'Shazam!' Shows DC Isn't Afraid To Have Fun

If you could have one super power, what would it be?  We've all asked it.  We've all thought about it.  And that's essentially what Shazam! boils down to.  Fulfilling a childhood dream.  It's light, bright and fun throughout... essentially the exact opposite of the first run of DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films.  It was an absolute delight to sit through.  It knows it's silly, and it totally embraces it.

Shazam! fixes the biggest issue that people have had with the DCEU films to date... namely, that they're too dark and brooding.  I don't think this film could have worked had it adapted a serious tone.  This film tells the story of an orphan who happens to stumble upon a secret wizard lair, only to inherit all the wizard's strengths and powers.  There's one catch.  He appears as an adult version of himself and wears a silly suit and cape.  Zachary Levi shines as the superhero version of Shazam.  He plays the character with a child's sense of wonder and naivete.  He has to learn all of his superpowers, so we are treated to multiple "training" sequences.  Each funnier than the last.  The only downside to the endless training montages is that they really cut into the run time of the movie.  As with most DCEU films, the main villain is underdeveloped and (in my opinion) doesn't get enough screen time.  The final fight doesn't feel like it has the weight behind it that it should.  The other, non-Shazam, members of the cast are mostly serviceable.  They fill their roles nicely, but aren't anything to write home about.  This is really Zachary Levi's movie and he does a great job with it.

My complaints about this film are minimal, since it's so much damn fun.  It's a breath of fresh air to the superhero genre the way Guardians Of The Galaxy was.  In a way, it feel like a PG-13 rated Deadpool.  It's very aware of its own silliness, however it's not as self-reflective as Deadpool.

I'm giving Shazam! 3.1 stars out of 4.  There's a couple post-credit scenes to stick around for that set up the next film.  It's a barrel of laughs in a world that needs them.  Definitely check this one out.