DC Knocks it Outta the Park with "Shazam!"

     Despite their huge financial success, DC has struggled out of the gate with their shared cinematic universe. Opinions aside, it’s only true. The amount of division among fans, and between critics and audiences, highlight this unsavory characteristic, from Man of Steel up to present day. For what it's worth, I have enjoyed all of the DCEU films, some more than others, and I’m aware that a lot of them have their flaws. But dang it, if they aren’t all entertaining, then I don’t know what is! As of late though, DC has begun to prove themselves capable of delivering films that speak to a fan base that knows and wants great films, while also appealing to critics. Wonder Woman was a huge breath of fresh air after the dower nature of Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, and Suicide Squad (all of which I thoroughly enjoyed). It was leaps and bounds above the lot, for sure. Justice League, despite its many flaws, was an extremely fun film, and I still think it’s a great step forward…even if it’s a step down from Wonder Woman. Then enter Aquaman. What James Wan was able to do with this character was nothing short of brilliant, and up until this point I have argued that it is DC’s best film to date. Well, that all changed about a week ago when I got to see an early screening of Shazam! for a fan event. I was excited for this movie from the moment I watched the first trailer, and I can--with all confidence--say that Shazam! is DC’s most rounded, heartfelt, and joyful film to date, and I firmly believe that of the current DC slate, it’s the crown jewel of them all.

     Billy Batson, a fourteen year old foster kid, is given a wizard’s powers and can turn into a formidable superhero simply by yelling "Shazam!" It’s wish-fulfillment at its finest. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a superhero, right? Billy, however, is a kid who struggles with fitting in. He’s not introverted or anything, he’s just a rebel with an agenda that doesn’t necessitate the need for others. He was lost as a young child and has spent the better part of his upbringing searching for his mother, jumping from one foster home to another. In that search he is led to a foster family that is full of all these great kids with personalities that are funny, charming, and who invite Billy into their family with open arms. Not to mention they've got, arguably, the best foster parents a kid could ask for. Yet, in spite of such a positive circumstance, Billy finds it difficult to accept this situation. It’s only when he is chosen by the wizard to become a superhero that his perspective is placed into question. Now, I know how absurd that premise sounds, “chosen by a wizard.” It’s cheesy, right? Well, it is! This movie is cheesy, but in the best possible way. The film is very self-aware, and it plays into the absurdity so brilliantly that you can’t help but just smile the entire time.

     Where this movie really shines is in the performances of the principle actors. Zachary Levi is absolutely perfect here as the Shazam version of Billy. He's able to not only capture the mentality of a teenager-turned-superhero, but does so in a way that connects brilliantly with the work of Asher Angel, who plays normal teenage Billy. It could have been easy to see Levi go over the top here with his performance, but the decisions the character makes is directly in line with the type of person we get to see through Angel. I was worried going in that the kid playing Billy would just be overshadowed by Levi, but that's not the case here. A lot of the heart truly hangs on both Angel and Levi's performances, and to me it seemed seamless, right in line with who the established character is. That all being said, arguably my favorite character in the movie is Freddy Freeman, played by Jack Dylan Grazer. Grazer made a quick name for himself in 2017's breakout horror flick IT, and he has since been on the rise. Freddy Freeman is a disabled foster kid and Billy's roommate. He is, in every way, the audience's conduit into the story. He loves superheroes and nerds out about them constantly. Much of the film's humor comes from Grazer's performance, and the stuff between him and Levi is downright hilarious.

     The typical ingredients for an entertaining superhero movie are all here: fun action, an interesting villain (played well by Mark Strong), a story that is compelling, and characters that are relatable; that you actually care about. But what Shazam! has that no other DCEU film has (at least not nearly as much) is a butt load of heart. The movie subverts a lot of superhero tropes in a really fun and fresh way, exemplified in the third act which will warm your heart immensely. There's a certain moment that occurs, I won't spoil it, in the third act that encapsulates the entire message of the movie, and I had to keep myself from jumping out of my seat in pure elation when it happened. I left this film with a huge smile on my face, and it had everything to do with the heart of this movie, which is centered around family. The conflict in the film is small, contained, and it hinges on choices that are weighed down by the very real and relatable narrative of Billy Batson. Shazam! is easily the most joyful and satisfying DC film to date. Like I said, I loved Wonder Woman, and I championed Aquaman as DC's best, but I think--at least for this movie-goer--Shazam! takes the top spot. Y'all are gonna love it.

Shazam! opens in theaters Friday, April 5