Review: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

As the DC franchise slowly unravels, the Shazam sequel reminds us of some of the good within the mess. While it may not be perfect, it is one hell of a good time.

Shazam has always been a breath of fresh air to the DC universe, and this sequel is no different. The film opens not long after its predecessors end. As Billy’s (Zachary Levi/Asher Angel) family, all now equipped with superpowers of their own, disastrously try to save the city of Philadelphia, the evil Daughters of Atlas plan to make their move to bring their home back to life. Now Billy and his family are being hunted for their power and must save their own home in the process.

This sequel still has the joyful heart of the first film but has a muddied story that feels clunky. The premise is simple, but as the second and third acts occur, you begin to wonder who the true villains are.

There’s a theme of found family and feeling wanted that never quite hits home. I think a large part of that is due to Billy constantly being in his Shazam form. Zachary Levi does a great job of acting like a teenager in an adult body, but it was just too much. Asher Angel is barely in this film, and I think that was the wrong move, considering most of the kids have a good superhero-to-child balance. At one point, the film tries to touch on the fact that Billy feels like his new family may kick him out because he is about to turn 18. Instead of filling the movie with more tension between Billy and his foster parents, we get a side story of Freddy’s (Jack Dylan Grazer) attraction to a new character Anthea (Rachel Zegler). Don’t get me wrong, I loved seeing Freddy’s awkward charm, but that shouldn’t have been made a significant plot point.

The heart of this film is the family. Every character is cast perfectly, both in their child form and their superhero one. And once again, the youngest sibling, Darla (Faithe Herman/Megan Good), steals the show.

This sequel has just as many laugh-out-loud moments as the first film and is action-packed. Unfortunately, some of the heartfelt moments don’t have the same impact due to the lack of storytelling. However, it’s still a solid movie that’s just downright enjoyable to watch with the whole family.

You can catch Shazam! Fury of the Gods in theaters now. Will it be streaming? Probably. There is no definitive streaming date yet, but you can start eyeing May 2023 for now.