MARCUS CHEONG watches the second ‘Shazam’ movie…
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (AU-M/UK-12A/US-PG-13)
In a Word: Fizzles
Zachary Levi as Shazam and Helen Mirren as Hespera in New Line Cinema’s action adventure ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ a Warner Bros Pictures release. PICTURE: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In 2019 Shazam! breathed new life into the superhero genre with a youthful, humourous perspective that was both entertaining and heartfelt. Four years later, Shazam! Fury of The Gods returns to prove that things do not necessarily get better with age.
Two years after the events of the first film, teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his grown-up alter-ego, Shazam (Zachary Levi) still struggle to master their powers and find a place and purpose in the world while attempts to keep together his super powered siblings seem to drive them further away.
“Much like Shazam’s trademark lightning bolt, Fury of the Gods has flashes of brilliance but they are short-lived. “
In the midst of this angst, the three daughters of Atlas – Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Anthea (Rachel Zegler) – have come looking for revenge for the magical power that was stolen from them and their realm. This all sets the scene for some apocalyptic action which sees creatures out of Greek mythology unleashed on the streets Philadelphia. It is up to the ‘Shazamily’ to save the day with strength, speed, bravery, wit (and the gratuitous product placement of Skittles).
Fury of the Gods retains the humour of the original and there are some genuinely funny moments. Freddy (Jack Dylan Frazer) has a compelling subplot with Anthea which is both cute to watch and lends some dramatic weight. Unfortunately, the convoluted plot of the whole film and uneven casting make the 130 minute run time outstay its welcome.
Zachary Levi does a great job portraying an immature, insecure, kid trapped in a superhero body. But Billy Batson is now 18-years-old and while Asher Angel comes across as serious and mature, Levi is almost constantly a clown. The illusion that the two characters are one and the same is lost in this incongruity. Unfortunately, this was the beating heart of what made the first film work so well – that we could have two different actors convincingly portray the same person.
There’s also some odd casting when it comes to the apparent age of the three immortal daughters of Atlas – even Shazam comments on it but his query about the gap between their ages (Mirren is 77, Liu, 54, and Zegler, 21) going unexplained.
Despite its flaws, there is a powerful portrayal of self-sacrifice, where a true hero is willing to sacrifice himself to save those he loves.
Much like Shazam’s trademark lightning bolt, Fury of the Gods has flashes of brilliance but they are short-lived. While it boasts some touching moments, some great slow motion shots, hilarious one-liners and a cameo that will delight fans, in the end too many tired tropes and distracting elements make it hard to truly recommend this sequel as a worthy successor to the original.
