DCEU has been a roller coaster till now. Though movies like: Wonder Woman and Aquaman were good and were huge success in the box office. Shazam! couldn't earn much as those two, but some people argue it is one of the best DCEU movie( The Joker is not a part of DCEU, just getting that out of the way).
The final fight
DCEU is notorious for having long fights for the sake of being long. Even the best of DCEU movies like Wonder Woman have suffered from long and excess action at the end which has very little to do with the progress of the plot and characters. Though Shazam also suffers from this a bit, the final battle is quite enjoyable and pays off the theme of the movie. There are also many great jokes thrown into it which fits the tone of the movie quite well. Billy and Dr. Sivana both believed that families are for the weak. Throughout the movie we see Billy change. The 3rd act pays off the theme of the movie as Billy finally embraces his family.
The Villain
Dr. Sivana may be a prominent character in Shazam lore, but he wasn't exactly mainstream prior to the movie's release. This movie introduced him smartly. As a kid he was very annoying. He also had an awful dad and brother. At the very beginning of the movie, we see the wizard tell him that he is the chosen one before taking his words back. As a child, he was affected so much by it that he grew up hunting for it. He also dedicates his entire life to find that magic and prove his father wrong. This really made the audience realize why he is the way he is.
In beginning part of the film, both Dr.Sivana and Billy shares the ideology that families are for people who can't take care of himself. Sivana is not what Billy could be, rather he is what Billy is for most of the movie. He is the dark reflection of Billy.
The Humour
Shazam! as a whole is a funny movie. The movie is funny from the beginning to the end. The jokes are played off organically. Zachary Levi also puts on the best performance by a grown man playing a teenage boy. Jack Dyler gave some fun laughs too. There are plenty of other funny moments but on its own, the concept of an adult portraying a teenager is always good for a list of laughs. The jokes are also smartly integrated into the final battle. The jokes fit the tone of the movie.
The Characters
The characters in the Shazam! movie are all relatable. The supporting cast is great. Billy and Freddy are definitely the heart of the movie and it really shows. Darla is absolutely precious. Giving her powers was too funny. Sivana was a great villain. Like Freddy with his love for superheroes. Mary's nervousness over college is pretty similar to everyone else's experiences. Rosa and Victor Vazquez were also cool. The plot in this film is quite straight forward. But the motivations that deriven these characters are much more complex.
The Theme
Shazam at its core is about family. Billy in the movie doesn't want to accept his foster parents and the other members. Billy goes through an arc of accepting his new family. The film has a bit of a Christmas movie vibe.
This movie is definitely not flawless. In fact it is a very flawed movie. But the movie is not great because it is flawless, rather it is great because of all the passion and care that went into the project. This passion and care mostly overshadows the technical flaws of the film.
It doesn't really feel like a superhero movie which has a family element in it, rather it feels like a movie about family having superheroes in it.
So, these are the reasons why we think Shazam! is one of the best DCEU movie. Let us know your favorite DCEU movie in the comments section down below. That's all for today. Have a wonderful day!
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