Shazam! (2019)

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎2‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 9:38 AM, IWantCandy71 said:

This looks like a fun movie. I vaguely remember watching reruns/syndication of the old TV show, or was it a cartoon ?

It was both. There was a live action show, often paired with an Isis show in the early 1970's, and in the early 1980's, there was a Shazam cartoon on the live action "Kids Superpower Hour (with Shazam)" and a few years later, the cartoon was played by itself (or maybe it was all-new). There may have been an earlier one that was bundled with Batman, Tarzan, and the Super Seven on CBS as well.

On ‎3‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 5:53 AM, Bill1978 said:

I remember a cartoon where a boy and girl would combined their rings and shout SHAZAM! and a hero appeared. Is that the same Shazam as this character? 

Wasn't that how Captain Planet was summoned, sans "Shazam"?

[methodwriter85]

Quote

Wasn't that how Captain Planet was summoned, sans "Shazam"?

A couple more kids with the respective powers of Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Heart.

[IWantCandy71]

On 3/13/2019 at 11:09 AM, Ubiquitous said:

It was both. There was a live action show, often paired with an Isis show in the early 1970's, and in the early 1980's, there was a Shazam cartoon on the live action "Kids Superpower Hour (with Shazam)" and a few years later, the cartoon was played by itself (or maybe it was all-new). There may have been an earlier one that was bundled with Batman, Tarzan, and the Super Seven on CBS as well.

Okay, thank you for the clarity. I watched so many cartoons as a kid, but I was starting to think I'd imagined the memory of a Shazam cartoon. Good to know !

[dkb]

Just a FYI for Canadians, Cineplex is having advance screenings of Shazam on Saturday March 23.   2 weeks early!

I'm contemplating how to go about ditching some plans already made for Saturday.

Edited March 21, 2019 by dkb

[MarkHB]

So, I saw this at the afternoon preview!  Without spoiling anything, I would say:

• It's a lot of fun! Go see it!
• Pay attention to the fancy credits; there's a lot going on in there.
• There is a very-end-credits scene.
• It's definitely at the mild end of PG-13, probably suitable for any child who is old enough for superhero fights, with one cautionary word I've added below.

The following is my own parental guidance note. I'm wrapping it in a spoiler tag because it does touch on things that happen in the film, but I am trying to keep it as unspoilery as possible. If you're bringing young children, please be aware....

Spoiler

Billy is in the foster child system, and that, and the circumstances of how he got there, is dealt with a couple of times in the film.  If your child has separation or abandonment anxieties, you may want to exercise caution.

[Trini]

Looks like this is being received pretty positively from early reviews. 😊

[frogzapper]

On 3/23/2019 at 10:10 PM, MarkHB said:

So, I saw this at the afternoon preview!  Without spoiling anything, I would say:

• It's a lot of fun! Go see it!
• Pay attention to the fancy credits; there's a lot going on in there.
• There is a very-end-credits scene.
• It's definitely at the mild end of PG-13, probably suitable for any child who is old enough for superhero fights, with one cautionary word I've added below.

I agree with all of the above comments. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see the movie based on the trailer, but I decided to take a chance on the 3/23 preview since I had a discount code, and I enjoyed it - it was a fun movie! I liked the dynamics of the foster family, and I really liked Jack Dylan Grazer's performance - the kid has good comedic sense! Zachary Levi looked like he was having a blast too!

[laffytaffy997]

On ‎3‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 5:53 AM, Bill1978 said:

I remember a cartoon where a boy and girl would combined their rings and shout SHAZAM! and a hero appeared. Is that the same Shazam as this character? 

You must thinking of this cartoon. "Shazzan" was a genie and would appear when the boy and girl would put their rings together.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061294/

Edited March 26, 2019 by laffytaffy997
don't know how to put youtube video

[Bill1978]

26 minutes ago, laffytaffy997 said:

You must thinking of this cartoon. "Shazzan" was a genie and would appear when the boy and girl would put their rings together.

Yep that's the show. Thank you for proving that I'm not completely losing it!

[Robert Lynch]

On 3/26/2019 at 2:00 AM, frogzapper said:

I agree with all of the above comments. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see the movie based on the trailer, but I decided to take a chance on the 3/23 preview since I had a discount code, and I enjoyed it - it was a fun movie! I liked the dynamics of the foster family, and I really liked Jack Dylan Grazer's performance - the kid has good comedic sense! Zachary Levi looked like he was having a blast too!

Jack Dylan Grazer was also terrific in It as Eddie. He even outshines Finn Wolfhard in a couple of scenes. This young man has a bright future already. I can't wait to see this film.

[Trini]

I hope WB has a plan/schedule in place for a sequel if this is successful enough; with two teen boys as the leads, growth spurts and voice changes might tricky to handle.

[Trini]

Premiere red carpet photos:

[frogzapper]

On 3/29/2019 at 4:41 PM, Trini said:

Premiere red carpet photos:

Nice red carpet photo! Those kids have some red carpet style - I like it! This picture from that same article is adorable too:

I went to WonderCon in Anaheim, CA over the weekend and they had a "Shazam" preview panel. Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer were all in attendance. It was a really fun energetic panel that had the audience laughing several times. I with I could bottle Zachary Levi's enthusiasm and sense of fun - I hope he never grows up!

Attending the panel made me want to run out and see the movie again. I do plan to see it again when it opens this weekend!

[MarkHB]

On 3/29/2019 at 7:41 PM, Trini said:

Premiere red carpet photos:

I like how the kids wore their red and blue, and I can't wait to see this again in IMAX.

[dkb]

I really liked it; it was funny and loved the dynamic between all the foster kids. There were 2 6-10 year old brothers that were with their father that absolutely loved every part of this!

Zachary Levi was fantastic. This is definitely a movie to watch with a big movie crowd, I think. 

[IWantCandy71]

2 hours ago, dkb said:

I really liked it; it was funny and loved the dynamic between all the foster kids. There were 2 6-10 year old brothers that were with their father that absolutely loved every part of this!

Zachary Levi was fantastic. This is definitely a movie to watch with a big movie crowd, I think. 

And see I was just thinking I might want to wait until the crowds thin out. I think sometimes when you watch a movie with a pretty full house, you are influenced by them(for instance, laughing at things you might not normally find funny, just because everyone else is laughing). So I think I'm gonna wait. I do adore ZL and it looks like a lot of fun, though, and I'm looking forward to it.

[Stenbeck]

Loved it.

Entertaining, funny and a great cast.

Billy meeting up with his mother was heart breaking. Jeez, bitch...it's been 10 years (give or take), give your kid a fucking hug. 

[MarkHB]

Those scenes with his mother were why I put that spoiler-tagged warning: the first was terrifying for a little kid, and the second was brutal. When he handed her the compass and she said, "what's this?" (when it was literally the very last thing she had given him before he got lost, the last thing he had from her), wow.

Really, my only complaints about the film are trivial: there wasn't nearly enough Mary Marvel (I think she was the only family member who didn't get a spotlight), a better indication of which Sin was which would have helped (maybe it's time to check the toy department at Target...), and for that last scene, there was a simple solution to the contract issues with Henry: have him bring in Wonder Woman instead!  There was some filming overlap between this film and WW1984, after all... fly Gal and the suit to Toronto for a couple of days!

[revbfc]

What really got me was that Sivana’s anger was so relatable.  I don’t care if he was or wasn’t worthy, the wizard really did a number on him.  I would have been emotionally scarred for life, too.

Edited April 5, 2019 by revbfc

[Twilight Man]

9 hours ago, MarkHB said:

a better indication of which Sin was which would have helped (maybe it's time to check the toy department at Target...), 

Now that you have seen the movie, you CAN check out the toy department

(because obviously the toys give away the major climax of the movie)

YOU HAVE BEEN SPOILER WARNED!!!!!

Spoiler

Each of the six action figures come with a little "elastic" SIN buddy.

The reviewer refers to them as the "Seven Cuddly Sins".  HA HA 

[Lantern7]

Good movie. More Wonder Woman and Aquaman than the rest of the DCEU, or whatever it's called. Lots of heart, lots of humor, and Zachary Levi made for a great Capt . . . er . . . Shazam. Seriously, that takes a lot to adjust. There should be a t-shirt: "Screw it, he's Captain Marvel to me. (But I'm okay with the other one. Not to say that Carol should be considered 'the other one'. I mean, Billy Batson has been around since the early Forties, and it's only because of copyright weirdness that Marvel laid a claim, and DC said "fuck it" and renamed the guy after the magic word he says. Which is a lot to wrap my mind around. But I like him. And her. Both. Whatever. Wow, there are a lot of words on this t-shirt)" My point is that Shazam should be the go-to for assholes. He's the Big Red Cheese. He's the kid that became a superhero. He might be the first one, in fact.

When I read Geoff Johns' re-imagining the mythos, I didn't think it would work . . . a little darker and drearier than the canon. I'm happy to be wrong. And the sequel should be just as much fun. Why? Spoilers just to be safe . . . The arrival of Mr. Mind. He's an evil worm with a mechanical voice box, and he might be Shazam's biggest enemy after Dr.Sivana. Verily, we're living in the Golden Age of Geeekdom.

ETA: Shazam should NOT be the go-to for assholes. I can’t emphasize that enough. Names aside, Billy/Carol is an apples/oranges situation.

Edited April 6, 2019 by Lantern7

[Twilight Man]

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

Screw it, he's Captain Marvel to me.......................has been around since the early Forties

Captain Marvel was the very first superhero to have a black and white serial adventure made about him.

This adventure was shown in theaters a couple of months before Superman's, let alone Batman, Captain America and the others.

The fact that he had the first serial adventure arguably led to his brief time outselling Superman comics,

which led to DC suing Whiz Comics and gaining control of the Big Red Cheese.

[darkestboy]

I loved this one. I definitely think for me, it's my second favourite DCEU movie with Wonder Woman still being the number 1 movie for me.

The younger actors were fantastic and the movie did brilliantly with the theme of family whether it was with Billy and his foster family, Sivana's family or even the Wizard mourning the loss of his own as well.

Sivana was a great baddie and the Deadly Sins looked fine in CGI, better than expected really.

Loved the various references to past movies, certain cameos and the Christmas setting worked a treat too. 9/10

[MarkHB]

The film has been released, spoiler tags are no longer necessary.

[revbfc]

Another thing that I can’t stop loving was the foster home.  I have a few friends who bought big, old fixer-uppers in Philadelphia on the cheap around or before 2008, and the look checks out.  Old, tons of space, refurbished with love (with a lot more work to be done), and a joy to inhabit.  I have no idea if this aspect was an accident, but it’s oddly apt.

[MarkHB]

Oh, my third minor complaint about the film: they didn't work in a Michael Gray cameo! (Billy from the Saturday morning show.)

And I loved that Billy actually used the magic lightning as a weapon; that's been done in the comics but I didn't think they would go for it here.

[Lantern7]

3 minutes ago, MarkHB said:

Oh, my third minor complaint about the film: they didn't work in a Michael Gray cameo! (Billy from the Saturday morning show.)

What about either of the guys who played Cap on that series? Bringing in John Glover as Budget Lionel Luthor was a nice touch, though.

[MarkHB]

2 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

What about either of the guys who played Cap on that series? Bringing in John Glover as Budget Lionel Luthor was a nice touch, though.

Them, too  🙂

[Jediknight]

I enjoyed it.

Zachary Levi of course killed it, no shocker there.  As did the actors for Billy and Freddy.

I was unspoiled, so I was hoping we'd get the birth of the Marvel Family.  I kept thinking during the movie "It's gotta happen The Wizard mentioned his brothers and sisters.  The Sins are afraid of Billy realizing his true power, and once he does, he's be unstoppable.  Billy's gotta realize what the Wizard was talking about."  And the realization from Billy, and the payoff did not disappoint.

Mr and Mrs Vasquez are the best damn foster parents ever.

Loved the tiger references.

[AimingforYoko]

Adam Brody as Shazam Freddy? Perfection.

This movie was ridiculously fun, but didn't shy away from some deep stuff. That scene when Billy found his mom was rough.

2nd best DCEU movie after WW.

[scarynikki12]

2 hours ago, Jediknight said:

I was hoping we'd get the birth of the Marvel Family.

I admittedly know very little about DC Captain Marvel but this was one of the only things I knew.  It was delightful seeing them all gain the powers and I especially loved their earnest "Billy!"  And Darla Shazam saving "Santa" and then telling him she was good was the cutest thing.  Meagan Good channeled Faithe Herman's performance perfectly. 

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

Adam Brody as Shazam Freddy? Perfection.

This is one of those casting decisions that is so perfect I was disappointed in myself for not guessing it.

[Silver Raven]

Adam Brody is swole, huh?

I thought Jack Dylan Grazer was the best part of the movie.  I've loved everything I've seen him in.  But Asher Anger held his own.  Zachary Levi is a big kid, and it works.

I wish they had made Santa out to be a cameo celebrity in disguise.

Who was the actor who played Sivana's brother?  I don't see him listed in the cast credits.

Where was Hoppy?

Edited April 7, 2019 by Silver Raven

[methodwriter85]

I was not spoiled so I was filled with delighted surprise when Adam Brody showed up as Adult Superhero Freddy. I would say it's up there with Christine Taylor playing Marcia Brady! (Coincidentally, he played Barry Williams in a biopic he did with Kaley Cuoco as Maureen McCormick.) The whole movie I kept thinking about how Jack was channeling a young Adam Brody, so me surprised to be right!

[IWantCandy71]

I liked the movie well enough. I think I was expecting it to be funnier ? The Santa gag was just right-not overplayed and unexpected, and I laughed at the end with him on the news. I think that's the first Santa I've seen with PTSD.

I might even go see it again, but I feel something was missing. I'm not sure what. Mark Strong and Zachary Levi were awesome and well cast. I think the others were well cast also, and individually, everyone was fine. I think there was a disconnect between seeing Billy as the younger actor and as ZL. I get that it is supposed to be jarring, but I think it kind of affected the chemistry with the actors a little bit.  I didn't feel there was enough time to show a bond with Billy and Freddy, and because of that, it's kind of hard for me to believe and feel any bond with Freddy and Shazam. They've known each other five minutes and they're best friends? Okay. Maybe it's the kind of thing that does play out better as a series, because there's more time to invest ? IDK- I didn't feel there was enough chemistry between the two teen boy actors, or ZL and the Freddy actor, to buy it. A minor thing, and yet....it's really not, because this movie kind of depends on that bond. And time really isn't an excuse, because when chemistry is there, I feel it from the start, usually-and here I just didn't.

Eh. I enjoyed it, I got what I expected for the most part, and I rarely get to see ZL in a lead role on the big screen, and well.....Mark Strong. I honestly think he's the reason, more than ZL, that I was excited for this. And man oh man, what a horrible brother and father his character had.  I felt so bad for him-but I liked how they showed that neither Sivana nor Billy had a family that loved them, but while Sivana turned evil, Billy stayed pure- a good example that a sad or neglectful childhood is not an excuse for criminal or otherwise bad behavior. 
I'm all for a sequel because I enjoy ZL and MS that much.

[TobinAlbers]

Loved it - especially anticipating the birth of the Marvel family. Just seeing those additional five glowing emblems appear and the anticipation of just who they cast in those roles was just gleeful fun.

Lil' Darla was the best. She kept Billy's secret and was SO proud of herself for not telling. Really loved the rest of the kids figuring it out on their own and was as proud of them as she was when it happened.

Totally didn't recognize Adam Brody. He was so blond and swole (for him) and then when it hit me it made Adult Freddie all the better.

REALLY wish they had worked things out with HC for the end cameo. Even still just seeing the chest and torso was enough. I squawked like lil Freddie, LOL.

A sequel is totally a given, even a trilogy where we get a bit more focus on the rest of the Marvel family as they each get a chance to shine.

Mark Strong is probably happy with his DC Comics redo although I didn't think his Sinestro was bad .

Such strong symbolism of the little kid having Bats and Supes dolls fighting and then dropping them like hot potatoes when he sees Shazam in action. Ohhhhh the shade.

Getting deep, Billy had a solid arc. Searching for him mom and his family only to find out that his blood abandoned him, but that he still had family in the foster family that chose him.  He had to get that kick in the gut to realize what mattered and when he realized his brothers and sisters were in trouble he hauled ass to get back to them and save them.

Freddie is the best guy to have on your side when you suddenly get super powers. Methodical testing of all possible powers and creating a YouTube brand and collecting all his work. LOVED him.

[raven]

I'm in the "loved it" camp.   I don't read comics so for me this was comparable to GoTG, in that I didn't know what to expect and ended up being entertained from start to finish.  

Casting is so, so important and they totally nailed it.  Zachary Levi was perfect; Mark Strong was scary and creepy and all of the kids were great, with special mention going to Asher Angel, Jack Grazer and Faithe Herman; Darla could have been overly precious but the actress struck just the right balance.

Superhero movies tend to follow the same basic path for me it comes down to CGI and casting.  In Shazam, the Sins were scary/gross so well done there and the ending fight was interesting and fun - we had the whole family involved and it was well choreographed. 

There were some great kid touches - Freddy throwing his lunch tray away with his lunch; Freddy as a super hero saving the bullies and carrying them via suitcase wedgies; at the end when the kids are panicking that Billy might go dark side and he says "you think I'm going to put a creepy demon ball in my eye.  Gross!"  My theater got the biggest laugh out of "say my name"  "BILLY!" LOL.    We were also laughing when Thad is making his big evil guy speech and Billy was going on about how he couldn't hear him "we're like a mile apart!"

I like the overarching theme of family.  Thad's brother and father were pretty awful.  There were a variety of different aged kids in the theater and I thought the car accident was fairly intense until the boardroom scene, which easily topped that.  A kid was taken out of the theater during the one; she was crying so I guessed that was why. 

Billy's scene with his mom was heartbreaking.   Until she was found, I kept hoping that she had lost her memory, had an accident and been institutionalized or something.   I was curious about her age - she tells Billy that she was "only 17" and I wasn't sure if she meant when she got pregnant or when she abandoned him.  When she sees him with the police and walks away - gah, that was awful.

On 4/6/2019 at 9:02 AM, revbfc said:

Another thing that I can’t stop loving was the foster home.

Me too!  All of that wood, stained glass, shelves and nooks and crannies.  My ideal house.

[Spartan Girl]

Loved it! Not perfect and a bit of a slow, dark start (there's the DC we know and hate!) but so much fun once it picks up. Zachary Levi was great and so were all the kids!

Did not see the twist where all his foster siblings get superpowers do coming and it was awesome! 

I loved the "Don't Stop Me Now" montage of Freddy testing out Billy's superpowers and putting it out on the Internet.

LOL at the sort-of cameo of Superman showing up in the cafeteria. But it would have been better if we'd seen his face -- get your act together DC and Henry Cavill! Either you're in or out.

[Robert Lynch]

I did not know Dwayne Johnson was executive producer here. That makes the film even more awesome.

This was just great. Better than most DC films and Zachary Levi is perfect for this role. Jack Dylan Grazer is definitely going places in comedy and I cannot wait to see It Part 2. 

And no song is complete without Queen. Freddie, you’re missed. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Robert Lynch

[VCRTracking]

[IWantCandy71]

19 hours ago, raven said:

I'm in the "loved it" camp.   I don't read comics so for me this was comparable to GoTG, in that I didn't know what to expect and ended up being entertained from start to finish.  

Casting is so, so important and they totally nailed it.  Zachary Levi was perfect; Mark Strong was scary and creepy and all of the kids were great, with special mention going to Asher Angel, Jack Grazer and Faithe Herman; Darla could have been overly precious but the actress struck just the right balance.

Superhero movies tend to follow the same basic path for me it comes down to CGI and casting.  In Shazam, the Sins were scary/gross so well done there and the ending fight was interesting and fun - we had the whole family involved and it was well choreographed. 

There were some great kid touches - Freddy throwing his lunch tray away with his lunch; Freddy as a super hero saving the bullies and carrying them via suitcase wedgies; at the end when the kids are panicking that Billy might go dark side and he says "you think I'm going to put a creepy demon ball in my eye.  Gross!"  My theater got the biggest laugh out of "say my name"  "BILLY!" LOL.    We were also laughing when Thad is making his big evil guy speech and Billy was going on about how he couldn't hear him "we're like a mile apart!"

I like the overarching theme of family.  Thad's brother and father were pretty awful.  There were a variety of different aged kids in the theater and I thought the car accident was fairly intense until the boardroom scene, which easily topped that.  A kid was taken out of the theater during the one; she was crying so I guessed that was why. 

Billy's scene with his mom was heartbreaking.   Until she was found, I kept hoping that she had lost her memory, had an accident and been institutionalized or something.   I was curious about her age - she tells Billy that she was "only 17" and I wasn't sure if she meant when she got pregnant or when she abandoned him.  When she sees him with the police and walks away - gah, that was awful.

Me too!  All of that wood, stained glass, shelves and nooks and crannies.  My ideal house.

Yes, the house was gorgeous. And I forgot to mention the way the film book ended Billy's journey. The first flashback of him and his mom at the carnival, where he lost his family...to the ending, again at the carnival, where he faces his fears and finds a new family. I loved it.

[Lantern7]

In case you didn't know, Death Battle will be pitting Shazam against Captain Marvel this Wednesday. Here's the preview on Billy (Carol's can be found here)

And in case you do not watch Adult Swim, here's a bit from Robot Chicken promoting the movie. Also, I think this is the only time they spoofed Cap/Shazam/Billy.

Before I forget to bring it up: what kind of term  is "bullet immunity"?

Edited April 8, 2019 by Lantern7

[Shannon L.]

I like it and would put it just under Wonder Woman on my personal list.  However, I felt like the balance was a bit off in regards to the material.  I think that some of the light stuff was a bit too childish for the PG-13 and up crowd and the some of the evil/sad stuff was way over the top for a movie that was obviously made to appeal to a younger audience.

However, I did laugh a fair amount and thought Zachary Levi was perfect for the role.  I was also impressed with the two young leads, as well as Darla.  I loved her. 

The end credit scene would have been even cuter if this movie had come out before Aquaman.

[scarynikki12]

Gail Simone saw the movie last night and tweeted a lovely reaction.  Hope DC will finally let her write the Marvel family.

[IWantCandy71]

So I did rewatch, and I am firmly in the "kinda loved it" camp. The whole "wizardry" thing is not my bag-and I guess I had forgotten just HOW he got his powers-the trailer not withstanding. But overall, yes I loved it and will probably go see it a THIRD time, before it's all over.

But you know what ? Just the fact that Billy/Shazam isn't a douchebag, is enough for me to say it's the best superhero movie I've seen since The Dark Knight Rises. Christian Bale's Batman is for me, the last true superhero before Shazam, that hasn't come across as self righteously unbearable.

Any Avenger character ? Check. Aquaman ? Check. Thor ? Absolutely. Captain Marvel ? Good grief, yes.  Didn't see Wonder Woman or Black Panther, so can't attest to how they'd come across to me.  So just the fact that I didn't want someone to jack slap Billy Batson, even when he WAS being douchey, to me, that makes this movie a winner. I cared about that kid even when he was being a bad friend and a self involved jerk.  I didn't want him  hurt, and I wanted him to win. I can't say that about any "superhero"  in any of these movies in the past several years.

No, this movie won't make a billion dollars. Meh, so what ? I think it will do pretty well, and a sequel  is already in the planning stages. I'll get to see the characters again, and the three principle actors/characters....they are just SO GOOD. So worth the investment and  I'm looking forward to getting to see where the sequel goes.

The movie is a great time and unlike some other superhero movies released recently, it actually is FUN and entertaining...and that's all a movie like this should be. I don't need it to make a statement about anything. I personally don't care about "diversity" in a movie like this-but we got it, anyway.

But it also has something no other superhero movie in the last decade has had-true HEART and WARMTH. So you don't just get real laughs and fun- you get good acting, good cast chemistry, and a good overall message (the importance of family and finding your place in the world.)And I LOVED the characters. I loved Freddie and Billy (in both forms). And the side supporting characters were fun, too.

And can I again just give a shout out to Mark Strong ? And that scene where he's making his big villain speech and Shazam can't hear him because he's so far away...the audience died laughing both times I watched this. And the "Lightning in my hands" scene, and how it causes the accident and Freddie (God BLESS HIM for calling his friend out on his crap) points out that Shazam saving the bus from the accident was not heroic because it was HIS FAULT in the first place.

Putting the superheroes in their place when they're being a douche ?  Again, it's so rare these days, and I LOVE IT. Give me more of Freddie being his moral check point, please and thank you.

Jack, Asher. Mark and Zachary deserve all the kudos.

[amaranta]

'Shazam!' Sequel in the Works With Screenwriter Henry Gayden
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/shazam-sequel-works-original-screenwriter-1200279

[Raja]

I had more fun than Aquaman. The murder of the big brother has to be the most shocking death of 2019.

[Lantern7]

Here's the Death Battle between Shazam and Captain Marvel. Enjoy!

[tennisgurl]

I am going to be in the "Very much enjoyed" camp. I would probably put it under Wonder Woman, and just above Aquaman in my DC movie list. I've always loved Zachary Levy, and he was great here, as were the rest of the cast. I was especially impressed by the kid actors, they all really held their own in the midst of all these superhero shenanigans. 

I love how people in this universe are just totally used to Superheroes and stuff by now. "Oh, a guy in a costume and cape just charged my phone with electricity coming out of his fingers? Cool, I really needed to check my email." 

The biggest laughs to me were the kids yelling "Billy!" instead of Shazam, and the bad guy doing a whole big villain speech, but Billy is too far away to actually hear him! "We`re like a mile apart!"

I liked the general theme of family, and how people deal with family related troubles. Sivana had an awful family, and that led him to become bitter and hate filled as a adult. Billy's mom was miserable after her parents through her out after her teenage pregnancy, and that led to her abandoning her son. Billy wanted to find his long lost mom, and that lose made him cynical and selfish, but his new foster family helped him learn to look out for other people, then when he found her and realized she didnt want him, he embraced being a hero, AND his new family. 

The mom scene was just so freaking sad. Poor Billy spent years trying to find his mom, who he assumed was looking for him to, and then it turns out she abandoned him, and wont even give him a hug after being reunited. I also really liked the detail that the flashbacks that Billy remembered and what she remembered was clearly very different. In Billy's version, everything was happy and bright and his mom was super perfect and attentive, but in her version, the colors were more muted, their clothes looked less nice, and she seemed frazzled and distracted. And when he handed her the key-chain that he held as this memento of her, and she had no idea what it was? Ouch!

Loved all of his foster siblings getting super powers, even though as the Marvel family is a long time DC staple, i really should have seen it coming. I also want to see more of the weird door room. More weird doors!

[IWantCandy71]

I used to read all sorts of comics as a kid. (never read any with Shazam/Billy Batson, though).

And as already said, I vaguely remember the TV show as a kid. But I don't know how Freddy became disabled ? I think the movie is more based on the updated comics than the original story, and I don't know if either version ever explains what caused the disability ? Does anyone know ? I ask because:

[link]https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenlopez/2019/04/08/shazams-freddy-freeman-disabled-superheroes/#3a781dd3434b[link]

This writer seems to be confused.  I think she's remembering the lines where Freddy gives two different reasons to Billy about his disability-that he got pushed out a window, and that he had cancer. But he says "just joking" after saying both these things, and I think she missed that part because she seems to think him getting pushed out the window is what caused it if I read it right. And I wanted to correct her but couldn't comment on the article. So if anyone else cares-LOL-and you have Instagram or Twitter -please drop her a note to let her know she's wrong ? I normally don't care about these things-but she's taking issue with something that isn't true at all and that kind of thing always bothers me because I know some who haven't seen the movie will get upset and take issue and it would be all for nothing.

I can't recall any moment in the film where the reason for the disability is clearly stated, and I actually see that as a good thing. Because the writers just treated Freddy like he wanted to be treated-like he mattered, disabled or not. Going in to  an explanation of why he is disabled actually brings more attention to the disability itself and not him as a person-something the character wouldn't like. He wants attention-but not that kind. I'm not really sure what kind of point the writer of the article is trying to make ? Because while I am kind of curious myself as to the reason behind it, it's ultimately not important to me unless the character decides he wants it to be important to others. I thought they handled it well, even if they had written it as the result of an accident, I don't see the problem ? 

And I kind of assumed (probably wrongly) that he had scoliosis, which while definitely would be enough to make him an outcast, is also something that can be self healing and as an adult he might not even have to wear a brace anymore.  Either way, I definitely think there is a deliberate comparison not just between Billy and Thad and how they handle their awful families, but also Freddy and Thad's father, one who handles the disability with humor and a positive attitude, and the other who seems to be even more cold and bitter than before. Of course, one has to walk with a brace while the other can't walk at all, but still. It's a good example of how our attitudes about a situation or problem can be markedly different and how those attitudes can shape our lives.

Edited April 11, 2019 by IWantCandy71

[IWantCandy71]

13 hours ago, Raja said:

I had more fun than Aquaman. The murder of the big brother has to be the most shocking death of 2019.

Yeah, that was a pretty wild scene-was NOT expecting that at all.