Considering that the DC Extended Universe has been a much-maligned film franchise that has failed to rival the more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, there have been some wins along the way. One was 2019’s Shazam!, which took the classic magic-based Superman-like hero from the 1940s and turned it into the Penny Marshall film Big as a modern superhero movie, with enough self-aware humor to poke fun at the genre. As the DCEU will be going through a reboot of sorts in the coming years, with James Gunn co-leading, the long-awaited Shazam! sequel is among this year’s DC-based blockbusters that might struggle to stay relevant.
Ironically, the struggle to stay relevant is one of the issues that plagues Billy Batson (Zachary Levi/Asher Angel), who may be trying to lead his “Shazamily” of foster siblings, but is also suffering from imposter syndrome, due to the other superheroes that have appeared in this shared universe. From the group drifting apart at home due to their growing up, to Billy himself worries about being kicked out of the Vasquez family after he turns eighteen, the Daughters of Atlas return to steal back the powers that are now wielded by the children.
The charm of David F. Sandberg’s 2019 original was like Spider-Man: Homecoming, in that it was a small-scale superhero outing that didn’t have to up the scale and was more interested in exploring the fun and emotional company of its youthful protagonists. Along with the comedy, there was even a touch of horror, (no surprise given the director’s previous credentials), as well as placing his young cast into the realm of 80s kids adventure flicks like The Goonies. Given how small the original Shazam! felt, it was able to achieve a lot, something that can’t be said towards the sequel.
Because the sequel must go bigger, the stakes may seem huge, but the superhero element seems so generic by this point, even with the image of Lucy Liu’s Kalypso riding a dragon. Despite the fine performances from both Angel and Levi – though there is still a weird disconnect where they don’t seem to be playing the same character – Levi’s humor is dangerously close to being Deadpool, which is getting quite tiresome, given that Ryan Reynolds seems to playing that role in almost every movie.
Although the DC fans might be disappointed by this sequel not building upon its predecessor’s mid-credits scene that featured a certain sinister caterpillar, Helen Mirren makes up for it as the villainous goddess Hespera, proving that she is not above the genre blockbusters. The supporting cast actually have more fun than the leading man himself, particularly Jack Dylan Grazer as the physically disabled Freddy, who has the more interesting arc from his cute relationship with the youngest Daughter of Atlas, Anne (Rachel Zegler), to his comedic banter with the Wizard, played by Djimon Hounsou who has some comedic chops.
No matter how much Billy Batson references the Fast & Furious series to demonstrate the importance of family, Sandberg’s sequel doesn’t always make it a priority, despite the initial set-up that never pays off.
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