Hated DC Blockbuster Franchise On Max Is So Misunderstood

When Shazam! first came out, I had no idea who Zachary Levi was. I had also never read a comic or watched a cartoon or series on the superhero, unlike my experience with many other Marvel and DC stories.

I went into the movie with a completely open mind and no expectations. The trailer made the film look fun, and I was looking forward to that. I got so much more than the price of my ticket was worth, and I couldn’t wait to show it to my kids, who now rank this DC superhero among their favorites. 

Shazam! was released in 2019 and opens up with two narratives, one about a young boy, Thaddeus Sivana, who, a few decades ago got a glimpse into another dimension, where he stood to wield extraordinary power.

Unfortunately, when he met the Seven Deadly Sins, he was tempted by them, and so deemed unworthy to step into greatness by the wizard, Shazam (Djimon Hounsou), who was testing him. In a blink, Sivana was transported back to his own world and left feeling empty and listless without that power. 

Fast forward to the present day, and we meet 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a rough and tumble orphan with a smart mouth. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, Billy is searching for his mother, who he lost when he was still a toddler.

His next foster home is with a large group of foster kids and a loving husband and wife. A boy his age, Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) quickly befriends Billy, despite Billy’s standoffishness. Freddy reveals himself to be an expert in all things superhero. 

Almost simultaneously, a grown Sivana (Mark Strong) discovers a passage back to the other dimension and becomes a vessel for the Seven Deadly Sins, taking on enormous evil power and Billy unwittingly accepts the power of Shazam, the only power that can defeat the Sins.

The only catch? Billy must call out the name, “Shazam!” in order to transform into a superhero, at which point he takes on the form of a grown man (Zachary Levi). 

What makes this movie and its sequel, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, is Levi’s ability to channel a 14-year-old boy. There are so many great scenes in which you expect this experienced adult to be able to handle a tough situation, but you forget you’re actually watching a child.

Levi ensures we remember. His facial expressions, his language, his entire attitude, is that of a kid just trying to survive an impossible situation, whether we’re talking about his abandonment or his face-off with real grown up villains. 

While the first movie got great reviews, the second Shazam film fell far short of expectations in critical reviews. Interestingly enough, audiences still loved it. Rotten Tomatoes shows 49 percent positive reviews from critics but 86 percent positive reviews from fans, about the same as the first film.

As I’ve said before, I think critics forget how to just go into a theater and enjoy a movie. They derided Fury of the Gods for being “over-the-top” or “silly.” But those are the same elements that made us love the first movie.

And this isn’t a case of taking things too far, like what happened with Thor: Love and Thunder. Fury of the Gods is still a delight, still deeply emotional at times, and still sends a message of family, love, and hope. 

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You can, and you should, stream both Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods on Max. Both films are among my favorite DC movies to date. I cannot recommend them highly enough. And when you’re done, go see Harold and the Purple Crayon for more Zachary Levi childlike fun.