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Shazam! Movie Review

April 5, 2019 (updated April 2, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Shazam!” is a magical treat from the DC Comics Universe, because it takes a totally different approach to this version of a Superhero. It goes back to echo the 1988 film “Big”. Take a young kid about fifteen years old, and transform him, but not into Tom Hanks as an adult. Instead this movie will infuse him with Superhero posers that come from Ancient Gods and Warriors. Turn him into the “Champion of Eternity” – with all these powers: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, powers from Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Hey, doesn’t that spell out “SHAZAM”?

An orphan in Philadelphia named Billy Batson (Asher Angel) gets into trouble with the police, again. His last chance is with a foster family who has a few other kids in their home. Billy meets his foster-brother Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) who has crutches and gets bullied at school. Billy defends his friend and needs to flee from the bully’s rage. Escaping onto a subway car, it turns into a magical entrance to a Hall of Champions. There is an ancient Wizard named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou). He is the last of the Champions. He had tried to find a human with a pure heart in the past, but he failed to find the right one. Billy is the best one to take control, only thing he needs to do is say the word.

Billy says the magic word, and the Ancient Wizard is gone. Billy has now become the (much older) superpowered one named Shazam (Zachary Levi). He can use the name to transform back and forth into the Billy (the Kid), or back into the Eternal Champion – Shazam. All in all, a pretty good day! Shazam makes it back and convinces Freddy that the massively super-powered person named Shazam is really still Billy on the inside. Freddy is well-versed in all Super-powers, since he reads all the DC Comics. Billy needs to become Shazam when there are people he can save, so they can both make a little money on the side.

However, there is another person in the city who was once tested by the Ancient Wizard. Years ago, Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) was taken but he proved himself unworthy of the honor to Eternal Champion. Sivana finds a way back to the Wizard and steals an energy ball power by the Seven Deadly Sins. He takes the ball to become a Super-powered villain. Now, Sivana finds that the Wizard has given his powers away to a young boy. He sets out to find young Billy Batson, so he can be destroyed. Perhaps along with his new foster family. Silvia has many of the same type of powers that Shazam possesses, but he will use them for evil and for destruction.

So far, the DC Universe films have been awfully sketchy in the past years. However, they had started getting back on the right track with “Wonder Woman”. They followed that up with the very popular “Aquaman”. And now, they reach for an out-of-left-field wonder by bringing us “Shazam!”. The fun and entertainment level is maxed out with this movie. It is funny and clever and it gets the tone just right. Credit a good story and script and a Director who brings out the sheer joy of being a Superhero to the screen. Plus the casting choices are also Super. Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer really stand out, and Mark Strong and Asher Angel do a superb job.

You can let the DC Extended Universe people know that movies like “Shazam!” are better than many of the other bleak and joyless movies that have come before. Vote with your pocketbook and see a great Superhero movie. Let the DCEU know with your support of “Shazam!”. Just Say The Word.

Glass Movie Review

January 18, 2019 Published by Shari K. Green

M. Night Shyamalan brings his two hit films ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’ together after nineteen years to celebrate an almost perfect sci-fi, thriller marriage in ‘Glass.’
Within the story of ‘Glass,’ the main characters from the two previous pictures are unwillingly united for reasons they’re unaware of, however, once they see each other again, it’s agreed upon that fate has brought them together again to continue where they left off.
Samuel L. Jackson is, once again, Elijah Price or ‘Mr. Glass’ as he prefers to be called. He’s a comic book enthusiast who’s convinced that Superheroes truly exist and proves so by using his incredibly gifted brain to be a Supervillain. At the moment he’s in a mental hospital being helped by his doting mother. Mrs. Glass is played by, Charlayne Woodard, who returns after ‘Unbreakable.’ Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn, the security guard now business owner, who helps catch criminals by touching people and receiving telepathically a crime that has been committed. The business David owns is in something he knows well and that is security. His son, Joseph, who’s played by Spencer Treat Clark who played the part originally all those years ago, helps him capture a criminal post vision.

Then there’s James McAvoy. Let’s talk about James McAvoy. He joins them as Kevin Wendell Crumb and, of course, ‘The Horde’ which means we’ll also see Patricia, Dennis, The Beast, Barry, Heinrich, Jade, Ian, Mary Reynolds, Norma, Jalin, Kat, B.T., Mr. Pritchard, Hedwig etc., the personalities who live within Kevin’s brain and take over his body when they have the light that Kevin so desperately avoids. To them, holding the light is being the personality able to control the body completely and make their presence known to the outside world. Whichever one has or keeps the light has all the power. The Beast wants this power but can be controlled… for now. Casey Cooke, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, was the only person to survive The Beast and decides maybe she can help control him again. Look for her to step in at some point and give it a try.

Sarah Paulson makes her entrance as Dr. Ellie Staple. She’s convinced that these humans are delusional. She captures them and tells them they have three days to accept that reality, using their weaknesses to control the narrative. She keeps Glass heavily sedated, uses hypnotic strobe lights to control ‘The Horde’ and keeps David in a room that will fill with water and drown him if he tries anything stupid. These safeguards make it impossible for them to escape. Or do they? Kevin’s personalities, one by one, try to break the barrier. Here’s my small soapbox moment. I must say that it was wrong to see James McAvoy’s performance ignored after ‘Split.’ This time, with the way he goes in and out of characters continually, it would be a travesty if he were to be overlooked. To this film, he was an absolute godsend. Little by little, more is divulged and you grow more curious as to what the big reveal will be. You know it’s coming.

I believe that ‘Glass’ was the perfect way to advance the story. Without revealing too much, I want to make it known that I think you should avoid listening to any negative press the film might be getting and say to you, ‘Just go and see for yourself.’ Sure there will be things to question, some quite obvious, but they’re harmless issues and don’t take anything from your belief in what’s going on before you. The fascinating twists that Shyamalan once again delivers to you in this plot keeps you riveted and will leave you fulfilled. The cinematography, score, and intensity of the script are reason enough to see this but the acting by McAvoy is extraordinary. That said if you can’t enjoy a sci-fi without using it as an opportunity to search for and find every mistake that renders it incapable of being real, maybe this isn’t for you. However, if you want to see an excellent sci-fi film that thrills the hell out of you and captures what you so loved about M. Night Shyamalan in the first place, you will not be disappointed.

Aquaman Movie Review

December 21, 2018 (updated December 19, 2018) Published by JMcNaughton

“Aquaman” is another in the DC Comics ‘Extended Universe’ of movie adaptations. But this one hits on some strong notes, as opposed to the other DCEU ones they have created. “Wonder Woman” was an exemption and a template for doing this right, and they have (mostly) followed along in a similar way. It is not dark and brooding like the recent DCEU movies were dark and (mostly) humorless. But with help from director James Wan, this new movie does not jump the shark – it uses the shark as a friggin’ undersea taxi service. If you don’t tip well enough, the driver might eat you…

Since every superhero needs a back story, Aquaman becomes a love child between a lighthouse keeper from Maine, and the Queen of Atlantis. Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), escapes to the Earth’s surface. She meets and falls in love with the keeper and they have a child. The little boy has unusual powers (being half-human and half-Atlantean). Atlanna is forced back to again be Queen of Atlantis, and there she and King have another boy child. Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) is the half-breed, and his younger (fully Atlantean) brother is Orm (Patrick Wilson). Arthur is named after a king, because, well – you know…

Arthur is fine with staying on land, and getting some good things done – under the name ‘Aquaman’. He works to save a Russian sub from a band of pirates. But one of these bad guys is named David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and he blames Aquaman for his father’s death. Kane is working secretly with Orm, to try and make the sea-people rise up and fight the land-people. Aquaman is staying out of this fight, until he gets visit from Mera (Amber Heard), an Atlantean princess and warrior. She knows that something bad is going to happen, and she is soon to be married to Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother. Awkward!

Mera’a father is King Nereus (Dolph Lundgren), an ally of Orm. As a child Arthur was being trained by Vulko (Willem Dafoe). Vulko and Mera both convince Aquaman that he the only one with the special powers to challenge his brother Orm. Aquaman is brought to Atlantis and there is a challenge to the death. It is between him and his brother Orm, and he must fight in the “Ring of Fire”. But Johnny Cash does not show up to save him. Mera helps to get him out so they both can go on a world-wide quest to find the lost Trident of the First Atlantean King. They go to sandy African deserts and scenic islands off of Sicily. David Kane (I’m sure you all remember him) shows up with some modified Atlantean technology and calls himself Black Manta.

Aquaman fights Black Manta and throws him off a cliff, where he surely dies (unless they want another villain for ‘Aquaman 2’). Aquaman and Mera escape and they know the location of the special Trident. It is hidden in a dreadful placed called ‘The Trench”. It is where Aquaman’s Queen mother was brought years ago and sentenced to die (for treason, after the King found out about the ‘Arthur Curry incident’)

But you still need to strap in at this point, because you have much more to see. There is much more in the story, including scary ugly monsters that look like sea monkeys on steroids. There is a Lost Kingdom with secret hiding places for a special Trident. There is Arthur who pulls the Sword Excalibur from the stone… No – I mean, Aquaman who takes the Golden Trident from the guardian hands of the dead King.

There is a major underwater battle that is brewing when Orm and his minions decide to destroy any resistance in the other Kingoms, and then take the fight to the land-dwellers. Only the One True King would be able to prevent Orm from taking over and proclaiming himself and the Ocean Master. Can’t have that now, can we?

Other than a slightly too-long run time, this movie is a fine example of a fun and adventure-filled comic book turned into the visual treat. A lot of the visual effects are like cotton candy for the eyes. The actors cast in the movie do a credible job at making a fantastic display of an interesting world come to life. The sub-plot with David Kane and the Black Manta could have been cut and it would be perfectly fine. There are shades of the classical saga stories in the plot and the final battles are epic.

Wan directs this comic book classic with zeal, and Jason Momoa takes the lead role and makes it his own. An adventure story with lot of spectacle and a lot of humor. Definitely ‘see’ worthy!

Tag: Comic Book

Shazam! Movie Review

Glass Movie Review

Aquaman Movie Review

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