The desire to have a superpower of some kind is a thought that crosses virtually everyone’s mind at some point during their life. Often this starts at childhood but be honest, that hasn’t completely left you mind. Being stuck in traffic may cause us to think that perhaps the gift of flight or the ability to teleport might be a better solution. However, for those who are much younger, aside from dreams of being a princess or wielding a lightsaber for real, having some special power that sets you apart from your friends is a common wish. Comic books at the very least have given readers the opportunity to experience what that might be like.
Shazam is the latest comic book come to life in the modern era of cinema. Our initial meeting with Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) is decades prior to the present day where an old wizard is in search of a successor. He summons young Thaddeus Sivana (Ethan Pugiotto) but when testing him to see if he’s pure of heart, Thad seems more intrigued by powers offered by the Seven Deadly Sins and Shazam deems him unworthy of wielding the power. Finding a means to return to Shazam becomes and obsession and years later, the adult Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) finally makes his way back to the wizard but take hold of the power of the Sins.
With no option, Shazam brings Billy Batson (Asher Angel) before him to take the power. Billy is an abandoned child who has been searching for his mother for years and recently moved into a new foster home although it seems already, he’s preparing to leave it behind. The power is transferred to Billy simply by saying “Shazam” and in the process, he is transformed into an adult (Zachary Levi.) Billy is uncertain what his new powers are but his new foster brother, Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) starts putting together various tests to determine what he’s capable of. The Sins however have learned of the wizard giving his power to another and Sivana sets out to stop the new Shazam before he can learn of his true power.
Shazam is often thought of as being a part of the DC Universe and while that’s true today, that actually wasn’t always the case. The original comic book was actually created by Fawcett Comics and first appeared back in 1939 as an answer to other popular comic book heroes, in particular Batman and Superman who debuted the same year. Shazam also wasn’t the name of the character in the comics but rather the magic word that transforms Billy into his superhero alter ego and back again. His name was actually Captain Marvel but decades later when there was dispute over the character, Marvel Comics quickly grabbed the name for themselves. Captain Marvel as he was known back then was so popular that he was actually the first hero to have a serial running in theaters prior to Superman, Batman, and Captain America.
While DC has improved as far as what they have been brining to the big screen, they still haven’t caught up to where Marvel is with their cinematic universe. Obviously, the desire to bring the big names like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman to theaters has already been achieved but Shazam is one of those character who might have been better left in the pages of the comic book. In recent years DC has rebooted the Shazam character for a new generation of readers much like how Marvel recreated Guardians of the Galaxy, but the concept behind Shazam is one that honestly is a little goofy.
The character is little more than a clone of Superman to some extent. The magic word of Shazam is actually an acronym and represents Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. It is through this word that Billy is given his powers and over the course of the film we learn that he has super-strength, is invulnerable, and project lightning, has super speed, and can fly. While Shazam was looking for someone pure of heart, Billy isn’t quite the right person but given that the Sins are now free to ravage humanity, there’s little choice. When we initially meet Billy, he has lured the police to a pawn shop all in an effort to lock them inside so he can access their computers and find more information on where he thinks his mother might be. Apparently, the idea of simply going to the library has never occurred to him and given that he’s already in the system in terms of foster care, I would think that simply talking with someone also might be a means of getting results. Instead, risking spending time in juvenile detention is a better solution.
In many ways however this lack of better judgement seems to be what really drives the character. Once Billy and Freddie start learning what he is capable of, he isn’t necessary off fighting crime. While he does stop a mugging as well as a burglary, Billy isn’t taking to the streets trying to rid the city of the criminal element. He’s more prone to showboating, posting for photos, and trying to make money with his newfound abilities. Of course, there’s also the times when he does when any teenager might do when presented with the opportunity to transform into an adult; he buys beer, visits strip clubs, and even gets Freddie out of school by posing as his father.
The character is often played more as comic relief instead of truly being a superhero that has a compelling background. Comic books have given readers plenty of young heroes who have suddenly found themselves gifted with powers. Billy is close to fifteen when he is given the powers of Shazam which is right around the same age that a young Peter Parker would be bitten by a radioactive spider and become Spider-Man. Although Peter initially took the same path and used his power to make money, tragedy is what compelled him to fight for good. Billy finds that Sivana has figured out his true identity and soon puts the lives of all the children in his new foster family at risk, but I feel trying to save people you’ve known for a few days doesn’t compare to losing an uncle who has been your father figure for most of your life.
The film eventually introduces the rest of the Marvel Family although they aren’t called that. Billy eventually realizes that the true power of Shazam isn’t something that lies just within him but it’s something that can be utilized by the other members of his new foster family. Freddie, Pedro (Jovan Armand), Darla (Faithe Herman), Eugene (Ian Chen) and Mary (Grace Fulton) all can transform into a adult superheroes. They use this combined power to combat Sivana and the Sins in a rather uninteresting final battle.
As with every 4K release I’ve had thus far, studios still are neglecting to add bonus features to the disc and instead any bonus material can be found on the blu-ray. These include:
Shazam Exclusive Motion Comic
The Magical World of Shazam
Super Fun Zac
Carnival Scene Study, Shazamily Values
Shazamily Values
Who is Shazam?
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
I can applaud the efforts of DC to try and capture the same magic that Marvel Studios has accomplished with their cinematic universe but so far, I just haven’t found what they have brought to the screen nearly as interesting. I feel that what has really managed to work or Marvel is managing to connect all of the movies to some extent even if it’s very minor moments. Shazam, while a name known to many comic book fans, isn’t really a DC character that I feel necessarily needed to make his way to theaters but unfortunately some of the other big names such as Flash and Green Arrow already have rather successful television series’ which makes transitioning them to movies rather unnecessary. If goofy superheroes are your thing, Shazam may very well appease you but otherwise, I’d pass.
*This 4K release was provided by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment for review purposes.
Mike is the resident reviewer for Couponing to Disney and his own site Underland Online. He has a young daughter and is obsessed with Haunted Mansion and all things Disney. You can read Mike’s complete bio here.