BLOOD WORK: DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE: SHAZAM! (2019)

I did something last night that I haven't done in a long time: I went to the movies and made a double feature out of it! I saw both SHAZAM! and the new PET SEMATARY back to back! Truly a glorious evening! So we've got two reviews coming to you this weekend! First off is Shazam!

Let me start off by saying that the super hero movies of 2019 may be the biggest indicator of how far super hero cinema has come. How crazy is it that in just over a month we've received major big budget motion pictures featuring both Marvel and DC's CAPTAIN MARVELS?! Who'd have ever called that? And later this month we'll get a third HELLBOY movie and the second half of an adaptation Marvel Comics' THE INFINITY GAUNTLET. And later still we'll be receiving the second try at the PHOENIX SAGA from the X-Men films! And finally another Spider-Man film and a Joker movie and... no, wait, I guess those last two aren't as out of left field as the others, but still awesome!

This is such an amazing time we're living in! I love it!

Anyway, Shazam! marks the quickest turn around between DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films, Aquaman only premiering less than five months ago. And in my opinion both films are pretty good! It finally feels like DC has some momentum going for them and their films.

Yes, I liked Shazam! Now, as far as the comics go, I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Captain Marvel (now officially renamed Shazam, I guess?). I know the secret identity and basic outline of the character. Beyond that, I went into this movie not knowing exactly what was coming. It's kinda rare nowadays that I know close to nothing about the super hero films I'm watching.

THE PLOT

The powerful wizard, Shazam, is dying. If he cannot find a worthy successor to take his powers, the magic of Shazam will be lost forever. In his quest to find a worthy champion, the wizard encounters two individuals: Thaddeus Sivana and Billy Batson. Sivana frees the long imprisoned Seven Deadly Sins, taking their power for himself. Billy Batson, a troubled teenage boy, displays that he truly has a pure heart, and receives the powers of Shazam! Billy, struggling to learn his new powers, finds himself in Sivana's crosshairs, the mad doctor seeking to add the wizard's powers to his own.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Everybody's saying it and I'll echo it: this feels like a breath of fresh air to the DCEU. It's funny, it's well paced, and it's only concerned with telling one story: that of its titular hero. In my best estimates, this is the closest DC has come to replicating the formula from 2017's WONDER WOMAN.

This is my favorite use of humor in the DCEU. It feels very genuine (most of the time) and seldomly forced. And for the most part it lands well, it's just a shame that so much of the best jokes were shown in the first two trailers. And it feels like a natural fit for the character. I like my serious super hero films and I have enjoyed some humorous super hero films as well. But it has to fit with the characters. DC has needlessly made some of its heroes overly brooding and dark when they shouldn't be. And likewise, the MCU has made some characters forcibly humorous when they shouldn't be. In summary, this tone feels perfect for DC's Captain Marvel. And there's the key take away right there...

This movie nailed Captain Marvel's character. I can't speak too detailed about the adaptation from comics to film, however, from what experience I have had this feels like a true realization of the character.

Zachary Levi hits a home-run with this performance. I am happy that he has jumped ship from Marvel to DC only to find success at the former. I really don't like how Marvel Studios handled his character, Fandral and the rest of the Warriors Three, all of whom deserved better. Sorry, I had to mini rant a bit. Anyway, Levi possesses genuine enthusiasm and imbues the character with real heart. Like with Wonder Woman, Shazam! showcases what it means to be a hero.

And it's focused too! Unlike most every DCEU film (with the exception of Wonder Woman and maybe Man of Steel), Shazam! is concerned with telling only one story, that of its hero. And it services the greater DCEU effortlessly. Aquaman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and Suicide Squad all appeared scatterbrained in their narrative structure. They told seven movies worth of story in one movie while obviously servicing their cinematic universe architecture. In contrast to these films, Shazam! feels like it's standing on firm ground. They've laid a good foundation to build from. And I'll go so far as to say that it has an even stronger climax than Wonder Woman!

Now it's not all good.

This movie is an origin story (and it kind of has to be). But with that comes a lot of the "origin story" elements we've all grown accustomed to. And some of the moments are kind of a slog to get through. There were moments where I was wishing they'd just get on with it already. But, it's hard to fault them when they're doing a proper origin film (something I wish they would've done from the start of the DCEU with all their characters before doing the crossovers). And they've done the origin story so well.

There's also a lack of a strong film score. One of the aspects that the DCEU has always done better than the MCU are the orchestral scores. Superman's theme, Batman's, and Wonder Woman's theme are galaxies beyond anything Marvel has. Even when some of the movies miss their marks, the music has almost always been strong (with a few exceptions obviously). Sadly the music here fades into the background. It feels like "temp" music, which is a disappointing fact of current filmmaking nowadays.

Aside from these few things, I don't have too many other nitpicks.

THE VERDICT

The DCEU can now claim two really top tier super hero films (I would say three as I actually really enjoy Man of Steel, but I don't feel it was a great representation of Superman from the comics). All the actors are great, even Mark Strong, as yet another comic book villain, shines. But the heart and soul of the film is Zachary Levi's Captain Marvel. The story is focused and tight and surprisingly human (you know, human heroes are Marvel's thing. Hero gods walking the Earth is DC's thing). Other than a few obligatory origin story moments to trudge through, this is easily tied for my favorite DCEU movie.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10