The Mosley Review: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

There is a sense of balance that has been missing in the big blockbuster films these days. The balance between telling a story that has a theme that resonates with throughout the story and then the big CGI spectacle of the opening, mid and finale that acts as a button to the story more often. More films focus on the spectacle and even though it may be visually pleasing, it often just pads out the film without any of the visuals telling a story or even affecting it. This film didn't waste any of its time doing that, but the spectacle was informed by the plot and did affect the characters within it. What I truly loved about this film is that it kept that same since of wonder and darkness the first film started and it stayed in its lane. It connects to the soon to be rebooted DCEU, but it stands strong enough on it own to be a soft disconnect. The themes of growing up, responsibilities, acceptance and family were refreshing to see handled in such a skilled way. This film reminded me of the late 80's and mid 90's kid and teen films where they weren't afraid to address the humanity of the heroes. Growing up can be scary because you don't want to let go of the fun times where the world seemed so open and free before stepping into adulthood. This film tackles that subject through the eyes of the leads while still giving us a surprisingly fun family action film that has a horror edge to it.

Asher Angel and Zachary Levi return as Billy Batson / Shazam and they're still magnetic and fun. Billy now has to balance being a leader and teenager growing into an adult and that was great to see handled. Asher does this wonderfully and actual gets to shine in the more emotional segments. Zachary Levi takes on the majority of the weight this time as the adult version of Billy and through him, you see Billy's naivtey really become his weakness in so many ways. Zachary's comedic timing and joyful take on the character was spot on and he nails what its like to be a teen in an adult's body. Billy's journey from child to adult was hilarious and also heartfelt. Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody couldn't be more of a perfect pair as the teen and adult version of Freddy Freeman. Jack truly steals the film with his amazing wit, charm and hilarious sarcasm. His energy is so infectious and I loved that he is the center of the story this time around. He truly delivers a show stopping performance and Adam Brody amplifies that as his adult persona. Adam shows the more cocky nature of Freddy when he's "super" which was so much fun. Grace Caroline Currey was wonderful and wise as Mary Bromfield. She is the oldest in the family and I loved seeing her embrace the real world while still having fun as a superhero. She is that reminder that we all have to grow up at some point and contribute to a household and the world in some way. Ross Butler and Ian Chen were fun yet again as the young version and the adult version of Eugene Choi. They both show off his intelligent and exploratory nature within their lair. D. J. Cotrona and Jovan Armand were fantastic yet again as Pedro Peña. The way he handles his coming out to the family was handled very well and builds to a moment of true acceptance and I loved that it was natural and not forced. Meagan Good and Faithe Herman were the heart of the film as the adult and child version of Darla Dudley. The innocence of the character was so much fun and beautifully showcased by both actresses. I couldn't get enough them together or even separately. Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews return as their foster parents Rosa and Victor Vásquez and they both get so many great moments to shine and really bring the family together in a touching scene.

Djimon Hounsou returns as the wizard Shazam and he is the most tortured character in the film. Through him you learn more about the villains of the film and he reminds the audience of the importance of his now lost power. His scenes with Freddy were some of my favorites and I loved their sneaky missions. Rachel Zegler was great and loveable as Anne and you really empathize with her as the story around her plays out. I liked the romance brewing between her and Freddy as it may be quick, but it grew in a sweet way. Helen Mirren is always incredible and as Hespera, she commands the screen as one of the antagonist in the film that has more than one dimension to her. Its always fun to watch her work. Lucy Liu was excellent as her sister Kalypso and I loved that she fully embraced the evil and destructive nature of the character. She sometimes comes off as one note and fulfills that need for the "big bad" type. She was truly having so much fun and you can see it in every scene.

The score by Christophe Beck was awesome and epic in all the right ways as the action in the film really ramps up. When the screen isn't filled with action, he nails the more emotional moments. Visually the film was stunning to look at and I loved that the colors popped. The creatures in the film were yet again another standout and ranged from terrifying to badass. Its been a long time since anyone has brought to life any of the iconic monsters of the Greek mythos and I loved every bit of their strong and sometimes violent nature. Where the film has problems is the last half of the film. It tends to feel bloated in the last 30 minutes as the same amount of destruction keeps happening that makes the film drag on. There are moments that could've trimmed or cut to tighten up the finale. Director David S. Sandberg directed the first film that was a fun Christmas themed family film that tackled some heavy themes and wasn't afraid to touch on the darkness of the villains. He continues that here and has made another fun family film that adults can enjoy as well. Even with the bloated third act, this was an action packed and hefty 2 hour epic that should not be missed. Do stick around for the 2 great credit scenes. I don't know where this franchise will go once the DCEU is rebooted, but I hope we see a payoff to the story crumbs leftover from these 2 scenes. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!