Shazam! Fury of the Gods

 

Standard disclaimer: I didn’t have access to comic books growing up. No deep dive for me. My superhero experience/knowledge is limited to the tv shows, cartoons, and the occasional films I saw growing up.

In short, my review of Shazam! Fury of the Gods as was 2019s Shazam! is based solely on what I saw on the big screen. Going into Shazam! I vaguely recalled the Saturday morning tv show and saw the film on a lark. I loved it and was clamoring for a sequel. To say I’ve been looking forward to this movie is a bit of an understatement, especially given the disappointment of numerous delays and push backs. With Shazam! Fury of the Gods FINALLY hitting theaters this week, I braved the elements, hit my favorite theater with crossed fingers and high hopes to check it out. I was definitely nervous/scared FotG would fall short of my expectations given my excitement going in. What a relief when the opening scene unfolded, sucked me in and took me to my happy place. FotG is a two- hour 10-minute thrill ride from start to finish that’s funny, sweet, thrilling, and all-around entertaining. I admit there are a few CGI flying shots at the beginning of the film that fell a bit short, but happily that was the only issue I had with the movie and was quickly forgotten. Great storyline with high stakes and lots of action nicely balanced with character moments/development and emotion. Good direction. Awesome music. Fantastic casting. Love that almost all the original cast is back (Superhero Mary is played by Caroline Grace-Cassidy this time around), yay! And the additions of Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu in particular are more than a welcome bonus. I have to say I want to be Helen Mirren when I grow up. She’s living her best life and killing it. As entertaining and fun as Shazam! Fury of the Gods is it’s also darker and more intense than the original so anyone with young kids take heed. There was one maybe five-year-old that freaked out during the last fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie and was taken out. YES. They struck pay dirt with Shazam! Fury of the Gods. It’s a fun, satisfying movie going experience. What I wanted and needed. I’m looking forward to adding this one to my movie collection for repeated viewings. Speaking of viewings, yes, my friends, once again you need to sit through the entire movie to catch both of the end credits scenes. Taste the rainbow!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods gets a 10 from me.