‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods movie review: A sequel high on humor, low on heart

A still from Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

When Shazam! dropped back in 2019It was a pleasant surprise for fans of the superhero genre and the DCEU, considering how dark the other films in the franchise were. Shazam! It worked, how light it was with its tone and treatment, and had a lot of heart, with some goofy humor. While the film was about Billy Batson (Asher Angel) finding his calling and becoming the titular hero Shazam, at its core, the narrative saw him trying to find his biological parents while encountering an unexpected Finding the gang, who become his new family. The second part, Shazam! fury of the gods seeks to expand the story of the children who “Shazam!” He becomes a superhero as soon as he utters the word. But while it widens the canvas, raises the stakes and doubles down on the humour, it seems to have lost the heart that was unique to this title.

A lot has happened since the last time we met Billy and his gang. The children have grown up; Some are even wondering if they will have to move out of their foster home. His alter-ego – the crime-fighting superhero – has caused much collateral damage and earned the nickname The Philadelphia Fiascos. If what’s happening on their personal and professional front isn’t enough, the daughters of Atlas, Hespera (a fabulous Helen Mirren), Calypso (a criminally underutilized Lucy Liu) and Anthea (a charming Rachel Ziegler ) storms the earth as usual. To wreak havoc. With Shazam, the wizard’s staff, a golden apple that doubles as Pandora’s box, building a dome over Philadelphia, and a reason for our heroes to “take back” their powers, they are the same. Do what most villains in superhero movies do: destroy a city.

While his antics are anything but unique, what works is his grim, world-ending demeanor that is met with truly silly and hilarious reactions from our heroes. It’s the constant flow of jokes at his own expense that soften the blow. Shazam! fury of the gods Being a forgettable film compared to its better predecessor. The film, to its credit, tries to create a sub-plot when Billie is about 18, which may mean she has to leave her new family. There is also another story of his trying to keep the team together while everyone else wants to go their own way. But the film doesn’t really play on these tropes and instead fills us with information overload. Even if we discount the stuffed exposition — courtesy of Daughters of Atlas — there’s still plenty of data force-fed to kill time.

Unlike the first film, which focused more on Billy’s journey, the sequel sees his adult persona (played by the dependable Zachary Levi) stealing screen space. But it’s the inconsistency with his personality that comes as a nasty surprise when considering they are technically the same person internally. Shazam, in one of many pop-culture references throughout the film, brings fast and furious movies to point out the importance of family, but the sequel does away with the bonding and relationships that made the 2019 film unique. Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), who gets the most screen time since Shazam, has his first tryst with romance. Billy, on the other hand, is suffering from impostor syndrome. But all of these are milked for humor instead of being turned into building blocks for their character arcs.

Still ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

However, widening the canvas, despite its disadvantages, comes in handy to create bite-sized funny moments. like a magic carpet Aladdin and from The Cloak of Levitation doctor strange, we get a magic pen named Steve; A scene involving Mirren’s character transcribing a letter read aloud happens to be one of the best in the film. Speaking of goofball humor, it’s Djimon Hounsou’s Shazam that makes us laugh the most. same as shifu Kung Fu PandaShazam, the last surviving member of the Wizards’ Council who granted Billy his powers, is constantly asked to reconsider his decision and they make for the most hilarious scenes collectively.

With some spectacular CGI that’s clearly higher than in the first film, as well as several movie references – even from opposite camps – (read: the MCU) and some wry humor to wrap it up, Shazam! fury of the gods Tries his best to entertain us. But when you’re made to be relieved by unicorns munching Skittles… you know the movie is in troubled waters. Completely lost in focus and doing little to advance the franchise, the sequel is an unsatisfying addition that comes close to being saved by its own charm. With DC’s cinematic journey to soft reboot, it’s unclear whether we’ll get to see the shenanigans of Shazam and his family again. But if this is going to be his swan song, he better be prepared to face the fury of the fans!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently in theaters