Review by John M. Delia, Jr.
Our world is made up of good and evil. Most of us try and live a good life and treat others respectfully. On the other hand there always seems to be some sort of evil force that pulls us to the seven deadly sins; Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. What if there is or were humans with super abilities that kept these evil sins away from all of us?
The last of the hero wizards, named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou), is looking for someone that is of pure heart to take his powers. He has lived a long time and has outlived the others with his abilities. Now it is time to find another to take over his abilities and control the monsters that house the seven deadly sins.
Losing his mother in crowd at a young age Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is always looking for ways to locate where she could be. He does this so much that Billy is always getting into trouble and as a result he has been in 23 different foster homes over the years. This last time got him placed with the Vasquez’s, a family that has five other foster kids in their care.
Both Victor Vasquez (Cooper Andrews) and Rosa Vasquez (Marta Milans) were raised in foster homes so they know how hard things can be. When they bring Billy to his new home he meets the others, Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman) the youngest and the most talkative, Eugene Choi (Ian Chen), the genus, Pedro Pena (Jovan Armand), the quit one, Lillian Price (Ava Preston), the teenager who is about to move away for college, and lastly, his new roommate, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer).
When the opportunity comes for Billy to meet Shazam things start to go into light speed and enter a new dimension, physically. Since Billy has had a hard life, he may not be the best person suited for this new role. So, eventually he sets out to prove he is the true chosen one.
Director David F. Sandberg does an excellent job presenting this unique storyline. He develops the story well and shows the life foster children may go through when being brought to a new home. His presentation expresses how hard it can be for kids to truly understand why their parents left them. David does an incredible job blending in the special effects to this character who does not know what he possesses. He guides the audience along with his slow discoveries and adds the hilarious banter between older Billy (Zachary Levi) and Freddy. David does not stop here, he includes an amazing cast that brings this film to a new level and continues to entertain throughout.
Not as hardcore as Deadpool, but does include some suggestive material that are not intended for the younger crowd. This film was set for the older teenage crowd, but does appeal to all adults. Definitely worth seeing in the theater, and maybe watching again later when it is out on the store shelves.
Final Comment: I based my grade on the creative but fantastic storyline, the entertaining bits of comedy, and the spectacular special effects. 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars
Additional Film Information
Cast: Zachary Levi, Michelle Borth, Djimon Hounsou, Jack Dylan Grazer, Asher Angel, and Mark Strong.
Directed by: David F. Sandberg
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, and Fantasy.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material.
Running Time: 2 hours and 12 minutes
Release Date: April 5, 2019
Distributed By: Warner Bros.
Release In: Standard, Dolby Vision