, but after an encounter with an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) he’s suddenly bestowed with his own superpowers.
Moreover, he suddenly finds he’s no longer in his teen body but in that of an adult. Played by Zachary Levi, this older Billy – or ‘Shazam’ as he will become known, a nod to the word he uses to initiate his change – must get acquainted with his powers.
Super-strength, super-speed, the ability to fly and bullet resistance, he’s like a cheeky Superman, albeit in a red outfit with a gold lightning flash. These early scenes as he hangs out with his fellow foster care friend Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) and figures out his new identity are among the film’s best, notably when he confronts two store robbers who repeatedly try and gun him down.