Shazam isn`t the first DCEU movie that`s enjoyable, but it`s arguably the first one that`s truly good. I recognize in retrospect that my positive take on 2017`s Justice League put me in the minority, but even if you don`t count that big team-up, the DC film universe has been steadily rising in quality, from the decent Wonder Woman to the goofy, fun Aquaman. Director David Sandberg`s Shazam is the first movie in this shared cinematic universe with which I honestly have no major gripes--it`s just a good movie, whether or not you`re a fan of DC`s often gritty, dark films, or have any idea who or what Shazam is. Shazam is a movie for everybody, and it`s great.Shazam is the story of Billy Batson, a troubled orphan with a heart of gold who`s granted magic powers by an ancient wizard. By saying the word `Shazam,` Billy (Asher Angel) can transform into a full grown adult (Zachary Levi) with the combined powers of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. I won`t spoil what those powers are, because several of the movie`s best scenes are spent with Billy and his foster brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) as they experiment to find out exactly what Shazam is capable of. Naturally, because it`s 2019, this also involves the hero becoming a YouTube sensation, even as Freddy and Billy struggle to come up with a superhero name that sticks (highlights include `Zaptain America,` `Captain Sparklefingers,` and `Mr. Philadelphia,` among many others).There`s been humor in DC movies before, including in Justice League (remember Aquaman sitting on Wonder Woman`s lasso?) and Aquaman itself. But Shazam is the DCEU`s first full-on comedy, and it`s incredibly funny. A lot of the humor comes from Zach Levi`s performance as a teenager who suddenly finds himself in an adult body. One of the first things he and Freddy do is buy beer--basically, they act exactly how you`d expect them to, and the movie doesn`t shy away from what teenage boys would do in this situation. Comparisons t ...
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