Never Ending Movie Carnival
Never Ending Movie Carnival
Shazam! Fury of the Gods movie review: Delightful DC sequel to watch with family and friends
What: The DC sequel to 2019’s Shazam! is fun and a good watch with family and kids. Though the film could have been more, it does have two post-credit scenes to satisfy the thirst of viewers.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods movie synopsis
The second film of the franchise continues with the Imposter Syndrome narrative of Shazam the superhero (Zachary Levi) who is Billy Batson (Asher Angel) as an adolescent. Billy and his foster brothers and sisters are the same kids but in their superhero avatar have a different enemy to fight this time – the Daughters of Atlas.
The two, rather three, Daughters of Atlas are Hespera, Kalypso and Anne aka Anthea, played wonderfully by Dame Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler respectively. They are after a secret weapon and the golden apple that could destroy the world. Shazam and his fam of superheroes must stop the daughters.
What follows is a dangerous turn of events but that seems easy and fun because of the treatment the film has been given. The gullible superheroes and their kiddie avatars are vulnerable and even innocent at times, which makes the film even more appealing, especially to children watching it. It is like a child version of Deadpool of the Marvel character base. (Sorry DC fans.)
And oh, in Shazam this time, there are also dragons and unicorns. Kalypso even rides a dragon and is called “Khaleesi” by Shazam, referencing the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. There is a reference to the Avengers too, and also to Shazam as the original Captain Marvel that his name was!
There is plenty of action but less of adventure in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. But does Shazam win in the end, even as he is declared the “True God” by the villainess Hespera. Does Billy survive or die after the final blow? Watch Shazam! 2 for that.
When movie theatres started opening again in 2021 amidst the pandemic, there was a dearth of good movies in India that could be released in the cinemas. The content had to be really good for audiences to take the risk of stepping out wearing masks amid the Omicron wave, to watch a film with the entire family and have some fun. Throughout 2021-22 and early 2023, Hollywood films like Spider-Man: No Way Home. Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water have beaten the local fare, be it Bollywood or south cinema, barring a few exceptions that did equally well if not more.
The message was clear – bring us good, clean, family entertainment. One that audiences are ready to spend their hard-earned money on, in the midst of economic slowdown and layoffs. The message is still the same, and recent movies like Antman: Quantumania and Shazam: Fury of the Gods will benefit from this sentiment of the audience.
CineBlues got an exclusive dekko at Shazam! Fury of the Gods that releases in theatres on March 17, 2023. It turned out to be a delightful film to take your family and especially kids to. The sequel to the 2019 DC film Shazam!, is a fun take on superheroes and is as light-hearted as the original film, although for the next film the makers will have to add more to the proceedings.
1. The performances by each and everyone in the cast are brilliant! Billy Batson and Shazam played by Asher Angel / Zachary Levi, and the other characters and their respective superhero avatars – Freddy Freeman by Jack Dylan Grazer / Adam Brody, Eugene Choi by Ian Chen / Ross Butler, Darla Dudley by Faithe Herman / Meagan Good, Pedro Pena by DJ Cotrona / Jovan Armand, and Mary Bromfield by Grace Caroline Currey (both versions), and also the Daughters of Atlas as mentioned earlier – Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, and Djimon Hounsou as the Wizard, the original Shazam, and Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews as the loving foster parents Rosa and Victor Vásquez.
2. [SPOILER] A wondrous cameo by Billy / Shazam's crush Wonder Woman! Of course, played by Gal Gadot to perfection.
3. Two post-credits scenes with some interesting revelations about Shazam and the future movies!
4. Background music certainly helps when the proceedings get slow.
The pace falters in the first half and towards the climax.
Fun summer holidays film to take your children to. You won’t be disappointed. It cannot compare to the scale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but considering the recent MCU films, Shazam! 2 is certainly more worthy of a watch, with its own universe and also the post-credits.
Film critic, writer, editor in love with cinema in all forms. A film appreciation student from FTII, pre-jury member at film festivals, and a social investor. https://www.instagram.com/fillumwaali/ More By Shweta Parande