SUPERHEROES DO HAVE A FUN SIDE
SHAZAM! (12A) ★★★★★
MAGIC and monsters cause mayhem in this terrific crowd-pleasing superhero romp which doubles as a body-swap comedy. This confident seventh instalment in the increasingly lighthearted, bright and colourful DC Extended Universe takes place in the same world as the recent billion-dollar success Aquaman – but don’t hold your breath waiting for the king of Atlantis to turn up.
Billy is a teenage orphan who, while searching for his mother, finds himself endowed with extraordinary powers and unlooked-for responsibility.
Following an encounter with a wizard, whenever Billy says the magic word Shazam, he’s magically transformed into an adult superhero, with strength, speed and the ability to shoot electric bolts from his fingers.
Asher Angel is fresh-faced and likeable as 14-year-old Billy, with an
exuberantly gleeful and goofy Zachary Levi playing his super-powered alter-ego.
The script owes a lot to Tom Hanks’ 1988 comedy Big and pays homage to it during a fight in a department store, while the film’s energy has the wide-eyed excitable tone of 1985 kiddie caper The Goonies.
As Billy learns to control his powers, the warm dynamic of his diverse foster family provides a strong emotional grounding to counter the fantasy elements.
It’s here we meet Faithe Herman, playing Billy’s foster sister Darla, a delightful pocket-sized scenestealing charmer.
Packed with jokes, this is funnier than Deadpool and has more laughs than Kick-A**, plus it’s also much kinder and far more appropriate for a family audience.
Brit actor Mark Strong played the bad guy in Kick-A**, and appears here as supervillain Dr Sivana who’s hunting Shazam to steal his powers. He gets involved in all the flashy CGI action, such as magic realms, scary demons and mid-air fights.
Yet this movie’s greatest strength is knowing that superheroes were created as a wish fulfilment fantasy for lonely adolescents, and it’s all the more enjoyable because it puts them firmly centre stage.