christian movie reviews shazam

Reviewed by: Samiatu Dosunmu CONTRIBUTOR

What is the Occult? Answer

THE OCCULT —What does the Bible say about it? Answer

About magic and magicians mentioned in the Bible

Enchantments and sorcerers

What are DEMONS? Answer

Who is SATAN, the enemy of God and all people? Answer

Is Satan a real person that influences our world today? Is he affecting you? Answer

What does it mean to be a true HERO?

Learn about true goodness and righteousness

About ORPHANS and the Bible

Sequel: “ Shazam! Fury of the Gods ” (2023)

• S olomon - Wisdom
• H ercules - Strength
• A tlas - Stamina
• Z eus - Power
• A chilles - Courage
• M ercury - Speed

I n 1974 New York, young Thaddeus Sivana (Ethan Pugiotto) is magically transported to the Rock of Eternity, a magical temple hidden in another dimension, by the ancient wizard Shazam. Shazam explains that he has spent centuries searching for a new champion who is “pure of heart,” after his first one turned evil and unleashed the SEVEN DEADLY SINS upon the ancient world. The Sins, now trapped in statues within the Rock, and their powers, contained in an orb called the EYE OF SIN, tempt Thaddeus with promises of power.

Unable to resist the demon’s beaconing, Thaddeus nearly touches the orb. The ancient wizard, deeming him an unworthy champion, banishes Thaddeus back to Earth.

In the present, a Philadelphian foster kid named Billy Batson ( Asher Angel ) purposefully breaks the law in an attempt to gain access to a police database to locate the address of his biological mother ( Caroline Palmer ). Years earlier, he got lost in the crowd at a carnival; his mother never came to find him. Billy is placed in a group home run by Victor and Rosa Vazquez, who have five other foster kids: Mary Bromfield ( Grace Fulton ), Pedro Peña ( Jovan Armand ), Eugene Choi ( Ian Chen ), Darla Dudley ( Faithe Herman ), and Freddy Freeman ( Jack Dylan Grazer ).

Billy does not warm up to his new family, as he is still intent on looking for his biological mother.

Elsewhere, a now adult and doctor Thaddeus Sivana ( Mark Strong ) pieces together the testimonies of other people who were abducted and rejected by the wizard Shazam and returns to the Rock of Eternity. Filled with vengeance, he absorbs the energy of the EYE OF SIN, allowing the seven deadly sins to possess and control his body.

When the now frail wizard Shazam tries to stop him, he overpowers and nearly kills him. Using his new powers, Dr. Sivana exacts revenge on his father ( John Glover ) and brother Sid ( Wayne Ward ) by unleashing the SEVEN DEADLY SINS during a board meeting and commands them to murder everyone, including his father and brother.

While running into a subway to escape bullies, Billy is abducted and summoned by the now dying wizard Shazam. Chosen by the dying wizard as the champion, Billy is transformed into an adult with super-strength, speed, stamina, durability and lightning powers. Before turning to dust, the wizard Shazam warns him that the only way to defeat the SEVEN DEADLY SINS is by unlocking his greatest power. By saying “Shazam!” Billy can change back and forth between teenager and adult superhero.

Billy sets out to discover his powers with the help of Freddy; he becomes reckless and nearly kills passengers on a bus. While bringing the bus to safety, he catches the attention of Dr. Sivana, whose appetite for power increases after seeing what Shazam can do. Through a series of violent confrontations, Billy/Shazam ( Asher Angel / Zachary Levi ) learn that the power and strength that lies in family may be the only way to defeat Dr. Sivana and the seven deadly sins.

Spiritual Issues

The major spiritual issue is the repeated reference to and worship of the occult , involving the seven deadly sins. The origin of this ideology derives from Catholicism. According to Catholic theology, the seven deadly sins are seven vices (or negative character qualities) that, left unchecked, result in a host of other sins and, eventually, the death of a person’s soul. For those unfamiliar, the seven deadly sins are:

Pride —An inflated, unrealistic sense of your self-worth.

Envy —The feeling that you deserve the possessions, success, virtues, or talents of another person.

Gluttony —An excessive desire for the pleasure of eating and drinking.

Lust —A selfish focus on sex or a desire to have sexual pleasure with someone other than your spouse.

Anger —An excessive, improper desire to exact revenge.

Greed —A strong desire for possessions, especially for possessions belonging to another.

Sloth—Lack of effort in the face of a necessary task, causing it to go undone (or done badly).

The Sins have consumed Dr. Sivana, so that he has total disregard for human life and exhibits psychopathic behavior in his wrath. This is evident when he allows anger to fuel his contempt for his father and brother during their confrontation in the boardroom. Dr. Sivana throws his brother out the window of a tall building before unleashing the demonic forms of the sins to murder the remaining people in the room. In his confrontations with Shazam ( Asher Angel / Zachary Levi ) he unleashes the seven deadly sins on innocent bystanders as a form of exercising control. However, after Shazam uncovers his greatest power, he fights Sivana.

The Bible never refers to certain sins that are dishonoring to God as the deadly sins. Rather, it is stated in Proverbs 6:16-19,

“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue , and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans , feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

This list can be used to categorize the many sins that exist. Romans 6:23 suggests that no sin is more deadly than another:

“For the wages of sin is death , but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —NASB

Moviemaking quality

The movie quality is average. But I found the heavy presence and emphasis of the occult to be a major distraction in finding the positive in this film. The demonic form of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS is too disturbing and, as such, I do not recommend this film.

Aside from the heavy references to the occult , the movie lacks sufficient content.

• Occult: Very Heavy to Extreme
• Violence: Heavy
• Profane language: Moderately Heavy— •  J*sus Chr*st • “Oh my G*d” (10) • G*d •  H*ll (3)
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderately Heavy— • f-words (4—bleeped) • sh*t-hole • other s-words (4) • pervy • “s*cks b*lls” • s*cks • d*ck • “Lay your hand on my staff” (In context, this phrase insinuates a sexual reference. The real meaning was that the ailing wizard Shazam asked Billy to lay his hand on his rod or walking stick which housed his power.) • Scr*w • b**bies • a** (4) • cr*p • d*uche-bags • p**
• Sex: • strip club scenes • suggestive material
• Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

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5 Things Parents Should Know about Shazam!

• Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
• Updated Apr 05, 2019

Billy Batson is an insecure, 14-year-old teen living in a foster care system he hates. He has no plans of staying – as he’s proven countless times by running away.

“I can take care of myself,” he tells a social worker.

But that can’t happen until he’s 18.

So he’s sent to live with another foster family – his seventh – where he’ll continue his quest for an identity and a future.

Then lightning strikes in his life, both literally and figuratively, when he’s transported to another dimension and encounters an aging wizard named Shazam, who is looking for a replacement. Shazam is searching for someone who is “strong in spirit” and “pure in heart.” Billy says he doesn’t possess those qualities, but it doesn’t matter. Shazam is desperate, and Billy is the chosen one.

Billy becomes Shazam – a superhero who can fly through the sky, run faster than a speeding bullet, and leap tall buildings. If only he could figure out how to do those things.

The DC Comics film Shazam! (PG-13) opens this weekend, starring Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer as his friend, Freddy, and Zachary Levi as Billy’s superhero alter ego.

Here are five things parents should know:

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Photo courtesy: DC

1. It’s Original and Funny

Shazam!  is different from any modern-day superhero film. It has more comical  I-can’t-believe-I’m-a-superhero moments than  Spider-Man: Homecoming . It has more humor than  Thor: Ragnarok . It’s a million times more appropriate than  Deadpool , and, for the most part, the funny moments stay family-friendly. 

It’s hilarious to watch Shazam learn to fly (he falls flat on his face), fight (he gets hit multiple times before he learns the ropes) and leap tall buildings (he makes it halfway up before crashing into a window). All along, his friend, Freddy, is doing what any teenager would do: recording Shazam’s antics for YouTube videos. (Yes, they go viral.) 

Eventually, Shazam’s immaturity catches up with him, as happens when he accidentally forces a bus to crash while demonstrating his lightning powers. He had become – Freddy tells him – a “showoff and bully.” Don’t worry: Shazam matures before the credits roll.

2. It’s All About Family and Foster Care

Yes,  Shazam!  is a superhero flick, but it’s also a film about foster care, family and one teenage boy’s search for identity. 

“I’ve got a mom... She’s still out there. I know it,” Billy says early in the film, referencing his biological lineage. He got separated from her at a young age when he got lost in a crowd. Ever since, he’s been living in the foster care system, rejecting every family that takes him in. He’s now on his seventh set of foster parents: Victor and Rosa Vasquez, who have a quaint house and five other foster kids. He likes them, but not too much. “Families are for people who can’t take care of themselves,” he tells his foster sister. But by the end of the film, he has a change of heart.

3. It Just May Make You Cry

The film’s heavy themes will lead some parents wanting more details. If that’s you, then keep reading. (Otherwise,  flee! )  

It’s heartbreaking to watch Billy search for a mom he doesn’t know – a mom that social workers believe  didn’t  want to find him. He goes from city to city, house to house, looking for anyone with her last name. He finds her toward the end of the film, but it doesn’t bring the joy he expected. (She says she was 17 and too young to raise him, and she felt the police could better take care of him.) Still, it brings closure to this chapter in his life, and he moves on. He realizes he already has a family. He already has the love he craved. He even calls Victor and Rosa his “real” family. Perhaps you’ll shed a tear of sadness ... and then a tear of joy.

4. It May Be Too Much for Kids

Shazam!  is rated PG-13, but I’m guessing DC is targeting older children and tweens, too. If that’s the case, DC didn’t hit the bullseye. 

The movie includes several violent and disturbing moments that could give children nightmares, led by the demonic-looking spirit creatures that provide Sivana his powers. These ugly creatures are the demons of the seven deadly sins (greed, pride, lust, gluttony , envy, wrath and sloth), and they look every bit like something from the pits of hell. They’re also violent. We see one of them bite off a person’s head. Second later, one of them eats a person whole. During one of the scenes, I heard a young girl in the theater cry.

The film’s fisticuff violence is typical for a superhero movie.

The film twice shows Shazam outside a strip club – “The Booty Club” – although we don’t see inside. The movie also has a moderate amount of language (more than 25 words, including a few instances of s--t, by my count). 

5. It Has Mid-Credit and Post-Credit Scenes

The mid-credit scene is essential to the plot (it includes Sivana), while the post-credit one is just for laughs (it involves Shazam and Freddy).

Not surprisingly, the movie sets up a sequel, as Shazam shares his powers with his siblings, making them superheroes too. This means the next film will have a team of superheroes in the vein of Marvel’s Avengers or DC’s Justice League. Just a lot less serious.  

Entertainment rating:  4 out of 5 stars. 

Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material.  

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog,  MichaelFoust.com .

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SHAZAM! A Christian Mom Review

Should you take your kids.

Shazam! Zachary Levi! This was my sole reason for seeing this film. I love Zachary Levi in everything he has been in. However, I am not a huge superhero fan. But Zachary Levi! Besides a couple of trailers, I make sure not to watch or read anything else regarding films that I review. I rarely know who directs a film, where it was filmed, or what the critics have said before I walk in the theater. After I finish my review and post it, I then start to read what other people have said. So SHAZAM! A Christian Mom review is from the heart and not influenced by other reviews in any way. Read my criteria and how I review movies.

I do have to mention that as I watched this movie, that I began to remember a television show from the 1970s based on the character of Shazam. I don’t know why I watched it, but I remember seeing it weekly. You can actually watch the Shazam show on DCOnline

FACTS ABOUT CAPTAIN MARVEL AND SHAZAM:

From Business Insider: “Captain Marvel was another hero that made his debut in “Whiz Comics #2” 1939 published by Fawcett Comics. It featured a 12-year-old orphaned newsboy named Billy Batson who can transform into an adult superhero by shouting one word. Captain Marvel became an instant success, launching his own new independent series “Captain Marvel Adventures,” which would later go on to sell more copies than “Superman.” In fact, for a while, Captain Marvel was the most popular superhero of the time, so popular that it became the first superhero ever to be adapted into a motion picture.”

Eventually, because Fawcett Comics was sued by the makers of Superman, they ceased to exist. A new publication picked up the name Marvel after Fawcett Comics abandoned it. And DC Comics acquired Shazam, and he began to go by the word he said when he changed from boy to superhero and back again.

Synopsis of SHAZAM! (2019) Movie:

Shazam was the original Captain Marvel. But in this movie (due to the above lawsuit), he is nameless. He is called many things, but the name that seems to stick is Captain Sparkle Fingers.  

It is Christmas time in 1974, and Thaddeus Sivana is traveling with his father and brother. Magically, he finds himself at the Rock of Eternity where he encounters the wizard Shazam. The Wizard is looking for a person who is pure of heart to pass his magic on. Thad is drawn to the eye of Envy and fails the test. He is returned to his car, and he causes an accident that injures his father.

Present day, Philadelphia: A young Billy Batson (Asher Angel), age 14, is searching for his mother. He is arrested and put in another foster home, however, he still is certain that his mother wants him back. Through a series of events, Billy Batson becomes Shazam (Zachary Levi) and Sivana is his arch nemesis. Will Billy find his mother? Does Billy learn the real meaning of family? Will Shazam save the world?  

Zachary Levi and Asher Angel are both excellent in the roles. When Billy becomes Shazam, he still has the mind of a 14-year old which Levi captures perfectly.  

This movie has a great storyline. It is funny with laugh out loud moments. And did I happen to mention Zachary Levi?

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW:

This film is rated PG-13 and fully deserves that rating. It is intense and the scenes with the seven deadly sins (which are represented as ugly creatures) are ugly and scary. My 14 year old (who is autistic) was extremely bothered and agitated by these scenes. He buried his head in my side and covered his ears. However, even my 16-year-old son was bothered by these scenes.

There are numerous instances of people being bullied. Some of this film is set in a school setting, and there are kids that are less than kind. 

There is a lot of violence in this movie. There is a car accident in the beginning of the movie. One person has their head bitten off by one of the deadly sins and is thrown through a window. Several people are shown being killed. A woman disintegrates. In addition to violence, there is plenty of peril – for instance, a bus is shown hanging off a bridge, and people slam into the front window of the bus.

There is plenty of foul language. Dick is said. Sh-t, a-s, and h-ll are each said numerous times. There are also phrases said, such as “sucks balls,” “Oh my g-d,” “butt crack.” Additionally, when a young boy angers his father, the dad says, “You miserable little sh-t, you could have killed us.” In one scene, the f word is repeatedly bleeped out.

OTHER ITEMS OF CONCERN:

Shazam goes into a Gentleman’s Club. The outside of the club is shown. In another scene, Shazam transports himself and a group of children/teens to the Gentlemen’s Club. Again, just the outside is shown, but there are comments made. One male teen says, “That is not my scene,” and the implication is he is gay.  

In addition, Shazam and a teen go into a convenience store to buy beer. They are shown tasting the beer and spitting it out.

Someone flips the finger. The scene where Billy loses his mom is shown, and this can be traumatic to some children.

MORE THINGS TO KNOW:

Stay until the end – the very end. There is more than one extra scene throughout the credits.  

MOMENTS FOR TEACHING:

While there are plenty of moments for teaching within this film: Bullying, what family means, the use of power to get what you want, etc., there are a few key elements that I think are great teachable items. In the movie, they use disgusting creatures to represent the 7 deadly sins. While the 7 deadly sins (greed, pride, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth) are not listed in a list in the Bible, they are all things that are sinful. However, they are not unforgivable. Talk about what each sin is, and how those sins look in our lives. Also, discuss how giving into those sins consumes a person. 

Another item for teaching is the pure heart. What does God say about a pure heart? Did Shazam actually have a pure heart? Obviously, as a Christian, we believe that all are sinners except Jesus Christ, but there are certainly sinners that ran after God and were considered righteous even though they fell short. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

While there is plenty of content to be aware of, and I am conservative of my movie viewing (I rarely see a PG-13 movie), I liked this movie. Zachary Levi is an actor that always brings his A-game. If you like him, you will love this movie. But this movie is definitely not for children. It is intense. You may be thinking that your child can handle it, but I urge you to err on the side of caution. Some of these scenes would give sensitive adults nightmares. Because of the violence, evil depicted, and language, my age recommendations is 12-13 and up.

I look forward to seeing more of Shazam in the future, and they certainly left the door open for more from this once-forgotten superhero.

Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!

Christian Homeschooling mom – 30 years and counting

Autism Mom & Disney enthusiast

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The gentlemen’s club is a strip club its just a fancy way of saying it so the kids don’t know

Hi I totally agree with you..i am Christian mum..my 13 yr old daughter went to see this tonight and we actually saw a bigger pic to it as in the sins although not mentioned in the Bible..but the beasts representing them…the rod/staff the wizard used…the true in heart…id the same view as you..all round it was a bit frightening but funny movie we both enjoyed it…thanks for your review…very helpful…

I disagree shazam is not for any christains it is demonic filling kids minds with the lies from the devil it is not a family movie it is a mockery to god using the wisdom of Solomon for a letter for his name it has witch craft and demons in it the only one with a pure heart is jesus, a wizard is a warlock not of God the devil is using these movies to lure kids in take their souls.

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You’re a lunatic Marie!

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Movie Review: ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Moviegoers craving insightful drama are unlikely to patronize a film called “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (Warner Bros.). That’s just as well because, while this sequel to the 2019 origin story for the titular DC Comics character serves up action, special effects and some humorous dialogue, it fails to make much of a lasting impression.

In part, that’s due to the fact that returning director David F. Sandberg’s extension of the series, though diverting, comes overburdened with lore about both the morally upright and villainous forces who face off in his adventure. Thus there’s almost as much backstory as present-day plot.

To begin with the protagonist, veterans of the first outing will recall that a wizard (Djimon Hounsou) named Shazam gave 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) the ability to turn himself into an adult (Zachary Levi), also called Shazam, by saying – you guessed it – “Shazam!” Confused yet?

Once he got over the wow factor of his new persona, endowed as it was with incredible strength and speed, Billy had to learn to use his capabilities responsibly. As this second chapter opens, Billy/Shazam is still unsure of his worthiness. But he now has backup since he eventually shared his magical powers with the ensemble of fellow foster kids with whom he lives.

While Billy is fretting, the most prominent of his adoptive siblings, his best pal Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer who becomes Adam Brody), is finding love in the corridors of his high school. But Freddy’s partner in this budding romance also has a background and is not what she initially appears.

Having given a nod to Cupid, it’s time for Mars to take the field. Every superhero needs a mission and Billy acquires one when the three daughters of the titan Atlas – Anthea (Rachel Zegler), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren) – get hold of a mystical artifact that will enable them to wreak destruction on a global scale.

There’s much for believing viewers to appreciate even as they try to keep all these details straight. Student Freddy, for example, is physically challenged and the audience is clearly intended to recognize his dignity as well as sympathize with his gamely-faced difficulties.

The latter include some cruel bullying by loutish schoolmates, to which Freddy responds with admirable patience and peaceability. The love relationship on which he embarks, moreover, is sweetly innocent and leads to a demonstration of his chivalrous qualities.

Family bonds are also celebrated in Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan’s script. Yet the term gods gets thrown around in their screenplay in a way that might be confusing for the poorly catechized.

Additionally, a minor subplot reveals, briefly and matter-of-factly, that another of Billy’s brothers, Pedro (Jovan Armand/D.J. Cotrona), is gay. This turns out to be no surprise to anyone, and the subject is left at that.

Given that a large portion of this franchise’s appeal takes the form of teen wish fulfillment, it’s a shame that “Fury” can only be confidently endorsed for grown-ups. At a stretch, however, older adolescents well-grounded in their faith may perhaps be given their share of the popcorn – and the puzzlement.

The film contains much stylized but sometimes harsh violence, brief references to homosexuality and venereal disease, a few mild oaths, a couple of crude terms and occasional crass language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on Twitter @JohnMulderig1.

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Shazam! Parent Guide

A bouyant, slightly goofy, superhero movie whose uplifting, positive messages are a necessary counterweight to the steady diet of violent action scenes..

Fourteen-year-old foster kid, Billy Batson, unexpectedly obtains superpowers and an adult-sized body, when he says "Shazam!" But with great powers come great responsibility, and that might be a problem...

Release date April 5, 2019

Run Time: 132 minutes

Official Movie Site

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

The wizard Shazam (Djimon Honsou) is faced with a critical situation. He is the last survivor of the Council of Wizards, sworn to defend all the realms from the Seven Deadly Sins , who in this film look like serpent-tongued demons. Shazam must find a person who is pure of heart to whom he can pass on his powers before he dies. But finding someone who is pure of heart is harder than Shazam expects and he spends 40 years magically transporting unsuspecting candidates to his sanctuary, where all fail his test. Finally, another possible successor winds up in the cave, but 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is nobody’s idea of a hero…

In foster care since he got separated from his mother as a toddler, Billy has bounced from placement to placement, breaking rules as he sees fit in his quest to find his mom. When he absorbs the wizard’s powers, Billy is able to magically turn himself into an adult superhero (played by Zachary Levi) and finds himself torn between running from the responsibility and milking the new abilities for his own benefit. Luckily, Billy has just landed at a new group home, and the exceptional parents (Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews) and five other kids provide the balance Billy needs. It’s this family that provides the beating heart at the center of this engaging superhero movie. And it’s this family that provides the most powerful themes in the movie – messages about the intrinsic human need for family, the yearning for acceptance and connection, and the power of love and loyalty. As an added bonus, this foster family provides a model of harmonious diversity with Latino, Asian, and African American family members. The writers have also included a disabled teen, Freddy (believably portrayed by Jack Dylan Grazer), in the clan. Advocates of greater mainstreaming of the disabled in the media will be particularly gratified that Freddy is no Tiny Tim – he is a fully realized character whose contribution to the plot is based on more than just his disability.

With all the action, the film moves along fairly quickly – although it is about 10 minutes too long and the fight scenes could have been edited more tightly. But the characters are engaging, with Zachary Levi playing the adult Billy with goofy bemusement and Mark Strong playing Dr. Thaddeus Sivana with the suave menace befitting a supervillain. The film also enjoys plenty of comic relief and maintains a lighthearted, effervescent feel that keeps it from bogging down into just another punch-fest. And the film’s overarching theme – that love and family are the most powerful magic in the world – drives the story to a buoyant conclusion that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

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Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for shazam.

Shazam! Rating & Content Info

Why is Shazam! rated PG-13? Shazam! is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material

Violence: A child is shown alone in a car careening along a highway. A family is in a car which is struck by another vehicle: the father is thrown from the car and gravely injured. A main character traps police officers in a pawnshop so he can use their computer and then steals a lunch. A child is abandoned by his mother. A woman touches a magic door and screams as her body disintegrates. Demons take possession of a character and a glowing ball enters his head. Kids are bullied at school: older boys kick a disabled boy on the ground. Another character grabs a crutch and hits the bullies with it. Punching and kicking ensue. A wizard disintegrates into dust. Criminals robbing a store repeatedly shoot a main character. A main character throws criminals out of the window. A truck gets dropped from a significant height. A man throws his brother out a skyscraper window. A man sets demons on his father and other people. A main character uses superpowers to steal soft drinks from a vending machine and to extract money from an ATM. A superhero’s recklessness causes a bus to plunge from an overpass: he catches it before it lands. A main character gets hit by a truck. Characters with superpowers have repeated battles where they punch, choke, kick, hit, and throw each other on the ground, from high buildings, and in the air. A man attempts to drown a teenager. A character is stabbed but not killed. A major conflict takes place at a fair: people scream, panic, and run. People are trapped on a ferris wheel which is attacked. A man holds children hostage. Sexual Content:   Characters are shown entering a strip club on two occasions – they are minors even though one is in an adult’s body. They leave quickly and there are no scenes inside the club. Profanity: A main character makes a sexual hand gesture with both hands. There are just over a dozen profanities in this film – eight scatological curses, three terms of deity, and a smattering of other mild or moderate curses as well as a couple of crude anatomical expressions. Alcohol / Drug Use: A main character who is a teen in an adult’s body buys beer which he shares with another teen: the two take one swallow and spit it out immediately.

Page last updated May 8, 2020

Shazam! Parents' Guide

The Seven Deadly Sins have a long history in Christian and Western thought. They are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. Which of these do you think is the most dangerous or destructive? Are there any other sins or character weaknesses you would add to the list? Why?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow features a diverse group of middle school students who somehow wind up with unusual powers after a bus crash. Great for tween readers.

Older elementary students and tweens will laugh and learn from Public School Superhero by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts . The story features chess nerd and bullying victim, Kenny Wright, who imagines himself as superhero Stainlezz Steel.

If you got a kick out of Freddy’s character in Shazam!, you will likely enjoy John David Anderson’s novel, Sidekicked. This book, which is geared to older kids and tweens, tells the story of a sidekick with super senses who is trying to keep his secret identity from his parents while managing his superhero’s bad habits. Jack D Ferraiolo’s novel Sidekicks tells the story of another sidekick, this one struggling with his role and the behavior of his superhero.

The most recent home video release of Shazam! movie is July 16, 2019. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:.

Looking for another lighthearted superhero popcorn flick? Check out Thor from the Marvel Comic Universe. An animated feature that combines adoption with supervillains is Despicable Me, which is suitable for family viewing. And The Incredibles tells the tale of an entire family with superpowers.

For another movie featuring foster parents who change kids’ lives, you can turn to Instant Family.

If you enjoy watching Billy adapt to his adult-sized superhero body, you will likely get a kick out of Tom Hanks’ classic, Big. In Freaky Friday , a mother and daughter wind up stuck in each other’s bodies.

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Shazam! Fury of the Gods: A film whose positive portrayal of family life will delight Christian parents

Charles Merritt gives a cautious thumbs up to a super hero comedy that made him laugh

The Film: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Rating: 12A

Watch if you liked: Shazam

Running time: 130 minutes Genre: Superhero, Comedy

Overview: When the Daughters of Atlas come to regain their powers, Billy Batson and the Shazamily must work out what it means to wield their powers as well as what it means to be a family.

What you liked:  You don’t get many edgy family films anymore. The Goonies, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future - the 80s had them all*. I’m not saying this movie is on par with the examples given, but it is similar in tone and style. Mainly how it’s equal parts dark and edgy whilst balanced with plenty of heart and humour.

( *I guess the most recent example I can think of is the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. There were plenty of laughs to be had and a lot of well set up jokes with good pay offs. Some of the jokes get a bit repetitive and some feel unnecessary but on the whole the comedy mainly worked.)

The mixture of Greek myth and superhero is interesting (as previously seen in another DC film, Wonder Woman) and adds an extra level to the story telling. Helen Mirren could have easily phoned in her performance as one of the daughters of Greek god, instead she plays the role with so much vigour it’s beautiful to watch.

Representation is actually one of this film’s strengths. Both age and race were on full display here and it’s not played for applause, it simply exists and it’s lovely.

The family of foster kids are brilliantly played by their young actors. Just like the first film, Freddy Freeman steals the show (played by the charismatic Jack Dylan Grazer) and it’s good to see him have a lot of screen time again. Grace Caroline Currey, the only actor to play both their non-superpower and super-powered version of their characters, also does a great job and I think she has a chance of landing some bigger roles in the future.

What you didn’t like

It’s a little confusing. I just about kept up with the plot but I can imagine those younger struggling to fully understand what was going on - especially when it came to the mythic lore.

As much as I think it is a good movie, and it is a good movie, it’s not the greatest movie of all time. There are definitely pacing issues and some moments that feel slightly too long or drawn out.

Unfortunately, the mid-credit scene left a bad taste in my mouth. I won’t bore you too much but DC Films is changing hands. Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director/ writer, James Gunn, is taking over as Head of DC Films. This either means that any hint of future sequels or plot lines are not going to go anywhere or they are and they’ll focus on the characters that James Gunn has already invested in. Personally, although a big fan of his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy films, I haven’t enjoyed his take on the DC universe as of yet and so am not 100% he’s going to take it in the direction I would have liked. It also makes another cameo that takes place in the film, feel questionable. You’re left wondering whether this is the last time we’ll see this character as portrayed by their actor/actress (I won’t spoil who it is - but you may know as Warner Bros made the baffling decision to show it in a recent trailer…) and if it is, it’ll be an underwhelming exit for such a pivotal role.

Thoughts for parents

Some quick housekeeping before we enter the meaty faith discussions. There’s some bad language in the film and there are slightly scary moments (as discussed with the 80s family film comparison). It’s perfect for 12 plus, but I doubt you’d want to let any children under that age watch it. I would say it’s not as scary as the first film but still might give kids nightmares depending on their scare levels.

Faith wise, then, what does Shazam have to teach us?

As someone whose parents foster, I love the family aspect of both Shazam films. It’s great to see a positive portrayal of foster families and children.

Whereas in the first film, Billy learns to accept the love of his new family, this film he explores how to manage being part of a family. He’s terrified of being rejected by his new family that he has grown to love. There’s a particular fear of letting go of people so that they can grow and develop by themselves, and Billy starts to fall into the trap of being a very controlling sibling.

I wonder how we can be guilty of this in our own families? Whether biological, foster or church? In what ways do we hold young people back because we’re scared that they might not need us or want us anymore? In what way is that fear actually our own insecurity and not in the young person’s best interests?

Billy’s biggest problem is imposter syndrome. He’s become this superhero but hasn’t a clue about what his powers really are, what he’s meant to be doing and how he’s meant to lead his siblings. There’s a really funny joke about Solomon that I won’t ruin but still has me chuckling now. I think it’s probably safe to assume that most of us have suffered with ‘imposter syndrome’ at some point in our lives. Or on a daily basis?

 It all comes down to what it means to be worthy, a theme continued from the first film. The Wizard tells Billy towards the end of the movie, “Anyone can be worthy, if given a chance.” How quick are we to judge other people and deem them as unworthy of God’s love? What opportunities do we give others for them to know that in God’s eyes they are worthy of the ultimate sacrifice? Especially as we approach Easter, it’s important to hold that in our hearts. Jesus died for you because he believes that you are worth saving, even if you or those around you don’t.

More from Charles Merritt

Wonka: Some powerful faith conversations lurk in this musical extravaganza

Is the movie ‘Wish’ pointing us to something God has placed within us?

The Hunger Games prequel’s war and violence: discussion starters for Christian families

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• DVD & Streaming

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• March 17, 2023
• Zachary Levi as Shazam; Asher Angel as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman; Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield/Superhero Mary; Helen Mirren as Hespera; Rachel Zegler as Anthea; Lucy Liu as Kalypso; Adam Brody as Superhero Freddy; Meagan Good as Superhero Darla; Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez; Djimon Hounsou as Shazam (the Wizard); Ross Butler as Superhero Eugene; D.J. Cotrona as Superhero Pedro; Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena; Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen as Eugene Choi; Derek Russo as Atlas

Home Release Date

• April 18, 2023
• David F. Sandberg

Distributor

• Warner Bros.

Movie Review

The wisdom of Solomon. The strength of Hercules. The stamina of Atlas. The power of Zeus. The courage of Achilles. The speed of Mercury.

It’s a nice summary of Billy Batson’s powers when he’s in his Shazam form. But it’s actually more than just a summary. It’s actually a categorical list of all the gods, demigods and (apparently) an Israelite king from whom Shazam takes his powers. And we learn that a previous Shazam did, indeed, literally take them (though Billy wasn’t aware of any of this), leaving the aforementioned deities powerless.

And here’s the thing—the gods don’t exactly appreciate it when you steal their powers.

They (the Greek titans and gods, that is) have been sealed away from our world by a magical staff for thousands of years, which is why we haven’t seen them—and as long as that staff remains intact, that seal cannot be broken.

You might remember that said staff made its appearance in the first Shazam! movie, when Billy and his foster siblings battled it out with the maniacal Dr. Sivana and his Seven Deadly Sins. You might also remember how Billy broke said staff in half during said battle.

And just like that —the seal is broken. The Daughters of Atlas are coming. And they’re not very happy that their father’s name is a mere letter in Shazam’s.

Positive Elements

The first Shazam! featured many positive messages about family, and its sequel is no different. In the first film, Billy struggled with believing whether or not a genuine loving family could actually exist. In the second, Billy struggles with the fear that his family is going to abandon him like his birth mother did.

That’s because he’s about to turn 18, which means that his foster parents, Victor and Rosa, will no longer receive federal aid for housing him—and according to Mary, the oldest of the foster siblings, his options are to either get a job to help the struggling parents or move out. The fear of abandonment is evident—Billy tells a man that he feels abandoned by his mother, his family and his city (the last of which thinks of the superhero siblings as “fiascos.”)

The fear of abandonment is perhaps why Billy is so focused on making sure that he and his siblings only go crime fighting as a team . But Billy’s fears are eventually assuaged by Rosa, who tells him that he “will never age out of [his] home—never.”

And, of course, there’s the positive of the six supers putting their lives on the line in order to save countless citizens. To that point, we hear a couple sentiments that it’s not the powers that make someone a hero or brave; it’s who they are as a person. Case in point: Even when Freddy isn’t in his Shazam form, he still stands up against evil.

Spiritual Elements

[The following section contains a few plot-specific spoilers]

Shazam! came bolting out of the spiritual gate in its first film, having Shazam (whose name is itself an acronym that includes some pagan gods) battle the Seven Deadly Sins—demons based on both Christian and pagan influences. With that in mind, and with the sequel’s title being Fury of the Gods , you might expect this second movie to follow suit.

You’d be right—and more so.

Fury of the Gods almost immediately stipulates that the Greek gods are the real deal. Several characters seem to suggest that every other religion got it completely wrong, Christianity included. (And speaking of, Victor’s signature dinner prayers from the first movie are entirely absent in this film). We hear mocking comments such as “A god has answered their prayers at last” and “they pray to the gods to absolve them.” Indeed, when people contemplate whether someone can be brought back to life, someone laments that “there are no gods left.”

The mythology of Fury of the Gods goes as follows: long ago, the Greek gods ruled the world, thinking of humans as nothing more than servants. One of these gods used wood from a mythic “Tree of Life” in order to create a magical staff with the ability to bestow and take away gods’ powers. Then, some human wizards managed to steal the staff, take the powers of a few of the gods (and Solomon, I guess?) and sealed the gods away in their own realm.

Because Billy broke the staff, however, the seal was broken, and the Daughters of Atlas have managed to squeeze through (why none of the other gods came with them is unknown—though there are a couple unclear indicators that they perhaps all died while locked away). These three daughters each have a different power: Hespera has the Power of Elements, primarily using her powers to heat things up and create a forcefield. Anthea has the Power of Axis, meaning she can rotate things really well. Kalypso has the Power of Chaos, and she uses it to compel people to speak and act against their will—which the movie depicts to be a quite painful and frightening endeavor for the victim.

And back to that “Tree of Life,” which has similarities to Christianity other than its name. For instance, the tree is guarded by a dragon, similar to how the Garden of Eden was guarded by cherubim (Genesis 3:24). It also produces apples (the typical depiction of the “forbidden fruit”). These golden apples have the Seed of Life and are used to plant more trees of life, which (on this world at least) sprout forth various Greek monsters, including minotaurs, cyclopses, harpies and manticores.

Furthermore, we’ll see some magical powers used. Kalypso’s Power of Chaos causes people to turn into zombie-like creatures, spreading the chaos to others. A man casts an incantation on a splinter of wood. There’s also a sentient pen and books that flap around like birds. The dragon is said to “emanate fear from its body.”

Additionally, because of his courage and powers, Billy is referred to as a “true god” by a few people—including another god. People talk about ambrosia. People lose their powers through magic.

Sexual Content

Pedro, one of Billy’s foster brothers, comes out as gay. We see him looking at a magazine that contains a man in his underwear, and he later admits his homosexual attractions to his family, who tell him they were already aware.

Billy’s mother, Rosa, is seen in a revealing nightgown. His father, Victor, is seen in boxers. A marble statue in a museum is of a nude man, and his genitals are very briefly visible.

Billy has a dream that he’s on a date with Wonder Woman, and he calls the himself and Wonder Woman the “hottie goddies.” Later, he tells Wonder Woman that he’s about to turn 18 if she can wait for him. Billy says that “the City of Brotherly Love is getting a little moist,” and others tell him that he needs to work on his word choice. Freddy makes a remark that one of his bullies has chlamydia.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Freddy shares a kiss with a girl. Just before they kiss, she tells him that she’s actually about “6,000 years old.” Because of that fact, Victor comments on the kiss, calling it a bit inappropriate.

Violent Content

The crew of Shazam siblings and the Daughters of Atlas face off in many battles, typically resulting in the near-invulnerable people being slammed through concrete. Plenty of people die, including a museum full of people who are turned into chaos zombies. The change causes their bodies to convulse before they transform. Eventually, they’re turned into statues by the Daughters, and one of them is tipped over and shattered. During that scene, one man is thrown into a glass display, and another is thrown headfirst into a marble wall with a force strong enough to cause a heavy indent in the wall.

A man, possessed by the chaos magic, is compelled against his will to commit suicide by jumping off the side of a building. We hear the resulting thump as he hits the ground. A woman is impaled by the scorpion tail of a manticore. Harpies lift people high into the sky and drop them to their assumed demise. Someone is stabbed through the chest. A man is choked to death. A cyclops is pierced by a unicorn horn. A dragon destroys many buildings. Someone is killed, and we see the badly bruised and beaten corpse.

A man pulls a long thick splinter of wood that’s wedged under his fingernail in one scene that caused our viewing audience to collectively grimace. Bullies hit Freddy in the head with a football and knock him to the ground with a punch. Freddy’s face is additionally slammed into the ground.

A bridge collapses, and general peril ensues, though people seem generally unharmed (some cars are crushed, but they appear to be empty). Cars slam into a forcefield at high speed. Tree roots tear up a city. Beings and creatures sometimes “die,” with their bodies turning to dust and blowing away.

Crude or Profane Language

The young Darla nearly uses the f-word, preceded by “mother,” once. (The full word is drowned out by the surrounding chaos.) The s-word is heard five times. “D-ck” is used once. We also hear a handful of instances of “a–” and “h—.” God’s name is used in vain 13 times, including three times where someone says “g-dd–n”. Characters say variations of “suck balls” a handful of times.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Mary, the oldest of the foster siblings, is visibly suffering the effects of a hangover in one scene. When Victor asks what the kids are doing, Freddy sarcastically responds “probably drugs.”

Other Negative Elements

Someone talks about using magic to turn into a gaseous form so they can “fly out of here like a fart.” A woman walks in on a man while he’s using the toilet. The odor from a portable toilet becomes both a plot point and a running joke.

I’ll be honest, the pagan (and specifically, Greek) gods make up perhaps the least believable religion humans have ever seriously come up with. And yet, those are the deities Shazam! Fury of the Gods tells its audience to accept.

As it turns out, the reason why you haven’t been struck down by Zeus’ lightning bolt is because some human wizards locked him and every other deity living on or near Mount Olympus into their own realm, making them no longer able to interfere in the lives of humans. But when that seal is broken, Atlas’ daughters return to punish humanity and bring the gods back to their former glory.

That spiritual side is what’s going to be the biggest pill to swallow if you’re thinking about watching this Shazam! sequel. Granted, the first film had some definite spiritual problems, syncretizing some Christian and pagan elements together to create some baddies for Billy Batson to battle. But Fury of the Gods certainly raises those issues a few rungs higher on the content ladder.

Also packaged in this sequel are a few frightening and violent scenes that mimic some of the more violent moments of the first movie, including a man who is compelled by magic to commit suicide and a museum of people who are turned to stone. Further injected into the film are two brief moments where one character indicates his attraction to men—which felt to me like Fury of the Gods wanted to gain some social credit by having a gay character than anything else. And in terms of swearing, you can expect the notch to be turned slightly up on that, too, with a partially-uttered f-word and a similar number of s-words to the previous film—amidst other swears, too.

Yes, Fury of the Gods continues its lovely story of Billy Batson’s family and their unconditional love for one another. It also talks about sacrifice and how it doesn’t take having superpowers to be a hero. But those messages ultimately come second to the film’s deep dive into pagan belief.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

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Film Review: ‘Shazam!’

As a teenage kid in a superman's body, Zachary Levi is pure pop charisma in a comic-book saga that walks a deft line between satire and sincerity.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

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In “ Shazam !,” Zachary Levi brings off something so winning it’s irresistible. He plays a square-jawed, rippling-muscled man of might, with a cheesy Day-Glo lighting bolt affixed to his chest, who projects an insanely wholesome and old-fashioned idea of what a superhero can be. But he’s also playing a breathless teenage kid on the inside, and the result of this body-morph balancing act is that the character, Shazam, is at once boyish and manly, wide-eyed and wizardly, ridiculously corny and heroically hip.

Levi, the 38-year-old actor best known for his roles on “Chuck” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has always seemed a bit on the generically handsome side, but in “Shazam!,” wearing a 1950s-looking red-spandex body suit set off by a white cape with gold piping that looks like a restaurant tablecloth, he’s a walking piece of pop art, with eyes that (literally) pop, hair so absurdly dark and lacquered it’s simply perfect, and a slightly abashed shit-eating grin that says, “I have no idea if you’re buying this, because even I can’t quite believe I’m a superhero.”

It’s the sort of look and attitude you could imagine an actor like Ben Stiller summoning if he were holding down the middle of a comic-book spoof. But the cheeky, balsa-wood trick of Levi’s performance is that he’s not making fun — he’s totally sincere. It’s just that he’s playing a superhero with a major case of imposter syndrome. At “Shazam!,” we seem to be watching a knowing satire of a comic-book film that is also, in every frame, the genuine article. The movie is dunked in mockery, but Shazam’s feats of amazement play as cosmic jokes mostly because they’re amazing to him .

The movie, directed by David F. Sandberg (“Annabelle: Creation”) from a screenplay by Henry Gayden, is built upon a fairly standard chassis. The hero, Billy Batson, is a street urchin, played by the winningly brash and ingenuous Asher Angel, who was abandoned by his teenage mother and has been through half a dozen foster homes by the time the movie gets rolling. He’s not a bad kid, just full of resentment at the raw deal he’s been handed. So when he lands in a shabby-cozy group foster home full of orphaned misfits, and does all he can not to fit in with them, he’s the mildest of rebels.

So is Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), the furious orphan with a disability who teaches Billy all about superhero lore. That’s a good thing, too, since Billy is soon pulled into the mystic cave of The Wizard (Djimon Hounsou), a bearded soothsayer looking for “the one soul who is worthy,” and Billy turns out to be that soul. He is chosen, as if by fate, to be Shazam, who he embodies as a junior Superman with a far more neurotic attitude.

“Shazam!” is hardly the first comic-book film to adopt a tone of breezy postmodern irreverence. The “Deadpool” movies, with their Mad-magazine snake-tongued nihilism, got there a while back, and before them there was Robert Downey Jr.’s ironic-quip-spewing Tony Stark, and if you go back to the 1978 “Superman,” part of that film’s timeless charm is that it was already too late in the 20th century to play Clark Kent’s Adonis-in-glasses stumblebum gawkiness entirely straight (and Christopher Reeve’s performance was pure screwball). “Flash Gordon,” in 1980, presented its space-jock hero as a delicious beefcake joke (the fact that you could scarcely tell whether Sam J. Jones was an actor or a high-school gym teacher was part of it). And then, of course, there was “Batman,” the ’60s TV series that started it all — a show that had its tongue planted so firmly in its face mask that it practically invented the mainstreaming of camp.

So there’s a great, grinning tradition of demigod-in-spandex movies that don’t take themselves seriously. But maybe the reason “Shazam!,” in its fluffy-tasty origin-story way, feels like a perfectly timed tonic is that the universe of comic-book movies — not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the DC Extended Universe (of which this is technically a part), but the whole omnivorous universe of big-budget comic-book films that is now threatening to eat cinema, if not our souls — has grown so top-heavy with its own fateful importance. A few of the individual films are dandy, but they’re part of something larger that feels fraught and diffuse, with a too-muchness built into its aesthetic fiber.

“Shazam!,” on the other hand, is just a light, funny, grounded, engagingly unpretentious sleight-of-hand action comedy about a boy in a (super)man’s body. The movie, in other words, is “Big” in tights. And it’s Zachary Levi who makes that work, in much the same way that Tom Hanks did. Levi doesn’t play Billy as a callow kid; quite the contrary, he’s intelligent and jackknife fast. But Billy completely lacks an adult’s sense of guile, and Levi uses that innocent quality to take the superhero stuffing out of the material — and to let Shazam discover his identity in a way that makes this the freshest origin story in some time. There’s an infectiously witty montage, set to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” (a nod to the Queen-scored “Flash Gordon”?), in which Shazam tests out his powers in a series of YouTube-ready videos. Even though the powers themselves are standard (bullets bounce off him, he can fly, he hurls lightning flashes like Zeus tossing Frisbees), his experimentation of each feels unprecedented.

The villain in a movie like this one sets the stakes, and Mark Strong, as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, is playing a bad guy who’s a misunderstood kid himself — in fact, the film’s entire opening chapter is devoted to his origin story. He’s a bald bruiser with a laser eye and a cauldron full of daddy issues. But mostly he’s just jealous that the Wizard didn’t pick him, and that envy has given him an obscene strength, whether he’s busting into a board meeting to toss his father’s executives out a skyscraper window or summoning the slithery ghost-goblins he commands as his personal army of Seven Deadly Sins: highly photogenic CGI monsters (the best has a tentacle for a tongue) who scarf people alive. Strong, a fine actor, brings a wounded humanism to this rotely outlined character. The climactic showdown between himself and Shazam, set at a carnival, is a pretty good duel of can-you-top-this FX, but the reason it works is that it always feels personal.

It’s no accident that the character of Shazam looks absurdly old-fashioned. He first appeared in the comics in 1939, and in the ’40s he reigned as America’s most popular comic-book superhero, outpacing even the Man of Steel. He was originally known as Captain Marvel (which is one reason he dwindled over time — the branding became understandably confusing), and when he was brought back in 1972, it was with an added wink of japery. “Shazam!” takes that wink and runs with it. Yet the fact that everything Shazam does, from taking bullets in the face to popping in and out of his superhero identity by barking the word “Shazam,” seems both valiant and slightly daffy is part of the film’s change-up charm. “Shazam!” suggests that if you’re taking a superhero’s powers deadly seriously, you may not be totally connecting with the spirit of the comics. The movie says: You’ve got to giggle at this stuff. That’s part of the adventure.

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, New York, March 13, 2019. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN.

• Production: A Warner Bros. release of a DC Films, The Safran Company, Seven Bucks Productions, Mad Ghost Productions production. Producer: Peter Safran. Executive producers: Jeffrey Chernov, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson.
• Crew: Director: David F. Sandberg. Screenplay: Henry Gayden. Camera (color, widescreen): Maxime Alexandre. Editor: Michel Aller. Music: Benjamin Wallfisch.
• With: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Faithe Herman, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans.

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SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS

"myth conceptions".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Teenage girl deceives teenage boy, villain deceives superheroes, two boys bully another teenager who has a game leg and walks with a steel cane.

More Detail:

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS continues the story of teenage Billy Battson who’s transformed many times into an adult superhero when he says a magic word and now must stop the vengeful, powerful daughters of the Greek god Atlas from destroying Philadelphia. SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS is exciting and contains some strong heartfelt, uplifting moments celebrating family and sacrifice, but the movie accepts the false polytheistic Greek mythology of multiple gods and has a fair amount of foul language and a politically correct moment where a teenage boy admits he’s homosexual, and his family totally approves.

The movie opens with the two daughters of Atlas, Hespera and Kalypso, invading a museum in Greece and stealing the magical staff that Billy broke in half in the first SHAZAM! movie. Before they leave, they turn everyone in the museum to stone. They return to another realm to which they had been banished, until Billy broke the staff that held them there. After Billy broke the staff, Hespera and Kalypso kidnapped the Wizard who gave Billy his superpowers. So, now they force the old Wizard to heal the broken staff.

Cut to Billy and his four foster brothers and sisters leaving the house and transforming into superheroes to save scores of people trapped on a large bridge that’s starting to collapse. They save all the people, but the “news” media just blames them for not stopping the bridge from collapsing. They’ve even nicknamed the “Philly Fiascoes.”

Billy has established a rule for his foster siblings, “All or none.” Either they all transform as superheroes to save people and stop crime, or none of them transforms. However, he has trouble keeping the others to abide by that rule, especially Freddy. As his normal self, Freddy walks with a steel cane to support his left leg but likes to go out at night alone as his superhero alter ego to stop criminals and save people in danger.

The two daughters of Atlas, Hespera and Kalypso, come to Philadelphia looking for the superheroes who were seen using the magical staff. It turns out they want to gain access to the magical realm of the Rock of Eternity, which Billy and his siblings now control. The magical realm of the Rock contains a seed from the Tree of Life. The daughters want to use the seed to restore their tyrannical father’s kingdom and exact revenge on the human race which destroyed it long ago with the Wizard’s help.

With the help of a third sister, Hespera and Kalypso use the magical staff to drain Freddy’s powers and kidnap him. Billy has a plan to turn the tables on them and get Fredy back, but his plan backfires. Now, all the people in Philadelphia are in danger.

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS is exciting, but the movie’s real strength lies in the strength of its characters, including their humor. Thus, the movie contains some strong heartfelt, uplifting moments celebrating family and sacrifice. It’s the bonds between Billy, his siblings and their adoptive parents, Rosa and Victor, that become the heart of the movie’s climax. The highlight of the movie’s humor involves a sequence where Billy’s young foster sibling, Darla, establishes a special kind of rapport with some scary-looking unicorns that appear in the second act.

FURY OF THE GODS celebrates family and sacrifice, and even acknowledges the benefits of the “Wisdom of Solomon.” However, its mixed worldview also accepts the false, polytheistic Greek mythology of gods. The three daughters of the Greek god Atlas are goddesses. Also, one of the daughters, played by Helen Mirren, ends up calling Billy a god when he shows the strength of his character, which finally matches the superpowers that the Wizard gave him. None of these “gods” demand worship, but the movie never acknowledges the One True God of Civilization’s biblical heritage.

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS also has 23 obscenities and light profanities and lots of action violence, including scenes where a person’s chest is pierced by a dragon’s claw and the chests of two or so monsters are pierced by a unicorn’s horn. Finally, one of Billy’s brothers, Pedro, comes out to the family as homosexual, and the other family members happily accept his homosexual sin. As Proverbs 8:13 says, “To fear God is to hate evil,” not accept it, much less to promote it.

Unlike the first SHAZAM! movie, FURY OF THE GODS doesn’t have any overt Christian references. It replaces that positive redemptive content with the overt Greek mythology cited above. If the movie was set in Ancient Greece, like the old Hercules movies, such myth conceptions might be more acceptable. However, setting them in the modern world is a real problem, especially if there’s no overt positive references to the One True God, Jesus or biblical ideas or stories to counter them. So, MOVIEGUIDE® rates the movie as unacceptably excessive.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Superhero comedy is charming, with some scary/violent parts.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Shows the importance of having a strong foundation

Billy/Shazam spends much of the film acting out --

Main family unit is nontraditional: Rosa and Victo

Intense car crash near the beginning includes a ch

Shazam and Freddy go into a "gentlemen's club" twi

Language includes "ass," "s--t," "hell," "sucks ba

Magic 8 Ball toy used as plot device. Lots of bran

Shazam, accompanied by Freddy, buys beer at a conv

Parents need to know that Shazam! is a DC Comics-based superhero comedy that's like Big meets Superman because the main character is a 14-year-old who can transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) whenever he says the titular magic word. There are definitely some dark moments, but…

Positive Messages

Shows the importance of having a strong foundation in family, whether it's a biological one or a foster one (the movie's example of loving, caring foster home is a nice change from many representations). Money can't buy happiness. Clear themes of teamwork, courage, gratitude, responsibility to the greater good, redemption, and selflessness vs. selfishness.

Positive Role Models

Billy/Shazam spends much of the film acting out -- he pranks police officers to use their equipment to look up a private home address and abandons Freddy to be bullied in one scene -- but he grows and learns to not just focus on himself but also think about others. He's finally able to accept love and give it in return. The Vasquezes are kind foster parents who love and support their foster kids and expect them to respect and value one another.

Diverse Representations

Main family unit is nontraditional: Rosa and Victor Vasquez lovingly foster six kids, including the main character. There's diversity, but it's skin-deep; actors include those with Black, Samoan/Jewish, Taiwanese, and Salvadorian/Mexican heritage, but only White characters like Billy, Freddy, and Mary have story arcs. Clichés include: Disabled character Freddy (played by a nondisabled actor) being jealous of Shazam's powers, the villain's facial scar and possessed eye being portrayed as a horrific reveal every time he takes his sunglasses off, a Black wizard's sole purpose being to bequeath his powers to a White boy before he dies, and an East Asian character being nerdy (a nunchakus gag involves him hitting himself in the head as the punchline). Though not everyone is thin, which is positive, it's telling when Pedro becomes conventionally athletic/muscular as a superhero. Similarly, Freddy stereotypically sheds his crutch -- the camera zooms in as it drops to the ground in slow motion -- giving the message that fat and disabled characters can't be heroes. Lastly, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it line, Pedro says of the gentlemen's club, "not really my thing," hinting at his character's sexuality (he comes out as gay in the sequel ).

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Intense car crash near the beginning includes a character being thrown from the vehicle; a little blood. Lots of superhero violence (much with slapstick tone, but could be scary for some). Villain unleashes the "Seven Deadly Sins" monsters out of his eye in a boardroom; they kill people in a variety of ways. Some characters crumble and disintegrate disturbingly (one screams in terror as it happens); others are shot with guns, slammed against buildings, walls, concrete, etc. A character screams as he's thrown out of a skyscraper; another's head is bitten off. Lots of chases and pursuits, with big one-on-one fights, plus a climactic battle with more characters. Property damage. Characters bully and beat up a disabled teen; he's saved by the main character. Parents yell at, disparage children. A child loses his mother in a crowd, leading to permanent separation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Shazam and Freddy go into a "gentlemen's club" twice, once by themselves and once with the entire sibling gang (the oldest sister is shown covering the eyes of the youngest sister). The scenes are comedic in tone. In one case, Freddy asks Shazam whether he saw any "boobies" or nipples. Light innuendo (e.g., Wizard: "Lay your hands on my staff." Billy: "Gross!").

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "ass," "s--t," "hell," "sucks balls," "douche bags," "butt," "boobies," "nuts," "you suck," "moron," "pee," and exclamatory use of "oh my God" and "Jesus Christ." A disabled character jokes about himself as "the crippled kid." In an on-air interview, a character swears a lot, but the words are bleeped out. Middle-finger gestures.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Magic 8 Ball toy used as plot device. Lots of brands seen/consumed, including Fritos, Cheetos, PBR beer, etc. Characters drink lots of Dr. Pepper and buy media equipment. Logos for Razer, Panasonic, Apple computers visible. Several references to Batman and Superman.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Shazam, accompanied by Freddy, buys beer at a convenience store; they try it later but immediately spit it out and go back for nonalcoholic drinks and junk food.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Shazam! is a DC Comics-based superhero comedy that's like Big meets Superman because the main character is a 14-year-old who can transform into an adult superhero ( Zachary Levi ) whenever he says the titular magic word. There are definitely some dark moments, but this is still one of the DC Extended Universe's most lighthearted and tween-friendly films. Just be ready for lots of fantasy action violence, including a few deaths (some via disintegration), scary/disturbing "Seven Deadly Sins" monsters, gun use, chases/pursuits and crashes, property destruction, and big fights. Kids are also bullied. Language isn't constant, but characters do say "ass," "s--t," "oh my God," and more. And you can expect a little innuendo/suggestive humor, especially in scenes where characters go into a "gentlemen's club." More serious themes include abandonment, disability, and more. But there are positive messages about the importance of family (the movie's example of a loving, caring foster home is refreshing), generosity, courage, teamwork, and standing up for others. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Based on 178 parent reviews

Great to watch and rewatch!

So torn: most family friendly superhero movie, except...., what's the story.

SHAZAM! centers on troublemaking 14-year-old foster kid Billy Batson ( Asher Angel ), who gets a last-chance placement with a large, diverse foster family. One day at school, Billy protects his new foster brother, Freddy ( Jack Dylan Grazer ), who has a physical disability, from being beaten up, and he ends up in the secret lair of a powerful but aging wizard ( Djimon Hounsou ). The wizard gives Billy the ability to transform into an adult superhero ( Zachary Levi ) by saying the word "Shazam!" In his new grown-up body, Billy tells Freddy what happened, and they start testing out Shazam's superpowers. Shazam thinks that all he'll have to do is pose for pictures ... until he runs into Dr. Thaddeus Sivana ( Mark Strong ), who seeks to destroy Billy in order to fully unleash monsters known as the Seven Deadly Sins on the world.

Is It Any Good?

This refreshingly delightful, lighthearted entry in the DC Extended Universe has enough charm for the whole family thanks to standout performances, broad humor, and positive messages. Considering the angst of many other DC-based thrillers, Shazam! is downright adorable, despite occasional moments of darkness. Angel and Grazer have a brotherly chemistry that Levi replicates with Grazer when he's Shazam. The storyline offers a rare look at a loving, stable foster family that consists of encouraging parents Rosa (Marta Milans) and Victor Vasquez (Cooper Andrews) and a house full of kids, from college-bound senior Mary (Grace Fulton) and gaming enthusiast Eugene (Ian Chen) to quiet Pedro (Jovan Armand) and adoring/adorable young Darla (Faithe Herman). Billy, who resents being a foster kid, may not see how amazing this family is, but audiences will.

Strong makes Sivana a formidable villain who has family issues of his own. His backstory somewhat humanizes him, even as his present-day actions show off his ruthless, power-hungry nature. With the exception of Envy, the Seven Deadly Sins aren't dwelled upon for their characteristics and are just grotesque monsters unleashed by Sivana. There's a climactic battle, of course, but this is no tear-jerking story; it's an uplifting one. Billy and Freddy learn what Shazam is capable of and why a supportive family is the most valuable superpower of all. When the foster siblings unite to take on bullies, they can't be defeated, and that's a happy message indeed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Shazam! How does it compare to what you've seen in other superhero movies? Do different types of violence have a different impact?

What character strengths do the young characters display? How does the movie promote teamwork , courage , and gratitude ?

Why do you think body-changing movies are compelling to viewers? What are some other movies that tackle the subject of kids changing into grown-ups, and vice versa? What's funnier? Why?

How does the movie's portrayal of foster parents and homes compare to other media depictions of life in the foster care system? Besides Rosa and Victor Vasquez, what other foster parents are role models in films?

How does the film portray bullying ? Does it feel realistic? How do the characters handle it?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 5, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2019
• Cast : Zachary Levi , Asher Angel , Mark Strong
• Director : David F. Sandberg
• Studio : Warner Bros.
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes
• Character Strengths : Courage , Gratitude , Teamwork
• Run time : 132 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : April 23, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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An effortlessly entertaining blend of humor and heart, Shazam! is a superhero movie that never forgets the genre's real power: joyous wish fulfillment.

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Review: New ‘Shazam!’ has more everything, but less charm

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Ross Butler, from left, Adam Brody, Grace Caroline Currey, Zachary Levi, Meagan Good and D.J. Cotrona in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Zachary Levi, left, and Helen Mirren in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Zachary Levi in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Grace Caroline Currey, center, Meagan Good, left, and D.J. Cotrona in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Lucy Liu, from left, Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Djimon Hounsou in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Rachel Zegler in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Rachel Zegler, left, and Jack Dylan Grazer in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Meagan Good, left, and Ross Butler in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Jack Dylan Grazer, left, and Asher Angel in a scene from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

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Sequels, by nature, are more. Whatever the original had, just add more, the rule seems to be. Even more words in the title — how often is a sequel’s title shorter than the original?

And so, exactly four years after the original DC superhero pic “Shazam!” surprised with its clever blend of innocence and silliness, and enough wit to blunt the inevitable ridiculousness of plot, we have “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” It brings five times the title wordage, more action, more villains, more monsters and more star wattage — Oscar winner Helen Mirren, for example.

But not more charm. The sequel, again directed by David F. Sandberg, feels less breezily funny, less fresh, less fleet of foot. (At two hours and 10 minutes, it’s actually two minutes shorter than the original, but doesn’t feel shorter).

In its favor, though, are some elements that lent the original its pleasures, especially Zachary Levi and his goofy efforts (if perhaps more frenetic) to play a youngster in an adult superhero body, and Jack Dylan Grazer as fast-talking, always-thinking best bud (and foster brother) Freddy — this time given a love interest in appealing Rachel Zegler. It also smartly drops colorless villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, who’s apparently still in that lonely cell.

First, a plot refresher. We’re back in Philadelphia with teen hero Billy Batson (Asher Angel), the foster kid who was bestowed in the original with magic powers by a wizard (Djimon Hounsou) and learned that the word “Shazam!” turned him into a strapping superhero (Levi). But now, his foster fam (well, just the siblings) has joined the superhero biz.

It’s not going great, though. The group is known in the City of Brotherly Love as the “Philadelphia Fiascoes,” because of frequent youthful mistakes. We know teenagers have only partly developed brains, right? No matter how many buses or train cars they can hold with one arm.

And there’s a big new villain to fight — actually three, the ancient Daughters of Atlas, who arrive in the human world to reclaim their stolen magic.

Turns out the mythical staff of the gods, which Billy/Shazam had broken at the end of the first film, lies in a museum, and let’s just say the visitors are not in for a good day when two daughters of Atlas appear — Hespera and Kalypso — ready to annihilate anyone in their way. They’re soon revealed as Mirren and Lucy Liu, adding some real mean goddess vibe to the proceedings.

Meanwhile, Billy/Shazam is in a therapy session, saying he feels like a fraud. (He’s mistakenly gone to a pediatrician, but it’s not hard to diagnose impostor syndrome.) Soon, though, he and his siblings are called upon to save the city from a collapsing bridge.

The funniest parts of “Shazam!” and now its sequel involve the overlap between teen-human and superhero life. Witness the teen-designed secret lair, complete with all the Skittles and other junk food anyone would want (Skittles will play a key role at one point.) There, we also learn what’s currently occupying each of the siblings. The oldest, Mary, who studies organic chemistry for fun, is aching for college over superhero life. And Freddy wants to forge his own identity.

But Billy, abandoned as a child by his parents, wants family unity at all costs. Mary tries to tell him nothing lasts forever — plus, soon he’ll be 18 and checks to his foster parents will stop coming. Then what? (Ya think we’ll have a scene later where someone assures him family lasts forever?)

Meanwhile, the Daughters of Atlas, accompanied by a big old dragon and some other monsters, are on the warpath. Where’s the third, you ask? Ah, she’s masquerading as human, and she’s taken a shine to Freddy, who cannot believe his luck.

That’s all you need to know to understand the action. And there’s lots. Still, the best moments are when the wit of the original shines through — like when Hespera (Mirren) reads aloud a letter that’s been dictated by the young superheroes to a magic quill pen, who like a smartphone catches the extraneous dialogue, which means she’s repeating gravely: “Anyone else want a Gatorade?” (Would that Mirren — and Liu, too — had more such comic moments.)

The action, laden with CGI battles, could fatally weigh down the film if it weren’t for Levi, who brings the nimbleness of a musical theater performer (ever see him sing while cartwheeling on Broadway? ) and Grazer, a bit older but still irascible, not to mention singleminded (“We can’t let her die, she called me sweet!”).

Angel still makes an appealing teen Billy, and Hounsou gets a dashing fashion moment. The family’s all back, and foster mom Rosa gets at least one good line amid apocalyptic destruction: “I am not entirely sure how to parent here.”

Oh wait, we forgot the unicorns!

Did we need a dragon AND unicorns? Well, of course we did, because in a sequel, there’s always more.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” a New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America “for sequences of action and violence, and language.” Running time: 130 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Shazam! Fury of the Gods review – second dose of DC’s impostor-syndrome superhero

Zachary Levi returns as the hapless, self-involved crime-fighter in a zesty sequel that, though funny, doesn’t entirely shatter the superhero-movie template

The first Shazam movie from 2019 was praised for its lighter, brighter worldview, its Gen-Z brio and for being generally unencumbered by the portentous and spurious gloom of earlier DC films. This is true of this sequel too, only it’s hard not to notice that it could simply be fitting into another boilerplate model (there’s a cheeky gag about The Avengers ). A group of superheroes, all with cartoony character traits and a sprinkling of funny lines, wind up battling an intergalactic invasive menace, culminating in the usual spectacular but unserious CGI urban apocalypse, with people saying things like: “This ends tonight!”

Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel, is the teen kid in Philadelphia living with foster parents and foster siblings, who with the cry of “Shazam!” has the ability to transform himself into a clean-cut but anxious superhero whose impostor syndrome worries are not helped by the fact that he often makes an awful mess of crime-fighting. He is played by Zachary Levi with the chiselled look of Mad Men’s Don Draper . With him is disabled friend Freddy Freeman, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, who like all the kids has a superhero alter ego: his is smirkingly self-aware Captain Everypower (Adam Brody). Interestingly, it is Freddy who appears almost always as his vulnerable non-superhero teen self and so upstages Billy/Shazam.

Billy and his friends must battle two Greek gods, daughters of Atlas, who want absolute control over planet Earth: they are Hespera and Kalypso, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu with their own absurd outfits and pointy headdresses. Back in high school, Freddy is being bullied by giant blond jocks but falls hard for new classmate Anthea (Rachel Zegler, from Spielberg’s West Side Story ), who has a secret of her own.

This new Shazam film is cordial, with a puppyish good nature and an awareness of its own silliness; it gestures towards diversity with a gay character (although we might not stop at one as the Shazam franchise develops). There are some nice lines here and Mirren, Liu and Djimon Hounsou (as the ancient wizard) have some fun with their roles – albeit while looking as if the subject of what they’re having for supper after the day’s shooting isn’t far from their minds. I have to say that we don’t entirely break free of the superhero-movie template, but Shazam two has a just-out-of-the-fridge orange juice taste that makes it likable.

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“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” arrives with two strikes against it since it’s not only a studio-produced sequel but also a superhero movie made in 2023. One should expect a certain level of creative committee-mandated, Mad Libs-y monotony, regardless of how one feels about the surprisingly decent “Shazam!”. The makers of that fine-enough 2019 franchise-starter, including director David F. Sandberg, toned down both the Troma Lite cynicism and post-Spielberg sentimentality that’s come to define the lighthearted James Gunn-style super-projects that dominate the landscape.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” meanders further in that direction. The first “Shazam!” works as well as it does because it’s mostly focused on two adolescent pipsqueaks, Billy Batson ( Asher Angel ) and Freddy Freeman ( Jack Dylan Grazer ), who get sucked into a generic fantasy, with some assistance from their extended family of orphan buddies. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” mostly sticks to the comic book formula that the first movie poked fun at, despite another strong comedic performance from star Zachary Levi and some sporadic yuks throughout. It’s schtickier and less assured than the first “Shazam!” but these leftovers still reheat well enough.

Billy, Freddy, and their foster family members return to fight the latest vengeful dangling plot thread, this time a trio of vindictive sorceresses called the Daughters of Atlas, led by Hespera ( Helen Mirren ) and Kalypso ( Lucy Liu ), who want to avenge their father, Atlas (not in this picture). The identity of the third Daughter is briefly shrouded in mystery.

Billy’s anxieties speak loudest for the “Marvel Family,” as comics fans know them, a convivial group of tweens whom, after yelling the magic word “Shazam,” are granted godlike superpowers. But even the residents of Philadelphia, where most of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” takes place, don’t seem to know who these kids are. They refer to the Marvels as the “Philly Fiascos,” presumably because you can’t successfully brand a DC Comics character as a Marvel anything. Billy also longs to know what his “superhero name” is; he gets some answers after he unexpectedly reunites with his grumpy guru/mentor, the Wizard ( Djimon Hounsou ), who somehow survived the events of the first “Shazam!”. Don’t worry if you forgot this last plot point, Billy and Freddy repeatedly joke about it.

That kind of pre-chewed humor is only charming because it’s finessed by the movie’s ensemble cast members, especially the actors who play the punchy, adult-aged demigods that Billy and his family become when they say the magic word. Levi, who plays Billy’s alter-ego Shazam (also known as Captain Marvel), and Adam Brody , who plays “Super Freddy” (AKA Captain Marvel Jr., Elvis’ favorite super-guy), both stand out as adolescents struggling with thankless grown-up feelings and responsibilities. The movie’s adult villains don’t stand out, though Mirren still smirks like a champ.

There are signs of a warmer and cleverer adolescent super-drama throughout “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” Clearly enunicated and frantically declaimed dialogue hints at Billy’s prevailing fear of “aging out of” his family, especially now that he’s about to turn 18 years old. His other family members also have lives to live, but we only catch glimpses of them whenever the plot stalls long enough to highlight likable but under-developed supporting characters, like the unicorn-loving Darla ( Faithe Herman ) or the closeted Pedro ( Jovan Armand ), both of whom graze the heart-strings with focus-group-level efficiency. 

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” might have been better if it were more focused on both Billy and Freddy and their hormonal anxieties. Billy dreams of wooing Wonder Woman (in two scenes), and Freddy’s got a crush on new girl Anthea ( Rachel Zegler , who sadly has no chemistry with Grazer). Billy keeps saying he’s all about family, but maybe he should focus on feuding with his surrogate brother and wrestling with his super-ego? That worked before, so why not an encore?

Most of the big emotional moments lack cornball vigor, though Levi still takes all the extra room he’s given to create a goofy character who, like an actual teenager, doesn’t have a filter or an indoor voice. This makes up for some things, especially in a movie where the big action scenes mostly sit there, and the gags need to be both sped up and punched up. You have to want to hang out with the Philly Fiascos, and Levi’s arguably the best combination of main character and lead performer in a recent superhero pic. It’s too bad there are several other characters in this movie.

Honestly, Captain Marvel’s a tough character to get right, and if DC still can’t nail a sunny—or functionally grimdark—Superman movie, what hope does Levi’s big red cheese have of surviving the latest DC implosion? The odds never really favored another live-action “Shazam!” but this new one will still do in a pinch.

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Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair ,  The Village Voice,  and elsewhere.

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Film credits.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language.

130 minutes

Zachary Levi as Shazam

Asher Angel as Billy Batson

Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman

Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy

Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary

Helen Mirren as Hespera

Lucy Liu as Kalypso

Rachel Zegler as Anthea

Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla

Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley

Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene

D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro

Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña

Djimon Hounsou as Wizard

Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez

• David F. Sandberg

Writer (Shazam created by)

• Bill Parker
• Chris Morgan
• Henry Gayden

Cinematographer

• Gyula Pados
• Michel Aller
• Christophe Beck

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Shazam 2 Reviews: What Are Critics’ First Reactions

Critics have finally unveiled their first reactions to the much-talked-about DCU sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods . 

Although it is unknown if the Shazam! franchise will still be connected to James Gunn's DC reboot , Warner Bros. is going all-in for the upcoming sequel. 

Marketing has been ramping up in the past weeks, with the studio unveiling new trailers and character posters for the Shazam family . 

Shazam: Fury of the Gods Early Reviews

Several critics got the chance to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods early before sharing their first reactions on social media. 

CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg said that Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a "worthy sequel," noting that "it wins you over with its characters and energy:"

"Shazam! Fury Of The Gods is a super fun and worthy sequel. Not a game changing comic book movie, but it wins you over with its characters and energy. Has some real surprises and a knowing sensibility that suit it well – plus some creative and exciting monster action."

Variety's Courtney Howard pointed out that Shazam 2 "packs a punch," describing it as a "super solid, super fun & super smart blend of hilarity, heart, and heroics:"

"'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' // Shazam Movie is a super-powered sequel that packs a punch. A super solid, super fun & super smart blend of hilarity, heart & heroics. Ramps up the action & irreverence to a delightful degree. Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu & Rachel Zegler are MVPs. [love] the dragon!"

Black Girl Nerds founder Jamie Broadnax shared that Shazam 2 is infused with "more action, compelling villains, and a complicated antihero:"

"Shazam continues to lean into his silliness and immaturity in this sequel which tells us this franchise will remain to keep these films funny, light and slapstick-ish. The sequel comes with more action, compelling villains and a complicated antihero."

DC Studios head James Gunn even chimed in with his own review, noting that Shazam! Fury of the Gods was a "complete blast:"

"I love it, it’s a complete blast. [Zachary Levi] & [David F. Sandberg] & [Rachel Zegler] the whole crew killed it."

Geeks of Color's Matt Fernandez said that Shazam 2 is an "electrifyingly entertaining adventure:"

"Lots of folks know that Shazam is my second favorite superhero and I’m a huge fan of the first film!  I recently got to see 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' and well… 'An electrifyingly entertaining adventure!'"

Digital Spy's Gabriella Geisinger revealed her mixed reactions toward the DC sequel, pointing out that it has "few bright spots bogged down by final act muddy CGI battle:"

"Within Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a fun buddy comedy starring Djimon Hounsou & Jack Dylan Grazer. Unfortunately, you have to watch 'Shazam 2 'to see it. Few bright spots bogged down by final act muddy CGI battle. Levi plays Billy as if he's in on the joke — an uncanny valley of humour."

Illuminerdi's Joseph Deckelmeier revealed that Shazam 2 did a "good job of balancing" its large ensemble while also praising the fact that the sequel has "a lot of heart:"

"'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is what I wanted the movie to be. The film does a good job of balancing this large cast and it’s just a fun superhero movie with a lot of heart. I’d love to see these characters and actors carry on in the DCU and I think it can fit it. Go see it for yourself."

Comicbook's Brandon Davis offered high praise to the Shazam! sequel, saying that it has "great emotional beats" while "maintaining the childish joy & charm" of the protagonists:

"I saw 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods'! It’s a really good sequel. The theme of found family delivers great emotional beats. Sandberg sprinkles some horror elements while maintaining the childish joy & charm of the Shazamily.Nothing brand new but highly entertaining! Really enjoyed."

Will Critics' Reactions Redeem Shazam 2? 

Despite the controversial social media post from its lead star Zachary Levi, it seems that things are looking up for the sequel. 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods was projected to have one of the worst box office openings in DCEU history , but these positive reviews from critics could change the audience's minds for one final push in the ticketing sales. 

Moreover, James Gunn's consistent praise of Shazam 2 could serve as a hint that some, or even all, of the characters in the sequel, might carry over into the new DCU. However, it remains to be seen if this will come to fruition. 

Whether Shazam 2 is connected to the DCU or not, the first reactions proved that the latest DC sequel will be a fun movie, which is a good sign for both diehard and casual audiences.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, March 17.

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Maxton Hall review: This swoony private school romance makes the grade

Prime Video's series adaptation of Mona Kasten's YA hit "Save Me" stars Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damian Hardung.

Kristen Baldwin is the TV critic for EW

James Beaufort (Damian Hardung) is a star athlete, an heir to his wealthy family’s fashion brand, and so physically perfect he could be mistaken for the younger brother of Michelangelo’s David. Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten) is a scholarship student, brilliant and unassumingly beautiful, who works a waitressing job after school to help augment her family’s finances. Ruby thinks James “embodies everything that is wrong in the world of the rich.” James doesn’t even know Ruby exists — until an unexpected encounter throws them together. You know where this is going.

Maxton Hall — The World Between Us follows the YA enemies-to-lovers blueprint to the letter, and that soothing familiarity is its greatest strength. Based on Mona Kasten’s hit novel Save Me , the German-language romantic drama on Prime Video is a swoony, soapy, lushly produced treat that evokes all the right feels, as the kids probably no longer say.

Stephan Rabold/Prime Video

Ruby Bell has one goal in life: Oxford University. As a top student at Maxton Hall, an elite private school packed with kids from rich and powerful families, Ruby doesn’t mind being “invisible” to her uber-wealthy peers because it allows her to focus on her studies. But when she accidentally learns a scandalous secret about Lydia Beaufort (Sonja Weißer), James rushes to protect his twin sister by persuading Ruby — as obnoxiously as possible — to keep quiet. The escalating tensions between Ruby and James result in a comic catastrophe at an important school gala, prompting Maxton Hall’s humorless headmaster (Thomas Douglas) to craft a punishment that forces them to work together. Eventually, their barbed insults soften into cheeky flirting, and the likeliest of unlikely love stories begins.

The titular world between Ruby and James is less about money than it is family, and much of the charm of Maxton Hall comes from time spent with the Bell clan at their humble home. Ruby actually enjoys hanging out with her parents, Helen (Julia-Maria Köhler) and Angus (Martin Neuhaus), and she’s best friends with her younger sister, Ember (the immensely charismatic Runa Greiner), a bubbly and confident aspiring fashion designer. Though Angus suffered an accident that left him in a wheelchair and the family’s bank account is all but bare, the Bells are rich in love. The scenes between Ruby and her family, especially those with Neuhaus’ Angus, radiate a genuine warmth.

The atmosphere at the Beaufort mansion, by contrast, is chilly and harsh. James and Lydia live under the steely glare of their father, Mortimer (Fedja van Huêt), a ruthlessly ambitious and demanding power broker who expects his son to take over the company after attending Oxford. Mortimer all but ignores Lydia, and the twins’ mother, Claudia (Clelia Sarto), never challenges her husband’s severe parenting style. The closest James has to a real father figure is his chauffeur, Percy (Hyun Wanner), a fact that is as tragic as it is ridiculous. Though it’s not as self-aware as the original Gossip Girl , Maxton Hall treats the rarefied world of its wealthy characters as equal parts aspirational and absurd.

As the central couple navigates their class-crossing love story, no romantic trope is left behind: The charged and awkward moment on the dance floor when the music switches from a peppy pop song to a ballad; the constantly interrupted first kiss; the snooty mean girl (Eli Riccardi) who thinks James is hers for the taking. Naturally, Ruby and James teach each other important life lessons: She encourages him to find his true passion; he reminds her that the future isn’t as important as now.

Prime Video

Sure, James’ transformation from arrogant bully to soft-hearted sweetie is whiplash fast, but Maxton Hall knows what its audience wants: #Juby! (#Rames?) The improbable about-face wouldn’t work as well as it does if the leads didn’t have such appealing and authentic chemistry. Herbig-Matten brings a likable sharpness to Ruby, while Hardung reveals the sadness behind James’ icy gaze as he dares to imagine a life away from his father’s control. (One note: Viewers who dislike subtitles can watch Maxton Hall dubbed in English, but be warned, I found the sterile, uncanny smoothness of the dubbed dialogue almost intolerable.)

Six episodes isn’t enough to serve multiple subplots, but Maxton Hall squeezes them in anyway: James’ gay friend Alistair (Justus Riesner) nurses a crush on his classmate, and Lydia frets over a secret romance that could upend her life. Perhaps showrunner Daphne Ferraro is just seeding the ground for a potential second season, as there are two more installments in Kasten’s series: Save You and Save Us . I hope Prime Video greenlights another semester at Maxton Hall ; this broken boy-meets-brainy-girl story is by the book in the best way possible. Grade: B+

Maxton Hall — The World Between Us premieres Thursday, May 9, on Prime Video.

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