Shazam! (2019)
Action/adventure/fantasy
Rating: 4/5 very good lots to enjoy
Director: David F. Sandberg. 12a.
Synopsis
Teenage Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has a lot to deal with. Separated as a child from his mother, he has grown-up – and run away from – a series of foster homes. His social worker moves him to a new one and to his surprise he has five other siblings.
One day, he is chosen by an ageing wizard (Djimon Hounsou) looking for a human pure of heart to take over his duties preventing the seven deadly sins escaping his lair and wreaking havoc on Earth. Billy accepts and is turned into superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi). When Dr Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) – who was also approached by the wizard as a child- hears of this, he finds a way to the wizard’s realm and releases the sins. Obsessed with absorbing Shazam’s powers as well, he/the sins set out to do just that, putting Billy’s new family in danger.
Review by @Reelreviewer
I must be in a good mood if I - an unabashed comic book-phobe - give this DC comics based flick 4/5 stars.
But 4/5 stars it gets and justly deserves. Funny throughout, bang up to date (the superhero establishes his reputation via that very 21st century phenomenon of social media) and perfectly cast, right from the leading actors to the kids in supporting roles, Shazam! works without the audience needing to do any prep.
Comic book based movies - in my humble opinion - always seem to require some sort of back history knowledge on the part of the viewer, but Shazam! starts right at the beginning and just tells a good story in a fun way.
It also leaves the option of a sequel glaringly obvious - stay in your seats for the post closing credits sequence.
For more, read the full review: http://bit.ly/ShazamFilm2019
Cast & credits
Director: David F. Sandberg. 2hrs 12mins/132 mins. Warner Bros./DC Entertainment/DC Comics/New Line Cinema/Seven Bucks Productions/The Safran Company. (12a)
Producer: Peter Safran.
Writer: Henry Gayden.
Camera: Maxime Alexandre.
Music: Benjamin Wallfisch.
Sets: Jennifer Spence.
Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Djimon Hounsou, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Grace Fulton, Michelle Borth, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona, Marta Milans.
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