Shazam!

Well, this is diversity done right. I want to get that out of the way, probably the most diverse cast in any super hero movie to date and... no one complained. No one really even noticed. But that's because, unlike a lot of diversity driven movies, the creators didn't get on a soapbox and shout "like it or else! If you criticize any part of it your a (insert popular woke accusation)!" The result was that they made a hysterical and totally entertaining movie lots of people loved. The plot was fun and entertaining, the characters were fun and entertaining, they were deep, they had struggles, they overcame the struggles, and they developed over the course of the film. In other words, they told an actual story and they did it with grace. It is a fun adventure film. It's funny and dramatic. The cast is brilliant. The story actually, well, it actually tells a story that relies on more than special effects. The only real issue is that it was released at the wrong time.

Shazam! is a heartwarming funny origin story for kid struggling with family, friends, and his new gifted superpowers. I had a lot of fun with this film, whether it was kids buying beer with their new appearance, the crazy fun training montage, or the humor that surprisingly hit more often than not. Zachary Levi and Jack Grazer had really awesome chemistry, and I loved every minute they were on screen together. Although the same cannot be said for Asher Anger, not that his scenes were bad they just didn't do much for me and felt flat. I felt that they lingered on for too long and I just wanted Shazam back which led to some pacing issues. The villain was nothing to write home about either. He had a very generic motivation and suffered from the classic villain trope of bad guy with the same powers as the heroes. Overall, the negatives were nothing that distracted from the fun you can have with this film. **Verdict:** _Great_

Second viewing and my feelings pretty much remain the same. Fun moments and Zachary Levi was very good in the leading role and although not terribly memorable, Mark Strong made for a fine villain, that said, some of the humor wasn't for me, although I did enjoy some of director David F. Sandberg's more horror-centric style shined through with the Seven Deadly Sins.