Shazam! Wrath of the Gods (2023) (2023) Review – not as fulfilling a crowd-pleaser as the previous movie, but still offers some chuckles
My husband and I decided to go to the movies despite the fact that it is a sluggish Saturday and unusually chilly for the Twin Cities. The original Shazam! the film was a lot of fun since it was frivolous and ridiculous while yet having a lot of emotion as foster youngster Billy Batson (Asher Angel) becomes a superhero while dealing with the challenges of his life. Now, at the conclusion of the first film, Billy's talents have spread to his extended family, and each of his orphaned siblings has a superhero alter ego, led by Zachary Levi's ever-sociable, excessively enthusiastic title character.
The film's title refers to the opening action sequence, which features Dame Helen Mirren as Hespera and Lucy Liu as Kalypso, two furious goddesses who claim to be Atlas's daughters. When two goddesses are insulted, hell breaks loose. In their quest to reclaim their father's reign on Earth, these two brothers wreak havoc at a Greek museum in search of old wooden staff. Considering the film's comic tone, the deaths of the museum's visitors lack any genuine tension or feeling of horror. While the specific source of their animosity is never specified, it is evident that they are rivals.
The authors obviously took some cues from Greek mythology when creating the characters, and it seems that the Daughters of Atlas don't appear in the comics. That's appropriate, seeing as how the six ancient mythological heroes whose abilities he has been represented in the acronym of Shazam's name: Solomon (knowledge), Hercules (strength), Atlas (stability), Zeus (power), Achilles (courage), and Mercury (power) (speed).
The tone of the original film is maintained in this sequel, with Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer (who plays Billy's closest friend, Freddy) making the most of their comic chops. The Shazamily is still figuring out the kinks of operating as a team, but they are so consistently inept at combating crime and saving lives that the media in Philadelphia have called them the "Philly disaster." They may be in their teens, but hey, they're still kids. Freddy is still ridiculed at school, but his luck begins to change when he meets Anthea, a transfer student with a great secret of her own (Rachel Ziegler). The first film struck the right chord with me because it successfully blended the storyline of an orphan coming of age with that of a young boy coming into his magical abilities. Shazam! is unlike any previous superhero film since Billy is still approachable even after he has superpowers thanks to his second identity as Shazam. Asher Angel is scarcely present and we don't get to see much of his dual nature in this installment. Some of the best moments in the film are Grazer's hilarious exchanges with Wizard (Djimon Hounsou), so I'm delighted he got more screen time here. Hounsou enjoys showing off his humorous abilities since he seldom has the chance to do so in his roles.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF "Shazam!—Fury of the Gods" (2023)
It's difficult to know what to anticipate from holdover movies like "The Flash," "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," and the recently released "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" due to the terrible collapse of Zack Snyder's DC superhero world. James Gunn, DC's new head honcho, has praised all three films and hinted they would all play important parts in the future. It's unclear whether that's genuine or merely studio jargon.
I thought Zack Snyder's concept was fantastic. Snyder saw humanity through the lens of his god-like characters, in contrast to Kevin Feige's MCU, which emphasized the heroes' humanity. That may seem little, but the contrast it provided between the worlds was crucial. Shazam!, released in 2019, was the most similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the DC films directed by Zack Snyder. It was critically acclaimed and financially successful. Yet I found it to be too light and humorous for my liking.
Notwithstanding my reservations about the film's overall tone, I can't deny that David F. Sandberg did a great job as director and that Zachary Levi was outstanding in the lead role. The sequel "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" will include their reappearance, since filming on it started before the COVID-19 epidemic and the disintegration of the Snyder-led DCEU. The film's release date has been pushed back many times, and it's unclear what James Gunn will do with the character moving forward.
Henry Gayden, the film's screenwriter, is also back from the original; this time, "Fast and Furious" writer Chris Morgan is credited as a co-writer. Their narrative is full of the same wacky style of comedy as previously, but it is toned down a notch or two. I can see how it may be disappointing to some, but I really liked it. The Daughters of Atlas, their two main opponents, are not featured in DC Comics but are instead taken directly from Greek mythology. A humorous and threatening (enough) pair, Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu) surprise everyone.
In this sequel, Asher Angel reprises his role as the courageous adolescent Billy Batson, who can turn into an adult version of himself with superpowers by shouting the magic word "SHAZAM!" (Levi). That's when he gets "the knowledge of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the might of Zeus, the bravery of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury" all at once.
While becoming increasingly confident with his abilities, Billy struggles to balance being a superhero in Philadelphia at the age of 17 while still living with his foster parents, Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans. The fact that he feels the need to lead and defend his super-powered foster siblings while being a child in an adult's body, adds an extra layer of difficulty for the boy. His foster siblings, Freddy (a charming Jack Dylan Grazer), and Mary are particularly irritated by this (Grace Currey).
Sandberg begins with two excellent sequences that set the stage. The first is at an Athens, Greece, museum. As cosplayers at a convention, two individuals dressed in Ancient Greek armor walk into the busy museum. But immediately it becomes clear that they are the Daughters of Atlas, and that they have come to retrieve a shattered staff that is said to have been carved from the fabled Tree of Life. They take the two artifacts because they feel they are legitimately theirs, and then take out their frustrations on the unsuspecting museum visitors. That portends a bleak future.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Billy and his crew are in a mad dash to save the numerous people who are stuck on the crumbling Ben Franklin Bridge. The local press dubs them the Philadelphia Fiascos since they save everyone but fail to save the bridge. At home, Billy is concerned that he may be separated from his foster family once again when he turns 18. Meanwhile, Freddy begins a romance with Ann, a new student at his school (Rachel Ziegler). These are only a few examples of the human components that, like the previous film, play a significant role in this one.
All roads lead to Philadelphia, where Billy and his family will face off against the Daughters of Atlas. There is a lot of exciting discussion of magic and mythology leading up to the great conclusion, but Sandberg knows better than to take it seriously. Djimon Hounsou, who reprises his role as the master magician, expresses a lot of sorrow for having chosen Billy as his champion. His explanation for being here is illogical, yet he seems to be enjoying himself well. The same can be said about Mirren and Liu, who are just provided with enough history to get by. Yet, they bring a lot of humor to their characters.
"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" was a pleasant surprise and a significant improvement over the first picture, with the exception of a few underdeveloped characters, some odd convolution, and a little late movie cringe. It has the warmth and comedy that fans want and doesn't feel bad about being ridiculous. There are exciting set pieces, large amounts of action, and imaginative monster designs. There's also a dragon, by the way. The narrative of friendship, family, and sacrifice is buried behind the surface of elaborate CGI. Zachary Levi, who may never play Shazam again but is always excellent when he does, carries the film once again. Movie theatres are showing "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" today.
The fact that I laughed so much while seeing Shazam! proves that it deserves its reputation as the only superhero comedy film. I rolled my eyes at a few of the more immature gags, but I like the self-awareness and the jabs at the saturated superhero genre. The movie is entertaining even with its lame comparisons to Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Fast and Furious (it's all about family!! ), and other DC characters. Steve the magical pen is so skilled at taking dictation that his letters often end up in humorous situations, and I adore him for it.
The absurdity of the hilarity sometimes makes me wince, as when the Wizard's beard suddenly appears on Wonder Woman's torso. Speaking of Wonder Woman, SPOILER ALERT: I didn't notice the social media posts where WB had previewed Gal Gadot's appearance as Wonder Woman, so I was pleasantly pleased to see her in the film. In terms of the film's overall quality, it didn't make a huge difference, but it added to the fun.
As it is both a studio-produced sequel and a superhero film from the year 2023, "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" starts off on the wrong foot. Regardless of how you feel about "Shazam!," you can anticipate a certain degree of creative committee-mandated, Mad Libs-like repetition. Both the Troma Lite cynicism and the post-Spielberg tenderness that has come to characterize the lighter James Gunn-style super-projects that dominate the landscape have been dialed down by the producers of that fine enough 2019 franchise-starter, including director David F. Sandberg.
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