When the first instalment of Shazam! came out in 2019, it was hailed for breaking out of the DC Extended Universe’s moody, dark storylines. Shazam was a hero who didn’t take himself seriously — a literal child in an adult’s body. The sequel keeps the best parts of its predecessor intact.
At the end of Shazam!, Billy (Zachary Levi, Asher Angel) gives his foster siblings the same power he has. In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, they risk losing it as the world is falling apart.
Humour is the film’s draw, but its biggest advantage is that it keeps the storyline simple. While world-building was the fuel for the DCEU’s Marvel counterpart to soar, the multiverse has made watching the movies a chore, you need to do your homework. This is where Shazam! shines, it’s also why not having a Black Adam cameo is a smart move.
The antagonists, the daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler), are formidable, though the simple plot gives away very little about them or their motivations. A good villain drives the plot forward, but the trio we get are hollow — they become whatever the story needs them to be.
If you leave critical thinking behind, the VFX makes up for the lack of meat in the script. The gnarly creatures are crafted with great detail, and the mighty dragon makes it hard to take your eyes off it. Once again, where Marvel has been slipping, DC wins.
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All or none
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has family at its core. Billy, one of six foster children, has abandonment issues and impostor syndrome, both of which are woven into the story — ‘all or none’ is the slogan for these siblings with superpowers.
The plot revolves around the ‘magic of the gods’ that turns them into their adult versions. The gods want it back, and, in the process, want to destroy humanity. It’s your standard comic book story template.
What makes it stand out is how it fares against the films of the genre. When the first part came out, it was called DC’s answer to the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy — fun and hearty. Now, when the latter’s attempts at the same have fallen flat — think Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) — Shazam! Fury of the Gods stands strong.
It doesn’t pull punches, the fights have a mass effect, and the VFX plays a key role. The acting may not be Oscar-worthy, but the emotions tug at the right heartstrings without taking attention away from the action.
It will make you laugh, the humour is not an afterthought. There are multiple pop culture references — Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and more than one nod to Marvel. And these references are no Easter eggs — you don’t have to hunt for them or have exclusive insider knowledge to understand them and laugh along.
There are times when the humour in Shazam! Fury of the Gods can be a little heavy-handed, but before it can take away your attention, some meta-humour is thrown in. A good example is when Shazam says, “No way that song was playing when I saved you”, as he saves a woman in a falling car while Bonnie Tyler’s Holding out for a Hero plays on the radio.
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Trailer trouble
The cameo the fans have been waiting for happens before the credits roll. The build-up and pay-off are well worth it.
But stick with it till the end, there are two post-credit scenes. These are the Easter eggs for comic book fans. There are no promises to build on yet, though.
The fate of the world in the movie is left ambiguous, and the next movie, if there is one, may have set itself up for failure by not going into the details of world-building. There’s only so much of a universe that can be built on the backs of hollow villains and sparse backstories.
On a side note, my biggest gripe with Shazam! is not with the actual film but its trailers. It kills the best part of a comic book film — the hype.
The details of the final showdown, down to the last blow and even the last scene of the film find their way into the trailer. The latest TV spot even gives away the biggest cameo. If you want to enjoy this lightning-powered superhero showdown, it’s best to give the promo material a skip.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)