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The success of Spider-Man: in the Spider-Verse recalled that superheroes were created primarily for children and that, therefore, superhero movies can resonate and therefore must at least be designed for them. Without needing to be "rocked", they should reflect the values and aspirations of the children, the fulfillment of their desires, the adversity, the moral clarity and sense of consequences resulting from the attempt to do good in a world that they discover more and more. not always so well. Spider worms do this in a way that is so profound and transcendent that it is not surprising that parents whom I know are going back to their own child as they watch, while their children explode in a delirious excitement, claiming – and aspiring – to be Miles Morales.
Conversely, I'm not sure if Shazam! This is exactly the super-hero movie that a child would do for himself, or it's the perfect encapsulation of a studio think tank that tries to anticipate what this imaginary child wants. Deconcentrated, noisy and overly talkative, DC character adaptation by director David Sandberg provides a host of superhero theaters routine and fulfillment of wishes "when I grow up", but his willingness to explore the notion of family at the expense of the character's actual development – and the apparent lack of adult counseling, both on screen and on screen – does not provide sufficient inspiration.
Asher Angel embodies Billy Batson, a 14-year-old orphan living in Philadelphia who spent his young life reuniting with his lost mother, much to the dismay of not one but six foster families and, possibly, authorities. Deported to a seventh house where he immediately inherits five siblings, Billy falls back into his old ways and resists the urge to bond with other children. But after intervening to defend his disabled Freddy brother (Jack Dylan Grazer), he is sued in a subway that magically transports him into the den of a former wizard (Djimon Hounsou). The wizard gives Billy incredible powers that he does not explain how to use, but only that they are supposed to physically defend themselves against the Seven Deadly Sins and send him back to Earth.
Transformed into an adult Shazam hero (Zachary Levi), with cape and costume, he asks Freddy to help him discover the limits of his powers. Perhaps in a predictable way, Billy and Freddy quickly become obsessed with each new discovery ability – speed, superhuman strength, lightning control – and use them to generate easy money, deal with petty grievances and, sometimes, more by personal edification than by moral obligation, to stop criminal acts. But when Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), a scientist obsessed with his own vision of the ancient wizard since his childhood, shows up to destroy Shazam and absorb his power, effectively unleashing the evils of the seven deadly sins on the planet. humanity, the young Billy is forced to grow up quickly and accept a responsibility for which he may not be ready.
While it is an excellent decision to treat DC movies (and virtually all other films) as independent entities rather than as cogs in a complex and interconnected machine, almost disappointing with the idea that Shazam! The Justice League will not meet in the near future. (One can only imagine the geek-out conversations, let alone the competitions, shared between Billy and Barry Allen, for example.) What this character and concept brings to the CUSD is a real sense of urgency. wonder and childlike pleasure, something that even the best of the previous movies did not have. In addition, the notion of a scared child trying to overcompensate his fears inside the body of a comically funny adult superhero is something very powerful thematically – what they are all alert spoiler.
Despite and because of his overly inflated physique, Levi seems ideally placed in the role, bringing the right kind of astonishment to every new twist in his superhero journey. But it's really the writing, and often the overlay, that negates what could have been a wonderfully emotional journey for this kid. The bond of dependence that Billy holds with his family is unfortunately also extended to the public. As a result, his talkative brother Freddy is given the task of decoding, deconstructing and explaining each choice, each piece of information, and possibly a motivation that motivates and exhausts him without never touch the emotions we are supposed to feel.
In addition, the film seems to want to encroach on virtually every moment of triumph experienced by Shazam – a fun tactic when it saves people that it has accidentally sheltered or that it's looking for. change in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, less when it faces its ultimate enemy and discover new reserves of strength and determination. But the scripts that require its almost without exception capabilities come from a comic book reading book dating back to before 1978. Superman (to be clear, I do not denigrate in any way): in different places, he is overwhelmed by thieves of convenience stores, a bus slips on the edge of the overpbad and a large wheel threatens to tip, injuring not only the pbadengers know, but the civilians on the ground.
Transition to a more attractive studio rate after making two amazingly stylish and effective horror movies (Curfew and Annabelle: CreationDavid Sandberg is a skillful technician, but it is clear that some habits are lacking in the management of the intensity of what would be needed again. at least Family friendly, if not family oriented. The seven deadly sins are themselves a little too scary for many younger viewers, but several scenes of violence involving Sivana – including one where he casts a man through an apartment window – are terribly violent even for a PG-13 movie.
Again, the consequences of these acts are almost completely ignored or forgotten by the film, so maybe they do not matter too much. This too looks like a story written by children, where for a moment their hero can hit the skulls of crooks and later he exploits his body of Large Adult Son to gain access to a striptease club. But must there be so many digressions and no sequencers? Or laborious and peaceful gains on the theme of "family" that could actually work and are certainly put in place, but are never earned?
In retrospect, I realize that many of these complaints resemble an adult criticizing the story of a child or simply ignoring the perspective of this imaginary author. But the problem is that the real people who made this film were adults and have not managed to put their audience in this childish point of view – whether to understand the dilapidated story or just to identify with this poor lost child, endowed with powers of a god. Ultimately, Shazam! is probably a little too mature for children and too childish for adults, but it is sufficiently usable to justify a sequel that explores the good clear ideas presented in it. Let's hope that people who have the right age, or at least the spirit, make one.
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