Shazam! Fury of The Gods – Quick Review
All the ingredients that made the 2019 movie “Shazam” an absolute fun children’s movie are also present in its 2023 sequel “Shazam! Fury of The Gods,” but their potency is toned down. Directed by David F Sandberg, the sequel does have an entertaining first half, but things get snooze-inducing after the interval.
Plot overview: Sisters Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu) wreak havoc on earth after retrieving their father’s weapon from a museum. It is up to Shazam (Zachary Levi) and his five superhero siblings to save the planet from their wrath. However, dubbed “Philly Fiascos” by the media, can the group take on the evil Goddesses?
The film begins with an exciting museum heist by the Goddesses, and then viewers are treated to a hilarious little scene (also in the trailer) with Shazam venting on a couch to whom you’d assume is a shrink, but it turns out to be a pediatrician. We get to meet the rest of the children-turned-superheroes trying to save people from an ongoing bridge collapse, which was very reminiscent of the Doc Ock bridge scene from “Spiderman No Way Home”. The special effects are pretty great in some parts, but the dragon was far from impressive.
With an ensemble cast, the problem with “Shazam! Fury of The Gods” is that nobody gets enough space to shine. Even ace actors Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu fail to pack a punch as intimidating vengeful villains. All the other actors are forgettable in their bit parts thanks to a script that squanders all its potential.
Despite the grand scale of destruction and monsters in the sequel, the second half was so weak that at one point it basically feels like an extended advertisement for M&M candies.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me.
