Shazam discussion post?

[flint_marko]

I know there was another post about the movie a couple of weeks ago, but that was before it had its wide release and I don't think most people had seen it then.

Comments

[flint_marko]

I wish we could have seen more of the other family members and that Sivana was closer to his comic counterpart, but it was still a really great film. The cast did a great job, especially Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy.

[mazway_75]

I liked Strong in the part. He nailed the aspects of Savinia well as wanting more power denied him and yet so petty with bits like taking out his father and such. And the stroke of Envy hiding in him was genius as that's all he is.

[flint_marko]

He did a good job, but it didn't feel like Sivana when he was flying around and fighting Shazam hand-to-hand.

[scarabknight]

No, but judging from the credits scene, he may well become more like his comics counterpart. I can just see having had his power ripped from him driving him to experiments combining science and magic and doing more traditional Sivana things in a desperate bid to regain that same sense of power, plus it would give him a distinct niche in the (presumably) upcoming Monster Society of Evil adaptation.

Although watching this film made me realise that Mark Strong would be a damn near perfect Lex Luthor.

[akodo_rokku]

Yeah that's basically the New 52 Sivana story. He starts more big and buff and has some magic, but then his power's ripped away and he withers into the Sivana everyone's familiar with.

[flint_marko]

Not exactly. In the New 52 magic lightning hits his face, which lets him see magic. He doesn't have any other powers like the movie version, and he doesn't lose the ability either. But the magic causes his body to wither and look more like his classic counterpart.

I was expecting something similar to happen with his body in the movie, but after he loses his magic he doesn't look any different.

[lucean]

I really loved the movie and was genuinely surprised how smart it was at times. Not just how it handled the teen stuff, but also on certain plot points like how Billy never actually beats down Sivana, but rather understands how envy works. The movie was also genuinely funny.

The best nuance thing they did was actually with how the story chose Billy. When Shazam sent his wisps to seek out the one pure soul in the world, I was already rolling my eyes about how the sole pure soul in the world was a white boy. It wasn't detracting from my experience or anything, but it just felt so unnecessary. However, when they had Shazam choose Billy as a last resort, it made complete sense as I think the film's implication was that Shazam's test was too harsh. I mean, based on what followed, it feels like a safe choice Billy would never had passed the test as he did need his family to become something greater and worthy.

I'm glad it is doing well in the box office as I really want to see that sequel. This next is pure speculation, but I'm guessing they are going to go for a trilogy and shoot the next two parts at the same time as they essentially established Black Adam as the big bad already here. The reason I suspect they would go for that approach is that the cast is going to age out of those roles so fast that they need to move fast if they have a three movie plan.

[flint_marko]

The Black Adam thing was setting up for his solo movie starring the Rock. I believe the plan is to eventually have to the two interact, though I'm curious how they'll handle it.

Black Adam is presumably going to be more of an anti-hero in his movie, so would he be the villain when he's with Billy? And if his movie is darker, how will the tone work with the more cheerful Shazam (though the movie did have its dark parts)?

[lucean]

The Black Adam Rock movie isn't close to official yet, so we don't know the direction and Johnson was a producer on this film.

Also, they almost have to do that Billy/Adam film and the fact that the cast is aging out doesn't change that.

[flint_marko]

Johnson actually just said they're going to start filming Black Adam in a year.

I'm sure they have a plan for how the two characters will eventually interact since Johnson was also involved with Shazam, I'm just curious how they'll do it.

[mazway_75]

My guess is the sequel is Savina and Mister Mind gathering some other Marvel foes for the Monster Society of Evil and a huge clash. It's up in the air right now how it works with Black Adam.

On that, you have to give credit for actually making a "talking alien caterpillar" come off amazingly sinister and wicked ("I named the gods, Doctor, not the other way around.") and can't wait to see that develop more.

[mazway_75]

I give kudos to the part of (OBVIOUSLY SPOILER ALERT):




The casting of the adult forms of the kids when they transform. Michelle Broth and Adam Brody were so pitch-perfect as Mary and Freddie that for a brief moment I thought it was the kid actors with some CGI trickery. Terrific bit to get the crowd going.

And kudos to the marketing for resisting teasing or hinting this twist in promotion.

[flint_marko]

Though the merchandise revealed the other siblings would get powers too.

[thezmage]

But DC does have a history of padding their movie merch lines with characters that don’t show up, so it wasn’t that much of a spoiler

[lucean]

I did kind of feel bad for Mary Marvel in that final fight as her whole appearance was to wrestle with some tentacles while the other kids got at least some moments of shine.

[janegray]

I liked it, though I didn’t love it. It lacked the “HOLY SHIT!” powerful moments that take a movie from “fun” to “great”, and it was pretty obviously aimed at a younger audience, but it was indeed solid fun.

Fairly predictable. But given how many movies/shows have been ruined by the obsession with plot-twists at the cost of coherence, I’m fairly happy with a work that makes the flow from Point A to Point B to Point C logical and consistent, and keeps said flow entertaining.

My biggest complaint is the translation. The Italian script is less funny than the original English one. For example, the humorously petulant “I’m BASICALLY fifteen” is changed in Italian with just a bland “I’m fifteen.” The translation repeatedly tones down the quirkiness. Shame.

There were many funny scenes, but I actually laughed out loud at the fire test, it was brilliant.

[velacron]

I saw it just today and was thrilled - it exceeded my expectations in a good way.
I went in hoping for a stupid-but-yet-fun flick, the usual DC eclectic halfheartedness with a few funny bits thrown in to redeem it, but I was amazed how much fun they made it, a lot of jokes from start to finish and some really funny, the character chemistry engaging and above all, it was simply interesting from start to finish - there wasn't a patch in this two-hour movie where I was bored or not interested in seeing whats going to happen next. (And that's quite a feat in hindsight for such a straight-up story designed without any true twists, where the journey is the goal)

Though the strength of the movie lies in the stew of very different comedy, action, genre fiction and interpersonal relation ideas brought nevertheless together harmonically, if I had to name some weaknesses, I also felt like some of those ideas felt tonally off - heavy bullying treated casually as black humor and strip club jokes felt weird in a supposed children's movie and while I really, really loved the Seven Sins monsters, the board meeting scene was quite scary - cool, but absolutely not what I would describe as "light-hearted" anymore.

In conclusion, while I can in good conscience recommend this movie for any adult/older teenager who loves superheroes, fun and/or the old Shazam comics, I am not so sure whether I can regarding children/young teens.

PS: Does someone know which monster corresponds to which sin? My guess is that the one with the big mouth stands for Glutton and the four-armed one represents Greed, Envy was made clear and I guess the bat-winged creature is Pride, alluding to Lucifer.

[janegray]

The board meeting scene was necessary, though.

The villain had not killed a single person up to that point (the lady scientist's death was an accident, and he didn't even do anything; Shazam was already half dead of exhaustion, and Sivana didn't even finish him off). Nor did his plan involve any kind of casualties: he just seemed to want power to cover up his own inferiority complex, and revenge against his abusers (who, frankly, really had it coming).

One might therefore think it's not a big deal if he gets Billy's powers. The movie had to show a scene where the guy loses it in some spectacular fashion, and actually causes legit damage.

[mazway_75]

Plus, sells more of Savnia's ego and envy to show up his father. Also, great to show the dad who had run him down getting some payback. Loved Savina's line on "you think money is power?" So yeah, a needed scene to push the film.

[velacron]

Oh absolutely yes, they needed this in order to make the villain threatening, I merely meant that having a scary villain at all instead of a harmless hammy one proved to be a wise but unexpected decision, sorry if this came out the wrong way

[scarabknight]

Darla must be protected at all costs.

[alschroeder3]

Obviously, as the guy who did the LAST post about this (before it was released for general admission) I can only reiterate that I found it delightful, and loved it. Do I think it was the greatest movie ever, or even the best superhero movie? No. Did I have an excellent time and did it have some genuinely touching moments? (Billy and the resolution with his mother, his joining withhis new family.) Yes, indeed. I thought it amusing that the guy who played Luthor's father in SMALLVILLE was Sivana's father in this, also.

[informationgeek]

Loved it and frankly, the only negatives I had were just nitpicks (like Mary Marvel deserving a little more screentime at the end).

Already my favorite film of the year and I look forward to seeing it again with my dad.

[lizard_of_aus]

Enjoyed it as much as everybody else in this thread. Do still have some nitpicks- the two people turning to ash was a bit too intense in horror, as were the Sin's designs, I thought. Speaking of, the Sins were kind of under-utilised, I thought: you could have them compelling people to act in accordance with their sins, turn entire crowds against eachother in kicking and biting, but instead, they were kind of generic smashy monsters only capable of threatening one room at a time rather than toppling civilisations. Also, with Sivana's powerset here, I have to wonder how Black Adam isn't going to appear samey in the next film, AND I have to wonder how they're going to expand on the last mid-credits line when not even the comics have gone into full depth on that.

Jeeze, these nitpicks took up way more space than I'd intended. OTHER THAN THAT, good fun, good characters, good messages, good comedy, good action, just overall a really good film, with some nice surprises thrown in for good measure. Good!

[capnduckman]

Out the door: I loved it, absolutely loved it. The adult actress for Darla was FANTASTIC, honestly, all of them did such a good job at playing kids in grown bodies.

My only issue, was, well, it felt like it wanted to be two movies. Like it was splitting between wanting to be a PG family friendly super hero movie... And then the design of the sins, the not only going to a strip club, but RETURNING to the strip club (glitter really does get everywhere)... the ashing of the scientist lady, and I was rather surprised there was no blood splash, with peoples heads bit off, and being slammed against the glass doors...

[agent8]

I really enjoyed the movie but frankly I don't like the new iteration of Dr Sivana. Maybe I'm just old fashioned but I much prefer the older version - the gleefully cackling, mad scientist who was constantly butting heads with the "Big Red Cheese" while scheming to take over the world (and actually succeeding a couple of times). I miss that Sivana,