Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Director: David F. Sandberg
Writer: Henry Gayden, Chris Morgan
Based on: C. C. Beck and Bill Parker‘s character
Sequel to: Shazam!
Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Djimon Hounsou, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou, Grace Caroline Currey, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Gal Gadot
Part of: DC movies
Seen on: 4.4.2023

Content Note: ableism, lookism, fat hate

Plot:
Billy (Asher Angel) is trying his best to live up to the expectations placed in him when he received the powers of Shazam – powers he shared with his best friends and fellow foster kids living with the Vasquez’ (Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews). But the others don’t seem quite as interested in their superhero obligations, and Billy is only a kid after all, even if he doesn’t look it as a superhero (Zachary Levi). Billy has a lot to learn yet – especially when the world is threatened by the sisters Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Billy turns out to be somewhat responsible for that.

Much like the first film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is rather entertaining though it may not feel quite as fresh anymore as that first outing. Still, there’s fun to be had here.

I generally like it when the DC movies take a turn for the more humorous and aren’t all gloom and doom. They have done so a little more recently, and Shazam! was probably the first (of the recent ones) to not even try to be anything else but that. They stick with that tone and that is good, though not all jokes work equally well and Levi’s breathless delivery, while very in-character, can also grate a little over time.

Another thing they stick with, unsurprisingly, is the central premise of the kids turning into beautiful, fit, thin, abled adults when they use their powers. I didn’t expect them to change that, but it would have been nice if it had been acknowledged in some way how fucked up it is that these are supposed to be the best versions of themselves (at least that particular phrase isn’t repeated). As if good people couldn’t be disabled or fat or ugly(ish).

Anyhoo, back to the film: with Liu and Mirren, they made quite a coup for their villains and most of the fun I had with the film was watching them chew scenery. There is a third sister but since she is not revealed at first, I will keep the film’s secret – although it is not much of one, to be fair. In any case, the third one can’t help but go a bit under next to Liu and Mirren giving it their all. But Hounsou is at the top if his game as well.

I wouldn’t have minded if the film had been a bit more focused, but the chaotic all-over-the-place-vibe is also rather in tune with the characters, so I didn’t mind too much. And it gives us probably the best product placement of the year, so that’s something. Something that may not be great, but it is pretty telling about the kind of film Shazam! Fury of the Gods is.

Summarizing: decent.