Shazam: A Marvel of a Movie

SHAZAM! helps to bring DC out of the dust in the movie sphere. Using a good balance of humor and action, this movie keeps attention from start to finish.

Billy Batson, foster teenager in search of a good home, is chosen to be the champion to help protect the world. All he has to do is say, "Shazam!" and he turns into an adult-sized superhero with several superpowers.

This movie brings back several memories from similar movies and TV shows in the past. Just like in The Greatest American Hero, Billy doesn't receive an instruction manual and needs to discovers the powers on his own. Of course he has a friend to help him along, and the results are hilarious.

Just like in Big, Billy must learn how to deal with an adult body while having only the experience of a child. As one might expect, Zachary Levi pulls this off remarkably well. Then again, he's always been great in acting as a child.

It appears that the writers give intentional nods to these works that came before it. And before anyone accuse the current writers of being unoriginal, just remember that SHAZAM (Captain Marvel) did it first in the comics in the 1940s, well before these other shows.

This movie, as well as providing tons of good laughs, also provides good action scenes. Dr. Sivana is a good evil villain. He obtains his powers through impure means and provides Shazam a formidable foe. A warning though: at least one scene is likely to scare younger children. Warner Brothers still allows its foes to go a little further than we've yet to see in the Marvel universe. I actually enjoy the darker feel in these movies.

When you go see this movie, be prepared to relax and enjoy the show. If you think too hard, it should be easy to find plot holes (such as: "Where are Superman and Batman, et al?"), but this movie is too much fun to care about those.

Random trivia: SHAZAM is a acronym of Solomon (wisdom), Hercules (strength), Atlas (stamina), Zeus (power), Achilles (courage), and Mercury (speed). Also, I doubt there has been any superhero character that has been sued more than SHAZAM (Captain Marvel). You should look it up and enjoy the whole story.

Take your family (teenage kids and older) to catch this in the theater. It's not an Adam Sandler movie as some previews would have you believe. Rather, just a good humorous action-filled fun movie.