March 20, 2023 · Watch the trailer
Superhero movies have gone completely stagnant.
Whether it’s a Marvel or DC Comics property, it seems as though any continuation or spinoff of existing cinematic universe has lost all creativity and originality.
While Marvel sorts out problems of being too large for its own good, the DC properties owned by Warner Brothers are in equal trouble as they transition away from Zach Snyder’s creative control to James Gunn, who crossed IP lines after directing the forthcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” sequel.
Caught in the crossfire of old to new DC cinema are several completed titles that feel out of touch and/or pointless in the grand scheme of comic book movies.
Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam” sputtered out of the gate despite landing an A-list actor to helm a new franchise while a finished “Batgirl” film will never be released publicly in any form. DC is spinning around in circles, sailing with no rudder.
The surprise breakout of the last round of DC offerings, “Shazam!,” seemed like a way to connect with a younger preteen audience, but the second installment, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” removes almost all the light-hearted comedy in service of convoluted villains and unnecessary universe building that will likely be scrapped going forward.
Two years after the events of the original film, teenage orphan Billy Batson and his adopted siblings have all gained the superhero powers of “Shazam!” and come face to face with ancient Greek gods back to unlock the god realm and enslave humanity.
Because there are now six superheroes instead of just one and three antagonists rather than the original one, “Fury of the Gods” is massively overstuffed for its two-hour running time with side-plots for each of the primary characters. The intent is to create an extended world that allows audiences to bond with each of the secondary heroes, but there’s little room for comedy as a result and the film feels like much more of a slog to get through.
Zachary Levi is charming and dorky as the primary hero Shazam, but now fully vested in his powers, the newness of being a superhero has worn off the shine of the unintentional comedy and the awkwardness he displays as Shazam feels forced. And while Asher Angel was a central part of the original film as Billy, so much of “Fate of the Gods” requires him to be in Shazam form that the humanity of the character is almost completely lost.
If there’s an acting bright spot, it comes from Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy’s best friend Freddie, who brings most of the humor and the heart to the second installment that was a signature of the first film. Grazer’s chemistry with Rachel Zegler – the standout of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” reimagining – is totally lackluster, but both young performers do enough individually to make their narrative cohesive and somewhat engaging.
The film’s primary villains are played by heavy-hitters Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, but the screenplay is so woefully underdeveloped that their motivations are bland and sophomoric, a relatively common trait among the film as a whole.
While the original “Shazam!” had a signature style and tone set by director David F. Sandberg, its sequel doesn’t have the same flair due to a need to make everything bigger and bolder than the first. And whether it’s Sandberg’s direction or DC Studios requiring such CGI-heavy action sequences, “Fury of the Gods” aims to be showy visually at every turn but falls into the same trap that so many comic book films have in recent years and the entire third act just comes across as lazy green screen work.
The most frustrating part of “Fury of the Gods” is just how inconsequential this all will be as it’s unlikely there will be a third installment in the “Shazam!” franchise under DC’s new model and there’s not enough highlights for the film to stand on its own two feet without being required viewing for other DC movies.
Ultimately, most moviegoers should opt to wait for the film’s inevitable streaming release on HBO Max to give “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” the casual watch it barely earns rather than waste time and money to see it theatrically.
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