Year of Release: 2023
Director: David F. Sandberg
Starring: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D.J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Djimon Hounsou, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Gal Gadot, Rizwan Manji
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
Following the critical and commercial success of the first "Shazam!", director David F. Sandberg, went back into creating a few shorts, where he originally started his career, before tackling the successor of the superhero film which originally propelled him into another layer of visibility. The film follows the events of the first "Shazam!" and finds Billy and his siblings all living with those newfound powers and trying to make a difference in Philadelphia. Unbeknownst to them, Hespera and Kalypso, two of the daughters of the Titan Atlas, have an agenda of their own and they manage to recover and repair the Wizard's staff. In the meantime Freddy develops an infatuation with a new girl named Anne, who turns out is the youngest sister of Hespera and Kalypso, with her actual name being Anthea. The sisters eventually get a hold of the Golden Apple, which was in possession of the Shazam group, take away most of the powers of the Shazam family, and Kalypso plants the apple at the Citizens Bank Park, which grows throughout the city, threatening to destroy it, even more so when mythological monsters erupt from it. Billy devises a plan to save his family and the city, even if the sacrifice for it to come to fruition is a considerable one.
The reviews for this film weren't quite as balmy as the ones that greeted the original. That prompted a bit of a reaction from the creative team behind it, including the director and some of its lead stars. The thing about criticism ultimately lies with the fact that these are just opinions, and essentially interpretations of a product someone puts out there to be consumed. The problem with "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" isn't related to the fact that it's a terrible endeavor and cinematic journey. The narrative is a mix bag of trying to build a backdrop for the existence of these paper thin villains, married with this adolescent vibe (closer to a WB teen show) that is taking place with all the siblings and their super-hero personas. The rhythm between these threads clashes quite steadily and lacks the fluid aspect the original film showcased so well. By the time the third chapter of this film comes around (the clashing with the villain), it's once again peppered with an abundance of digital effects that doesn't necessarily add much distinctiveness to the super-hero genre and formula. There's still quite a bit to enjoy from this film, namely the sense of family unity, companionship and community the director builds amongst Billy's adoptive family (and city), however when the focus gravitates towards the villainous sisters, it becomes a very different endeavor, in terms of tone and even in terms of acting. While Helen Mirren manages to be phenomenal as always, Lucy Liu doesn't really know the tone she needs to impart on the character, oscillating between near camp and over the top villain (she lacks more of a grounding baseline much like she had on Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol. 1"). The rest of the cast manages to bring these characters to life, even if with very limited dimension. The production team is solid, with highlights going to Gyula Pados' cinematography and Christophe Beck's score. Paul Kirby's production design is at times reminiscent of the "Harry Potter" universe, and not necessarily memorable. Ultimately this film plays out like a teen focused, highly budgeted TV movie, with little character definition. It needed a stronger point of view and a tighter narrative thread. It's watchable but forgettable.
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