The second film in the series, Shazam: Fury of the Gods is a light entertainer with lots of action. Coming four years after the original film, it is again directed by David F. Sandberg where Zachary Levi and Asher Angel reprise their roles as Shazam/Billy Batson.

It’s an open secret that Billy Batson, a confused teenager, turns into Shazam via magic. The film begins with regular heroics by Shazam and his extended family of orphan buddies, who also return to the cast. This time, they are against the Daughters of Atlas — Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and Anthea (Rachel Zegler) — who want to avenge their father’s death and are not happy at children stealing the power of gods.

The movie revolves around two crazy teenagers, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer). Despite the secrecy, Freddy boasts of his association with Shazam, which lands him in trouble. He show-offs at the wrong place in front of the wrong person, resulting in a power struggle.

The humour, the fun and the teenage fascinations are the reasons watch it in the cinema, or whichever streaming platform starts featuring it. One can see Shazam fight a dragon, unicorns coming to the rescue against the monsters, and the cool hide-out of the gang in the two-hour 10-minute movie.

Every member struggles with grown-up feelings and responsibilities, and the steps they take to control it are hilarious. Billy’s fears of turning 18 and losing his foster family are constantly mentioned in the dialogues as well as his obsession with Wonder Woman.

Billy’s grumpy guru, the Wizard (Djimon Hounsou), has a meatier role this time, but it is Helen Mirren’s performance as Hespera that stands out. You and your friends will get to know more about Greek mythology through the film since Shazam is associated with Greek gods. The magical pen is funny, and the way Shazam dictates a letter to the terrifying trio would bring a smile to many faces. The daughters try hard to finish the kids, but the resistance they face from confused adults is remarkable.

One gets to see less of the foster kids and parents in the film, but the powers of Shazam rarely let us miss them. An entertainer for the whole family, it would make the kids feel more like Shazam, who has the body of a hero, but the mind of a kid.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 29th, 2023