The teasers for Shazam! promised a lighthearted, laugh-filled adventure, and had everyone hoping
the film could bring some brightness to the mostly gloomy DC Extended Universe.
Now the reviews for Shazam! are officially in, and we finally know whether the film soared
or sank.
Spoiler alert!
With a 92 percent fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes as of the making of this video, it's pretty
clear that Warner Bros. managed to capture some real magic this time around.
Let's dive in and see what the critics had to say.
Too many films seem to forget that people often go to the movies because they want to
have fun.
Well, thank goodness for Shazam!, because critics agree that the movie has plenty of
fun, and then some.
ScreenCrush's Matt Singer said,
"It's an escape from your troubles.
You feel good when it's over."
And Forbes contributor Mark Hughes said,
"The film is such a feel-good family-friendly joyously exciting and amusing production,
people will keep recommending it to their friends and loved ones, and many will return
for second and maybe even third viewings."
ComingSoon.net's Alan Cerny, meanwhile, compared Shazam! to a warm, happy puppy.
"Shazam! invites everyone to have a good time.
It doesn't have a mean-spirited bone in its body.
Shazam! has a big, goofy smile on its face, and you can't help but smile back.
This is a puppy dog of a movie."
And Beatrice Verhoeven of TheWrap said
"Shazam! is such an unexpected joy from start to finish at a time when Hollywood is choking
to death on all the superhero films that studios keep ramming down its throat, here comes one
that looks at the genre in a different light and reconceives it on a human level."
"I'd like to purchase some of your finest beer, please!"
Speaking of that human level, the movie isn't just fun, it's also surprisingly moving thanks
to a story that's as much about Billy Batson's search for belonging as it is superheroics.
Alex Abad-Santos at Vox wrote that the film understands
"...that humor and comedy are ways to approach sensitive ideas, like children talking about
feeling unwanted after being abandoned by their parents, or what it's like to live with
a disability."
He added,
"Humanity is what Shazam is fluent in.
And if we're lucky, Shazam assures us, we can share a little bit of that magic, our
magic, with others."
At the heart of the film are three great performances that critics are universally praising: Zachary
Levi as The Big Red Cheese, Asher Angel as his younger alter-ego Billy Batson, and Jack
Dylan Grazer as Billy's new foster brother Freddy Freeman.
The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck wrote,
"Levi is a delight in the central role, hilariously conveying the goofy adolescent within the
strapping body of his musclebound superhero."
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman agreed, saying,
"Zachary Levi brings off something so winning it's irresistible … [he] 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."
As IGN's Jim Vejvoda said,
"Zachary Levi was born to play this superpowered man-child."
As for the rest of the young cast, the Associated Press's Lindsay Bahr wrote,
"The young actors assembled here are astounding, and immediately captivating, especially Grazer
as Freddy [...] Grazer and Levi are perfectly matched for the job [and Grazer] is beyond
his years with his ability to draw a laugh."
Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter agreed that the chemistry of the cast made the film,
writing
"Angel and Grazer work together beautifully as the teenage boys bonding over their joy
at discovering Shazam's powers."
"I'm right here, you can't see me?!"
"Where?"
"I'm invisible!
Over here, I'm right here!
Hahaha!"
Leading into the film, one area of concern for fans was director David F. Sandberg, who
made his name not in comedy or superhero films, but rather with the horror movies Lights Out
and Annabelle: Creation.
So would he be able to pull off such a drastic shift in tone for Shazam!?
According to critics, the answer is yes.
Forbes contributor Mark Hughes summed up the critical consensus, saying,
"Director David F. Sandberg delivered a near-perfect distillation of everything a Shazam movie
should be, with the precise nuances and aesthetics and performances to achieve the tone and style
the film needed in order to succeed.
I cannot praise enough the performances he got from his cast, and his overall ability
to make such a relatively smaller-scale personal film still feel big, bold, and epic."
Of course, nothing can be perfect, and while critics are mostly happy with Shazam!, there
are a couple things about the film they feel could have been done better.
Like, for instance, there could have been less of it.
Frank Scheck at The Hollywood Reporter wrote,
"What should have been a fun, fast-paced 105 minutes or so is dragged out to a butt-numbing
132."
And Digital Spy critic Hugh Armitage felt similarly, saying,
"The finale drags on longer than it needs to, but Shazam! is so much fun that it's a
minor complaint."
The other focus of complaints is the villain, Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong.
While most critics felt Strong did the best he could with what he was given to work with,
it seems he wasn't given much.
Lindsey Bahr at The Associated Press wrote,
"Dr. Sivana is woefully underwritten […] although Strong does his best being the straight, serious
guy.
For the most part it comes across as less of a threat and more of a buzzkill that gets
in the way all the fun we were having with Freddy and Shazam."
Fans and critics alike seem thrilled at the idea that Shazam!
Could usher in a fun new era of lighter movies in the previously dire DC Extended Universe.
"Find him.
Save Martha!"
"I'm Batman!"
"Get him, Batman!!"
Fandango managing editor Erik Davis wrote in his early reaction to Shazam! that it's
"unlike anything DC has done before."
And Digital Spy's Hugh Armitage agreed, saying:
"Aquaman hinted a bold, new approach to DC's movies that doesn't try to emulate the MCU's
successes.
Shazam! makes good on that promise, waving goodbye to the grim-faced Batfleck years,
leaving us excited about what they'll do next.
The future looks bright."
How bright?
Mark Hughes at Forbes wrote,
"One of the best DC superhero origin films ever made, Shazam! is also one of the best
and most fun superhero films from any company."
Now that sounds like true magic!
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