Shazam!

Comic books are supposed to be all about joy, bright colours, and fun. With DC’s latest film offering Shazam! they have returned to this mindset.

The film tells the story of Billy Batson, a 14-year-old boy who is bestowed with the superpowers of a magical wizard and must quickly grow emotionally to fully utilise his powers in order to overcome evil. Whilst the main plot is rather generic the approach to telling this tale is what makes Shazam! truly stand out from the pack.

Rather than the typical action movie filled with fight scenes this film is more so a comedic coming of age story imbued with child-like joy and humour. Much like Marvel’s incredibly successful Deadpool, although with a much more kid-friendly bent, this film takes a number of highly satirical jabs at the DC film universe and the comic book film genre as a whole.

This is an incredibly fun outing for hardcore DC fans and new fans alike. Shazam! is perfect for kids as it teaches them that their actions have consequences and that with great power comes great responsibility.

★★★ ½