Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, gather your family and discuss Shazam!, which premiered in the United States on Friday, April 5, 2019.
Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we are all individuals, even mutual love of something (or hate) can come from different places: you may find everything from critique to fangirling to maybe even hate-watching.
Now, join J.L. Gribble as she talks about Shazam! [Note: Spoiler-free!]
J.L.: I’m glad that I saw this movie, and I’m happy that I even managed to see it in theaters on opening weekend after a long weekend of travel. It was a massive departure from what I’ve come to expect from the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), even after Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but all for the better.
I’m not totally familiar with the character of Shazam, and I wasn’t thrilled to be treated to another superhero movie starring a bunch of white dudes. I was even more turned off when I realized that the wizard who grants the powers falls squarely in the “Magical Negro” trope (and he’s not the only racially stereotyped character by far). However, the good points in this movie far outweighed the bad, and there were some delightful surprises.
I can’t talk about all the surprises because they verge into spoiler territory, but I can talk about the fantastic casting. Zachary Levi and Asher Angel were seamless as the character of Billy Batson, and Jack Dylan Glazer as bestie/sidekick manager Freddy Freeman held his own against both outstanding actors. Overall, the younger actors were truly the stars of this show, which leads me to my next favorite point.
The lack of love story! This was entirely appropriate due to the age of the titular character, and it was refreshing to see a focus on family in a superhero film, especially since most superheroes in their standalone or origin films end up with an emphasis on going it alone. Ultimately, these thematic elements made for the more interesting plot points in the film, whereas the spectacle of the villain was not terribly engrossing at times (honestly, Mark Strong was wasted on such a ham-fisted character).
Finally, I was surprised that a DCEU film finally brought to life one of my favorite tropes in online fandom — merchandising. Freddy isn’t just your run-of-the-mill superhero nerd. He has the collection to back it up. But its not just played for gags. What could have been a throwaway element of world-building ends up playing into facets of character development and conflict. (And sets up the hilarious after-credits stinger, which is not to be missed.)
After the ambivalence I felt toward Justice League, I find myself looking forward to another ensemble film in this universe. Now, the slate of DCEU characters I adore outnumbers those that I’m rather tired of. If a film is announced that includes Shazam, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the Flash, I’ll be there quicker than you can say:
I keep hearing good things about this one! I hope to see it!
While Mark Strong’s character might have been comically ham fisted, I got the feeling he was enjoying every second of it. How often does an actor get to chew scenery with such abandon?