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| Scene from Shazam! |
There have been few things as appealing to the young mind as that of superheroes. After all, there's endless merchandise for each character in ever-expanding series. There are TV shows galore and the cinemas probably have shown at least one film a week for the past 20 years. It's a trend that's hard to ignore, even though there's someone who's often left out of the equation on screen: the child. They inform the wondrous awe that comes with donning a cape to save people. It's what makes Shazam! one of the most exciting adaptations in several years (or at least from the muddled D.C. Extended Universe). It not only brings a certain excitement with being a hero but for the first time brings with it a deeply rooted understanding of why these characters matter. They are more than symbols of strength. They are ways to fight insecurity and mature. As silly as Shazam! is (and it often can't go a minute without it), it has the heart and levity to make it quintessential counterprogramming to the dark and brooding competition. For as scary as it may be (it is from Lights Out director David F. Sanberg), it has the childlike wonder at the center keeping it grounded. It may not be totally a kiddie film, but for those who are teenage boys at heart, it feels like essential viewing.
The selling point of the film has always been Shazam (Zachary Levi). There's something magnetic about watching him don the goofy red-and-yellow outfit and do very childish things with his youthful compatriot Freddie Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer). It starts with the simple act of buying beer. Freddie is in love with the danger of consuming something he can't buy only to spit it out in disgust. There's a visit to a strip club for a comedic effect where Shazam over-tips because the strippers were "too good." It's typical vandalism stuff that is perfectly antithetical to what a hero is. Shazam is someone who doesn't have a grasp on his power and equally doesn't know how to be responsible. He showboats every chance he gets and, on one occasion, allows robbers to shoot him in the face for an exhausting amount of time. It's the type of image that a child fantasizes about, where bullet immunity means that there's no pain. In fact, there's a genuine thrill to Shazam! that feels cathartic and overdue. For whatever exceptional powers he lacks, he just seems to be having a good time performing tricks for tourists and taking pictures.
It is the perfect antithesis to his secret persona Billy Batson (Asher Angel). He's a foster kid whose reckless ways have thrown him out of every home over the years. Despite his aimlessness, he's secretly looking for his real mom and righting a series of wrongs he feels by being "different." Without a traditional family, Billy is an awkward outsider incapable of fully relating. Shazam as a counterpoint serves as a brilliant metaphor for his struggles, especially as a hero who gives too much into pleasure and not enough consideration for those around him. He is different, but in a way that is desired. For the first time, Billy feels like a hero instead of a loser who is constantly thrust into situations that make him depressed. Freddie's love of comic book lore (notably from D.C. properties) informs their bond and soon Shazam is more than this silly character with a bright red suit. He's a figure of trust, providing something of value. It's the struggle that the film plays with and does it very well.
It does help that Grazer's chemistry with Levi is impeccable. Despite being a physically handicapped sidekick, Freddie is a voice of reason that helps Shazam see the good in his new abilities. His knowledge of trivial details and desire to upload it all on YouTube captures a wonder that few comic book adaptations have. It isn't so much about saving the day but looking cool. Sure, there's a lot of pratfalls (which Levi is excellent at), but they all build character and capture the feeling of a superhero/teenager slowly realizing their true capabilities. To watch the innocent eyes of Shazam observe ridiculous peril provides a charm that comes to what often is conventional. This isn't just another superhero origin story. It's one where a child gets to deconstruct it their way, finding clever uses for such ideas as transforming in and out of costume for the simple use of bathroom breaks. The film has an endless supply of gags, and they all fit at making Shazam, a largely outdated character otherwise, feel crucial to a modern text.
It works within the world of the D.C.E.U. not by creating an ongoing tale, but a sidestep. There's iconography reminiscent of Batman v. Superman, yet it doesn't totally define the action of these characters. What ends up happening is an interesting shift of tone. As a teenager who already feels left out of this world, Billy's thrust into a world of fantasy with wizards and gruesome gargoyle imagery. It's definitely odd and at points unpleasant. However, it allows Shazam to exist as this shining beacon in a world of despair, where even Santa is seen running for the hills. It's a world that unfortunately means that the film is PG-13 instead of a more accessible PG, but it also feels dangerous as a result. The idea of Shazam bringing peace to such a dark world is compelling, and it's all perfectly blended by the comedy and slapstick that informs the action set pieces.
Unlike the other D.C.E.U. films, it also manages to overcome hurdles regarding third act nonsense. Instead of battles that feel big for the sake of world-shattering, Shazam! plays into its themes. It's a story about a foster child learning to embrace his nuclear family through his superpowers, and it becomes downright sweet by the end. It may not have the perfect execution like the Marvel films, but then again Marvel hasn't made a film half as unique as Shazam!'s boyish charm. It deconstructs the genre while finding deeper emotion in why we adore these heroes. The chemistry between its central cast is charming, and it all works at making a film that reminds audiences to find optimism amid the dark times. For those that found Zack Snyder's directed output into this franchise upsetting, Shazam! is the perfect step in a direction that is both dark and realistically fun. If anything, it will make you want more Zachary Levi doing anything and everything while mugging for the camera.
Shazam! likely won't strike most audiences as an essential superhero story at a glance. In some ways, the character's real-life history warrants that theory. However, it's a film that packs in the drama in a realistic way of a boy coming to terms with his place in life. He's an orphan who doesn't fit in until he becomes a hero. Most of all, it finds time to just be silly and allow for the fantasies that would be too over the top for most other films to resonate. There's power in the comedy and the decision to explore the inner workings of a boy's love of superheroes. While it's unlikely to tip the scales for D.C.E.U. being on par with Marvel, it definitely deserves consideration as a story where anything can happen, and it works reasonably within the story. It may take a while to get going, but once it does it's hard to ignore the magic of this awesome little movie.
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