With an estimated $100 million budget, 2019’s Shazam! was a financial success, grossing nearly $366 million worldwide. In addition, the film garnered positive reviews, earning a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its performances and lighter tone. A sequel was to follow, and much of the original cast and crew announced their return in December 2019. While initially scheduled for an April 2022 release, the sequel was pushed back to November due to COVID-19. New cast members included Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler, who debuted in the 2021 West Side Story remake. The movie was shot in Atlanta from May 26 to August 31, 2021, with a budget of $125 million. Following WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc, the studio decided to replace the upcoming Aquaman sequel with this film. Finally, the long-awaited Shazam! Fury of the Gods hit worldwide theaters on March 17, 2023.
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Synopsis
Billy Batson (Angel Asher), as his alter ego Shazam (Zachary Levi), is having difficulty maintaining his adoptive family. The other siblings want to do their own thing, while Billy worries about being thrown out once he’s 18. On top of that, Billy gets a message from The Wizard (Djimon Hounsou), warning him about the Daughters of Atlas. Said daughters, Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu), possess the broken staff that gave Billy his powers. Meanwhile, Billy’s brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) meets a girl named Anne (Rachel Zegler), who is Atlas’s youngest daughter, Anthea. Hespera and Kalypso trap Philadelphia in a dome and steal the Golden Apple, the seed of the Tree of Life. When the sisters grow the tree, several monsters sprout throughout the city and attack the citizens. Billy and his “Shazamily” must band together to stop the sisters from plunging the world into darkness.
Review
What made the original film great was its mix of superhero action and a story about finding one’s family. With the sequel, that spark is missing, as it drags more into a generic by-the-numbers superhero spectacle. It doesn’t help that the “Shazamily” spends most of their time in their superhero form, which creates a weird disconnect. While the alter ego actors are reasonable, it doesn’t feel like we’re watching grown-up versions of the same characters. The exception is Jack Dylan Grazer, who gets the most character development and is easily the movie’s highlight. He has fantastic chemistry with Rachel Zegler, and his scenes with Djimon Honsou are funny. Meanwhile, Asher Angel only shows up two or three times, giving the majority of screen time to Zachary Levi. This disconnect and lack of balance ultimately hurt the film’s chances of matching the quality of the original.
Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu do a decent job as the new villains but ultimately feel wasted. Djimon Hounsou’s return is welcome as he does a great job, but it makes his sacrifice in the original hollow. While there is some fun spectacle, especially seeing Shazam fight a giant dragon, it’s hard to care about what’s happening. Again, it goes back to the original, how the hero and villain have a similar backstory but different outcomes. While I’m not saying the sequel needed something similar, it lacked the depth and heart it had. This viewing experience is more fulfilling than Black Adam, which was even more generic, but that’s not saying much. Ultimately, this sequel disappoints, leaving one wondering what the future holds, given the eventual DC Universe reboot. Overall, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has some entertaining moments but at the cost of the original’s charm.
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