Post by fonebone on May 27, 2023 5:34:05 GMT -8
Shazam!: Fury Of The Gods
I liked the first Shazam movie, but honestly I felt like it tried to do too much for the first outing. I felt the same way about Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, but at least the first Shazam film was fun. This film's tone however feels much more solid and comfortable with itself. People will complain that the Sivana and Mr. Mind stuff has been put off for a third movie that will probably never happen, but the second tag was actually my least favorite thing about the movie.
I resented the hell out of Billy's fake-out death at the end, but I'll give the filmmaker's this: Bringing in Gal Gadot to cheaply retcon it makes me forgive it entirely. Funny how that works. Gal Gadot simply makes everything better. People wonder why I actually loved the critically reviled Wonder Woman 1984. That! That!
"Hi, Kaleesi!" You know what? Billy really shouldn't be watching Game Of Thrones. Am I crazy for thinking that?
Also how can Billy claim to have seen every Fast & Furious movie yet cannot recognize Queenie is standing right in front of him?
Captain Marvel was mentioned as a goof. But I did notice it.
Loved Billy's therapy session with the pediatrician at the beginning.
Captain Marvel purists will definitely object to the moral that anyone can be deserving of the power, but whether that flies against the comic's canon or not, it's the correct empowering moral. I would argue the comic suggesting only Billy's singular virtue and morality being worthy of that power was actually telling the story wrong for decades.
I yawned at the second tag but I laughed at the first tag with Billy being recruited for the Justice Society and him poking holes at how dumb it is that two organizations designed for the same purpose have the words "Justice" in the title. Billy's suggestion of "Avengers Society" is so good it's the comic book I want to see that can never exist for legal reasons. Darn.
The Skittles product placement was annoyingly blatant, but the thing I liked about that plotline is that Darla isn't afraid of the unicorn even for a second (even though she probably should be). I like that about Darla and it shows the selling point of doing the premise of kids as superheroes.
"Who wants their superpowers back?" Love the implications at the end that Billy shared the Shazam powers with the foster parents and Ann. Kind of would have wanted to see their superpowered forms, but in the unlikely event of a sequel I guess that's what that's for.
I had totally forgotten how great an actor the kid who plays Freddie is. I disapprove of child acting on general principle, but there is no question this specific kid has major talent.
The Wizard was a great deal of fun and Djimon Hounsou clearly had a blast playing him this time out.
Helen Mirren reading Steve's goofy letter was probably the funniest thing in the movie. I'm glad I didn't see this in the theater. I never would have heard the second half of it. The audience would be laughing too hard over it. It IS hilarious.
As a rule I don't like the Extended Universe. But this movie is a rare bright spot in the continuity. ****1/2.
I liked the first Shazam movie, but honestly I felt like it tried to do too much for the first outing. I felt the same way about Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, but at least the first Shazam film was fun. This film's tone however feels much more solid and comfortable with itself. People will complain that the Sivana and Mr. Mind stuff has been put off for a third movie that will probably never happen, but the second tag was actually my least favorite thing about the movie.
I resented the hell out of Billy's fake-out death at the end, but I'll give the filmmaker's this: Bringing in Gal Gadot to cheaply retcon it makes me forgive it entirely. Funny how that works. Gal Gadot simply makes everything better. People wonder why I actually loved the critically reviled Wonder Woman 1984. That! That!
"Hi, Kaleesi!" You know what? Billy really shouldn't be watching Game Of Thrones. Am I crazy for thinking that?
Also how can Billy claim to have seen every Fast & Furious movie yet cannot recognize Queenie is standing right in front of him?
Captain Marvel was mentioned as a goof. But I did notice it.
Loved Billy's therapy session with the pediatrician at the beginning.
Captain Marvel purists will definitely object to the moral that anyone can be deserving of the power, but whether that flies against the comic's canon or not, it's the correct empowering moral. I would argue the comic suggesting only Billy's singular virtue and morality being worthy of that power was actually telling the story wrong for decades.
I yawned at the second tag but I laughed at the first tag with Billy being recruited for the Justice Society and him poking holes at how dumb it is that two organizations designed for the same purpose have the words "Justice" in the title. Billy's suggestion of "Avengers Society" is so good it's the comic book I want to see that can never exist for legal reasons. Darn.
The Skittles product placement was annoyingly blatant, but the thing I liked about that plotline is that Darla isn't afraid of the unicorn even for a second (even though she probably should be). I like that about Darla and it shows the selling point of doing the premise of kids as superheroes.
"Who wants their superpowers back?" Love the implications at the end that Billy shared the Shazam powers with the foster parents and Ann. Kind of would have wanted to see their superpowered forms, but in the unlikely event of a sequel I guess that's what that's for.
I had totally forgotten how great an actor the kid who plays Freddie is. I disapprove of child acting on general principle, but there is no question this specific kid has major talent.
The Wizard was a great deal of fun and Djimon Hounsou clearly had a blast playing him this time out.
Helen Mirren reading Steve's goofy letter was probably the funniest thing in the movie. I'm glad I didn't see this in the theater. I never would have heard the second half of it. The audience would be laughing too hard over it. It IS hilarious.
As a rule I don't like the Extended Universe. But this movie is a rare bright spot in the continuity. ****1/2.