(MOVIE POSTER PROVIDED VIA IMDB.COM)

***WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***

RELEASE DATE: April 5, 2019

RATED: PG-13

RUNNING TIME: 2 Hours 12 Minutes

DIRECTOR: David F. Sandberg

WRITERS: Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke

STARRING:

Zachary Levi as Shazam

Asher Angel as Billy Batson

Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana

Ethan Pugiotto as Young Thaddeus Sivana

Djmon Hounson as Wizard

Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman

Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy

Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley

Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla

Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield

Michelle Borth as Super Hero Mary

Ian Chen as Eugene Choi

Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene

Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena

DJ Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro

Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez

Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez

John Glover as Mr. Savana

To say that I have been waiting for this movie for a while would be an understatement. When looking at the DCEU (I know that’s not the official name, but I don’t care I like it) as a whole, it shows great strides for the direction of DC on Film. As a fan of DC Comics for a majority of my life, I have a decent understanding of the history and character of Shazam (originally Captain Marvel but not the same one who also had a movie released recently). Many of my friends would watch the trailer for the film and not really understand what they were looking at. They were confused with why a grown man in a superhero costume would behave like a boy.

Again back to my knowledge of the character and his traits and origins. I found myself constantly explaining who he was and why Shazam would be behaving the way he was in the trailers. But no matter how many times I told people, they still did not get it. I’m going to try to explain him now briefly and you can feel free to tell me if you understand if you like. It could be through a message through this website or an e-mail or even through social media. I don’t mind.

Billy Batson is an orphan who goes through many foster homes and never really fits in until he meets his new foster family which include Freddy Freeman, Mary Bromfield, Darla Dudley, Eugene Choi and Pedro Pena. Together they would all share a bond unmatched by any other (...nope, not spoiling that). One day after running away from school bullies, Billy finds himself taking a subway train when he notices that all of the digital signs on the train go haywire and everyone disappears. The train stops in a magical cave where Billy meets the Wizard Shazam who passes his powers onto Billy to create his new champion Shazam. As Shazam, Billy is transformed into an adult with superpowers after he says the word Shazam and then vice versa after she says the word again.

Each letter in the name Shazam comes from the Gods that the hero gets his powers from. Look below for a list of what each letter stands for and why:

"S": The wisdom of Solomon

"H": The strength of Hercules

"A": The stamina of Atlas

"Z": The power of Zues

"A": The courage of Achilles

"M": The speed of Mercury

I was super impressed with this film. I feel that the film makers treated the hero and his alter ego with the respect that this legendary character deserves. Yes the movie felt very different from your typical superhero movie, but it had to be so that the character was explored properly. I loved that they showed him struggle with his powers and that they actually showed how a 12 year old boy would behave if he suddenly acquired the body and powers of a superhero.

I loved the usage of one of my favorite actors, John Glover. Mark Strong was a more than effective villain for our hero. The struggling bond of Billy's foster parents were well displayed by both Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews. The children, especially Freddy, all worked amazing together. And of course the combination of Zachary Levi and Asher Angel made for a complete and sometimes incomplete hero. The acting in this film was excellent all around.

Please see this movie if you haven't already. I promise you that you will not regret it. Enjoy!

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