Shazam! Fury of the Gods ; movie review

The superhero sequel "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" faces an uphill battle with two major strikes against it. Not only is it a studio-produced follow-up, but it's also a superhero movie made in 2023, meaning there's an expectation for a certain level of creative committee-mandated, Mad Libs-y monotony. Regardless of how one feels about the surprisingly decent original film, "Shazam!", the nature of the genre and industry can often lead to formulaic storytelling.

However, the makers of the 2019 franchise-starter, including director David F. Sandberg, managed to tone down both the Troma Lite cynicism and post-Spielberg sentimentality that have come to define the lighthearted James Gunn-style super-projects that dominate the landscape. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" meanders further in that direction, though not without its own issues.

The first "Shazam!" succeeded because of its focus on two adolescent pipsqueaks, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), who get sucked into a generic fantasy with the help of their extended family of orphan buddies. Unfortunately, "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" mostly sticks to the comic book formula that the first movie poked fun at, despite another strong comedic performance from star Zachary Levi and some sporadic yuks throughout. The film is schtickier and less assured than its predecessor, but the leftovers still reheat well enough.

In the sequel, Billy, Freddy, and their foster family members must return to fight the latest vengeful plot thread, this time a trio of vindictive sorceresses called the Daughters of Atlas, led by Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu), who seek to avenge their father, Atlas (not in this picture). The identity of the third Daughter remains briefly shrouded in mystery.

The anxiety of aging out of their family speaks loudest for the "Marvel Family," a group of tweens who, after yelling the magic word "Shazam," gain godlike superpowers. Even the residents of Philadelphia, where most of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" takes place, don't seem to know who these kids are. They refer to the Marvels as the "Philly Fiascos," perhaps because it's not possible to successfully brand a DC Comics character as a Marvel anything. Billy also longs to know his "superhero name," and he gets some answers after unexpectedly reuniting with his grumpy guru/mentor, the Wizard (Djimon Hounsou), who somehow survived the events of the first "Shazam!". If you forgot this plot point, don't worry; Billy and Freddy repeatedly joke about it.

The pre-chewed humor of the film is charming mostly because of the ensemble cast members, especially the actors who play the punchy, adult-aged demigods that Billy and his family become when they say the magic word. Levi, who plays Billy's alter-ego Shazam (also known as Captain Marvel), and Adam Brody, who plays "Super Freddy" (AKA Captain Marvel Jr., Elvis' favorite super-guy), both stand out as adolescents struggling with thankless grown-up feelings and responsibilities. The movie's adult villains don't stand out as much, though Mirren still smirks like a champ.

There are signs of a warmer and cleverer adolescent super-drama throughout "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." Clearly enunciated and frantically declaimed dialogue hints at Billy's prevailing fear of aging out of his family, especially