MOVIE REVIEW - 'SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS', an epic family adventure capturing a campy and fantastical skirmish for the power of the gods, releasing this Friday, March 17th.

‘SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS’ marks the second installment in the DC kid-turned-hero’s electrifying escapades, expanding off of what was an enjoyable origin film introducing Billy Batson’s character in ‘SHAZAM!’ 2019.

Just like it’s prequel, this film continues to explore what makes Shazam’s character so relatable- the fact that he’s a kid just like all of us. Seeing and feeling that will never get old.

‘SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS’ marks the second installment in the DC kid-turned-hero’s electrifying escapades, expanding off of what was an enjoyable origin film introducing Billy Batson’s character in ‘SHAZAM!’ 2019.

A huge question was whether this film would fall to the recent drought in superhero-comedies, and while this eccentric sequel DOES reach greater stakes and heights overall, it still manages to match its same old silly tone with great pacing, and while it IS silly... don’t fret. For the most part, it works like you’d want it to.

‘SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS’ delves much deeper into the magical aspect of the godly power Shazam holds. This aspect goes hand in hand with its antagonists, the Daughters Of Atlas, a group of exiled gods who seek back the powers that Shazam and his ‘Shazamily’ accommodate.

Their presence is felt, thanks to good development, but regarding their performances and characters individually, they lack substance and feel bland at times- like most superhero-comedy villains tend to.

Speaking of ‘Shazamily’, family is a huge part of this film, as Shazam finds himself taking control (or at least making an attempt to) of his foster-family superhero squad. And you guessed it - they struggle heavily to be taken seriously. But the one thing that holds them together is each other, and that is heavily demonstrated throughout.

Regarding the acting, @zacharylevi does a once again pinpoint job of capturing the childish but courageous Shazam. Huge props to Shazam’s kid counterpart, @asherangel, who even with limited screen time, uses it to great avail. Along with his family who when on screen together, are pretty enjoyable to watch.

This film makes much more room for emotional depth than its predecessor, but ultimately fails to really explore much of it, as it remains fixated on its humorous tone. While that tone does work, it results in missed opportunities to introduce an empathetic perspective on Billy Batson, who has an otherwise already tragic origin story.

But overall, ‘SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS’ most definitely does not disappoint compared to its prequel counterpart, rather, it builds off of it with a very campy, comedic, and entertaining adventure. So families, get your popcorn ready for #ShazamFuryOfTheGods releasing exclusively in theaters this Friday, March 17th!

Watch revealing interview with Zachary Levi below!