'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' movie review: Predictable but highly entertaining and goofy sequel

Still from Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Film: Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Cast: Helen Mirren, Jack Dylan Grazer, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Faithe Herman, Jovan Armand, Ian Chen
Director: David F. Sandberg
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 130 mins

Director David F Sandberg's attempt to rekindle that teenage zest and mirth that ‘Shazam!' so contagiously advocated, proves successful enough. The introductory edition was a quirky, charming outing that fortified its fandom by attracting kids and preteens more than teens and adults. It's a playful story of the young Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who, by uttering the magic word ‘Shazam!' transformed into his alter ego, the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi), won hearts without much ado. The sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods may not be deep or fulfilling but it is a perfectly acceptable kid-friendly comic book movie. It carries forward the over-the-top goofy vibe its predecessor exhibited, and manages to get enough comic mileage out of challenges faced by kids and teenagers who suddenly find themselves in adult bodies with superpowers.

The adult superheroes may not have any problems poking fun at themselves or pulling each other's leg but they are plagued with teenage complexes - in keeping with their real-life teenage selves. So even when they are out clumsily saving the world ( they are dubbed as ‘The Philadelphia Fiascoes'), they are plagued with self-doubt and sexual fantasies particular to the teenage set. The leader (Zachary Levy) of the Shazam pack which also includes unicorn-obsessed Darla (Faithe Herman), ambitious Mary (Grace Caroline Currey), confused Pedro (Jovan Armand), and obsessive Eugene (Ian Chen), even has improbable dreams of catching Wonder Woman's eye.

The narrative juxtaposes teen life with adult superhero outings - so it's quite easy to comprehend how Billy and the other kids from the foster home who possess the powers of the gods, find it a little more difficult to adjust to the transition from normal teens to adult superheroes and back. Unexpectedly though, we see Billy's best bro Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Glazer), as the one who falls in love with Anne (Rachel Zegler), a new pretty girl at school.

Fury of the Gods has a vengeful trio of ancient gods; Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and Anthea arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them. And the Shazam allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world. This sequel ups the ante before the upcoming DC reboot but will these characters stick around for the long haul? Silliness drives the plot forward, allowing audiences to enjoy its superfluous witticisms and not expect much more, despite the higher stakes.

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Billy has five siblings, each of whom is now also a hero, so that's twelve characters plus foster parents to track. Though the screenwriters' Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan cleverly short-stuff the characterizations, the result feels fairly superfluous. Director Sandberg uses narrative simplicity and crisp cinematography to keep the story beats ticking. The smooth-flowing edits and the background score that lends volume and strength to the action, comedy, and drama, also help keep the interest going. The special effects are effective but there's nothing spectacular going on here. The hilarious kid-friendly action though at times obligatory is nicely orchestrated. The near 130 min runtime might seem burdensome but the movie has enough excitement and thrills coming at you before the climax, to keep you excited and entertained.