Shazam! (film)
2019
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Mar 17, 2023 · Read Critics Reviews. A sequel with plenty of action and tons of heart, Shazam! Fury of the Gods should satisfy anyone who enjoyed the first film. Read Audience Reviews. TOP CRITIC....
- (257)
- David F. Sandberg
- PG-13
- Zachary Levi
Mar 17, 2023 · Reviews. Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Simon Abrams March 17, 2023. Tweet. Now streaming on: Powered by JustWatch. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” arrives with two strikes against it since it’s not only a studio-produced sequel but also a superhero movie made in 2023.
Mar 15, 2023 · By Frank Scheck. March 15, 2023 3:00pm. Zachary Levi and Helen Mirren in 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods.' Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. 2019’s Shazam! delivered a charming origin story...
- A self-sufficient super-sequel.
- What we said about Shazam!
- Score: 8.8
- Do you want this version of Shazam to continue to be part of the new DCU?
- Verdict
By Tom Jorgensen
Updated: Mar 17, 2023 6:24 pm
Posted: Mar 15, 2023 10:00 pm
The joyful teenage energy 2019’s Shazam! brought to DC’s cinematic world of heroes was a breath of fresh air next to the dark grittiness of Zach Snyder’s versions of the Justice League characters. However, it was Billy Batson’s soulful search for his biological family – and realization that the family he’d longed for was in front of him all along – which helped it achieve more staying power than a lot of other movies in this genre. The sequel, Fury of the Gods, is regrettably missing some of that heart. This time we see the Shazamily putting their newfound abilities to the test against a trio of deadly deities set on overrunning Earth, and though the Greek myth iconography the villains bring to the table gives all involved a significantly increased Pandora’s toy box to play with, the movie stumbles on some storytelling basics that leave the sequel feeling less powerful than the first.
Shazam! is a lot of fun and it further proves how, in the wake of the success of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, DC’s movie future is indeed bright. Zachary Levi was born to play this superpowered man-child, delivering lots of laughs alongside sarcastic but amiable co-star Jack Dylan Grazer. After an awkward and obligatory opening, the latter three quart...
Read the full Shazam! review.
The broad strokes of that action may feel familiar, but to his credit director David F. Sandberg excels at weaving in fun moments to give this story a little more identity. Pausing to allow the foster siblings the time to speak up about how, even in the face of the world-ending threat the Daughters bring to Philadelphia, they’re still pretty psyched they get to fight a dragon as a result adds personality to what might otherwise have been a dry rehash.
What the Daughters lack in compellingly communicated motivation they make up for in screen presence. They’re led by Hespera, and Helen Mirren’s near-total command of her character’s function as not just the lead villain, but as a steely confident straight woman to the goofy Shazamily’s antics is delightful. Her performance left me wishing Fury of the Gods had found more time to use those good, good Mirren vibes to better sell the Daughters’ personal investment in the conflict.
The action starts to feel a little tiresome going into the third act.
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Her sister Kalypso (Lucy Liu) feels like a redundancy for Hespera, though her set of powers does lead to some of Fury of the Gods’ most memorable action moments – including a creepy opening sequence which hearkens back to the boardroom scene from the first film. But with Hespera representing the Daughters in most conversations, Kalypso feels woefully underwritten and leaves Liu’s god with nothing but fury to work with. Rachel Zegler’s Anthea fares better as the voice of reason, and her steadfastness and charm are welcome in situations involving both her more hot-headed sisters and Billy’s perpetually off-the-wall best bud, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer).
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a breezy, often funny second outing for Billy Batson and his family of young heroes. Each of the villainous Atlassian Daughters bring something unique to the screen (to the plot’s mixed benefit) and Helen Mirren’s performance stands out, but it’s disappointing that the distinctive heart of the first film takes a back sea...
Fury of the Gods Reviews. All Critics. Top Critics. All Audience. Verified Audience. Alan Ng Film Threat. Great villains and silly heroes make a move that ultimately falls flat. Full...
Mar 15, 2023 · Review. Shazam! Fury of the Gods review – second dose of DC’s impostor-syndrome superhero. Zachary Levi returns as the hapless, self-involved crime-fighter in a zesty sequel that,...
Mar 15, 2023 · TechRadar Verdict. Shazam! Fury of the Gods cooks up an entertaining storm of humor, heart, and familial heroism. It's slightly lacking in the story and VFX battle stakes but, if you can...
