Shazam! Fury of the Gods

CinemaSerf

2023-03-23T14:09:47.945Z

Ok, so I know I shouldn't have - but I did enjoy this. "Billy" (Zachary Levi/Asher Angel) and his gang of rather hapless super-heroes locally lauded as the "Philadelphia Fiascos" find themselves pushed to the very limits when the daughters of the legendary "Atlas" manage to breach a magical boundary between their world and our's and are soon on the hunt for the magical staff that "Billy" snapped in two at the end of the last film (remember?). The daughters are led by the menacing "Hespera" (Dame Helen Mirren) with her potent sidekick "Kalypso" (Lucy Liu) and the slightly more humane "Anthea" (Rachel Zegler) making up this dangerous triumvirate. What now ensues are some genuinely entertaining set piece battles that unlike so many from the MCU, are based on creatures from mythology and do not drag on interminably. Levi is as much an anti-hero as you can imagine, his tongue firmly in his cheek - though not so much as Dame Helen's - as he and his gang look hopelessly - and continuously - outgunned, outmanoeuvred and outwitted. Can they rally and save the day before carnage ensues and mankind is wiped out? Nope, not a shred of jeopardy here - but the two hours just flew by. It's fun. It's not trying to offer us any grand philosophies, or complex time-shifting science. It's a lightly comedic adventure film that rarely stops for breath, uses state of the art special effects to enhance the story rather than dominate it, and by the end I was ready to remember why I quite enjoyed the original from 2019. All of this said, I fear they will try to squeeze a third from the franchise and think that would be an error. This works because of some charismatic performances - particularly from the rather engaging Jack Dylan Grazer as the lovestruck "Freddy"; a great big dragon and an at times quite pithy script. Please let's leave well alone now?

deadrody

2023-04-19T14:40:09.024Z

The movie is decent enough, although formulaic and predictable. But the 12 year old level humor has long since worn out its welcome.