When the DC and Marvel cinematic universes were just beginning, the following stereotype developed among fans. DC was perceived as something as pathetic and serious as possible (largely thanks to the work of Zack Snyder), while Marvel won millions of hearts with its combination of action and humor. Over time, the comedy component of the MCU went somewhere completely wrong, starting to too often cause a feeling of shame instead of admiration.
Pros: appropriate and funny humor; competent use of motifs from Ancient Greece; excellent character development and chemistry between them; bright feeling of returning to childhood Cons: inappropriate connections to the DC cinematic universe; Not everyone will like the general stupidity and immaturity of what is happening
At the same time, DC filmmakers seem to have been quite successful in using careful doses of jokes in their projects. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” is intended to once again demonstrate how funny comic book movies can be. We’ll tell you in the review below how successful this film turned out.
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods / Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Genre superhero action
Directed by David F. Sandberg
Starring: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren
Premiere cinemas
Release year 2023
IMDb website
Two years have passed since the defeat of Doctor Sivan in the first part of Shazam. Teenager Billy Batson, who received the powers of the gods and shared them with his adopted siblings, continues to learn the joys and challenges of the superhero life. But approaching adulthood and problems in relationships with loved ones do not allow Billy to experience the joys of life. Only when a threat appears on the horizon from the daughters of the titan Atlas, the guy must gather himself to protect everything that matters most.
The current DC Comics movies are in a bit of a strange position. The new creative director of the direction, James Gunn, openly announced the upcoming complete restart of the cinematic universe. That is, all the superhero films coming out now are of great importance for the future plans of Warner Bros. Dont Have.
It turns out that the teams responsible for filming can realize all their wildest ideas. For example, “Joker” resulted in a strong dramatic statement that is compared not to other superhero thrillers, but to film masterpieces on the level of Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” And Black Adam was a dream project for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, in which he shines and has fun in every frame.
The first part of “Shazam” is a light comedy about a child in the body of a superhero who finds himself involved in events far beyond himself. This childish naivety, almost infantilism, captivated me when watching it. In the second part, it is precisely these sentiments that director David F. Sandberg continues to put pressure on, only as if he has turned up all the indicators by 200%.
Instead of just Billy, his whole family has superpowers and does not forget about their childhood motives. Let’s say one of the characters is an avid gamer, which is evident in almost every phrase he says. And in another film it would look stupid, but the whole “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” is built in such a way that nonsense captivates, touches and evokes sympathy.
Events around the heroes are unfolding on such a scale that they threaten to destroy everyone in the world. But the children’s consciousness of the characters seems not yet capable of fully coping with the scale of the problems. That’s why people here react to mortal dangers and interpersonal tragedies with jokes. And Billy is equally concerned about the future of the world and his first love.
Against the backdrop of children of superheroes, the trio of main villains (Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren) provides an interesting contrast. Their very appearance evokes a feeling of danger and anxiety. And their manners are such that you definitely wouldn’t want to blurt out too much in front of the daughters of Atlas. The antagonists in the second “Shazam” turned out to be extremely colorful and in many ways overshadow the main characters. But this does not harm the overall impressions of the film, but rather complements them.
The graphics and general production of the film are high-quality and moderately creative, and the motifs of magic and myths of Ancient Greece create an interesting flavor. Although there is something worth noting.
In terms of CG, the second Shazam looks clearly better than almost all the films in the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
On the one hand, it’s not very difficult, given Marvel’s large-scale (and somewhat mysterious) problems with graphics. But on the other hand, the picture is still detailed and pleasant.
Of course, the second part of “Shazam” can be criticized. This is a film that adheres to the rules of the DCEU in a very strange way. And some dialogues make you want to squeeze into a chair because of a strong feeling of shame. The comic book movie focuses a lot on your inner child (or ordinary children). Therefore, you definitely shouldn’t take this movie too seriously.
Given the current state of affairs in the DCEU, Shazam! Fury of the Gods” should be perceived as the last trip to an amusement park, which I really liked as a child, will soon be demolished. It’s sad that something bright and good is becoming a thing of the past. But if you really liked it, then no one will take these feelings away from you.
Conclusion:
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a good movie that doesn’t demand too much from the audience. It works both as a comic book movie and as just a fun comedy with action inside. And if it’s okay for you to watch children’s emotional struggles for 130 minutes, then you’ll definitely like the movie
