Shazam!
2019
***½
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Adam Brody
Billy Batson is a troubled 14-year-old orphan who is desperate to find his mother. Just as he is moving into another foster home, Billy is swooped to the Rock of Eternity where an ancient wizard gives him powers that allow Billy to turn into a grown-up superhero every time he speaks out the name Shazam. So far, DC Extended Universe has failed to win me over. Apart from the OK Wonder World, the output has been drab. With this origin story, DC takes a leaf out of Marvel's book and attempts to create something that is actually entertaining. The early parts with the newly discovered superpowers are enjoyable, even if we've seen these types of scenes several times in the recent years. The latter parts are not as successful. The climactic battle is long and quite forgettable, and the villain never amounts to much.
