Shazam! (2019) (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

Captain Sparkle Fingers

 

[Sam Favate]

We went to the 4pm preview today too, and the movie is absolutely delightful. If you're even slightly tired of superhero movies that take themselves too seriously, this movie is the tonic you need. Lighthearted, but not silly, and yet realistic but never grim. It definitely takes place in the DC film universe, but this movie is light-years away from Batman v Superman. And that's a great thing, IMO.

Levy is so good in the role. Sure, there are comparisons to Big and the movie knows it. It walks a fine line of acknowledging things the audience is thinking without ever winking too much at them.

Mark Strong makes a good villain, although by no fault of his, the scenes with just him suffer in comparison to those with Billy/Shazam and his family. There's a lot of really good casting here. The kids playing Billy and Freddy Freeman could have carried the movie.

This movie is like an 80s adventure comedy, if it was made with modern-day technology and with the superhero craze in mind. Oh, and for those keeping score, there are two after-credit scenes, one mid-credits and one at the very end. The fact that Warner had this preview two weeks out from the release date shows confidence, and it's justified. The Zach Synder influence on the DC films is dead. This is the way to go. (FWIW, I think the story worked better than Aquaman, a film I also enjoyed.)

 

[JimmyO]

Very encouraging!

 

[Robert Crawford]

(FWIW, I think the story worked better than Aquaman, a film I also enjoyed.)

IMO, a much better film than "Aquaman" and I liked that film too, but not nearly as much as this one.

 

[dpippel]

Thanks for your impressions guys. I'm happy to see everyone being so positive about this movie!

 

[Sean Bryan]

Looking forward to it!

 

[Sam Favate]

BTW, one thing I forgot to mention: I found it strange that the film doesn't have the animated DC intro that we've seen on the last several DC films, with all the characters. There's a DC bullet after the WB logo and the NewLine logo, but that's it. (Yes, NewLine lives!)

 

[TJPC]

Is the movie available in 3D?

 

[Malcolm R]

Is the movie available in 3D?

Yes.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I was otherwise occupied on Saturday so missed the preview but am also glad to read that it was so good. I'll be going when it officially releases for sure.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

If you've watched the TV series Chuck, you knew casting Zac Levi as Shazam was perfection. He's born to play these type of roles. Can't wait to see it.

 

[Tino]

The Hollywood premiere was Thursday night and from the pictures my friend sent me from the red carpet it looked like a gigantic affair.

He wouldn’t tell me what he thought until we all see it together next Saturday. I get the feeling he was slightly disappointed.

 

[Sam Favate]

He wouldn’t tell me what he thought until we all see it together next Saturday. I get the feeling he was slightly disappointed.

Wow, that's too bad. You can tell him my family and I enjoyed it immensely. It's also exactly what the DC films need.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Wow, that's too bad. You can tell him my family and I enjoyed it immensely. It's also exactly what the DC films need.

Same here. I plan on seeing it a couple more times in the movie theater.

 

[Tino]

To be clear I got the impression he was disappointed. Not that he didn’t like it. Pretty sure he enjoyed it.

Probably upset that they changed his script which is understandable I guess.

 

[Brandon Conway]

BTW, one thing I forgot to mention: I found it strange that the film doesn't have the animated DC intro that we've seen on the last several DC films, with all the characters. There's a DC bullet after the WB logo and the NewLine logo, but that's it. (Yes, NewLine lives!)

Director David F. Sandberg tweeted that they just plain forgot about that intro when they timed the opening logo sequencing, LOL.

 

[Brandon Conway]

BTW, I hope people give this movie a chance. It's a delight, and should appeal to general audiences if they don't dismiss it for [insert reason]. This isn't some art piece or some grand epic, but simply a charming superhero character/situational comedy with just enough feel good dramatic elements and pop-action moments.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

The movie had promise, but it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a dark film or a goofball kiddie flick. It goes down the middle and never satisfies either side.

The movie's "PG-13" for a reason: there are some very dark scenes with serious violence. It's not the kid-friendly romp the trailers convey.

I thought Levi was awful. He felt like a man playing a cartoon idea of a kid instead of someone who could actually identify with his youth. Tom Hanks played young but not childish. Levi makes Billy look like a silly idiot.

And then there are the plot holes - many, many plot holes.

The movie has sporadic bouts of entertainment value, but it's a mess that doesn't hold together in the long run - and it's a very long run for such a flimsy story, as 132 minutes seems way too long for this particular tale.

It's a mix of "Big" and "Spider-Man" but without the charm and wit and heart...

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched it a second time today on a IMAX theater in 2-D. I enjoyed it just as much this second time and plan on seeing it again in 3-D as one of my A-List selections. My film score is still 4.5. Also, I picked up my ticket for my IMAX showing of Endgame the morning of April 26th.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

The movie had promise, but it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a dark film or a goofball kiddie flick. It goes down the middle and never satisfies either side.

I thought Levi was awful. He felt like a man playing a cartoon idea of a kid instead of someone who could actually identify with his youth. Tom Hanks played young but not childish. Levi makes Billy look like a silly idiot.

And then there are the plot holes - many, many plot holes.

I normally agree with you on movies, but I have to disagree very strongly here. I thought it was a hell of a lot of fun and I think Levi was perfect for that role. Levi was playing a 15 year-old. Tom Hanks is playing a much younger character. Of course the 15 year-old is going to act more like an idiot than the young child! I certainly admit that when I was 15, I often acted like an idiot.

It's a mix of "Big" and "Spider-Man" but without the charm and wit and heart...

One of the first things I thought after it was over was that it had a lot of heart.