In early April, an incredible superhero movie was released into theaters and it wasn’t Captain Marvel or the soon to be released Avengers: Endgame, it was Shazam.

As a superhero enthusiast and comic shop worker, I went into the movie expecting DC Comics to again butcher one of its characters with forced exposition and dark lighting. Within the first twenty minutes of the movie, I knew with Shazam, DC finally had gotten it right.

Billy Batson, an abandoned child looking for his mother, is chosen to become a guardian to protect the world from evil magic; however, at the age of 14 and as a child in foster care, he struggles to accept his powers as well as his placement in his life.

Shazam created a film with themes of familial ties, the dark natures of power, and what it truly means to be human while still providing the tights and capes that most superhero movies have.

Some actors are born for their roles: Robert Downey Junior as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Heath Ledger as the Joker, and Zachery Levi as Shazam. Levi offers the audience the perfect balance of the spunk and insecurities of a 14-year-old while offering the mature and complex ideas that are shown in superheroes in modern pop culture.

The movie was beyond entertaining and had the perfect balance of humor, action, and suspense while still having unpredictable turns. I often found myself sitting at the edge of my seat waiting to see what comes next.

I now look forward to the release of DC movies after seeing Shazam and trust that DC will give the popular characters the credit they deserve with the many years of continuity.

4.5/5