User reviews

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a painful example of all the problems in current filmmaking in a single movie. I felt overall less intelligent for having seen it.

I love movies. Up until recently, a month didn't go by without me going to the movies at least 3 or 4 times. I'll watch anything and enjoy myself, feeling refreshed and at peace when I leave the theater. Then came the dark times.

There are so many problems with the Shazam! Fury of the Gods, I don't know where to start. So, I'll start with the writing. It's bad. The most glaring and annoying creative debacle is the writer's inability to write teenagers. The main character is minutes away from turning 18 and acts and speaks like an 8 year old. And, not just an 8 year old but an 8 year old from the 1950's, think Dennis the Menace for those of you old enough to remember the tv show. Both as themselves and their superhero alter egos, every time these actors open their mouths idiocy of the highest caliber spills forth! I was truly embarrassed for the actors and constantly annoyed by the dialogue.

The plot was hugely contrived. Events transpired not as a part of the natural ebb and flow of a story but because they needed to happen for the film makers. Sometimes, this even broke rules the filmmakers created themselves.

The actors had nothing to work with and sunk to the challenge. I like the cast, I think Helen Mirren is a treasure and Zachary Levi is awesome but... wow. The best performances came from side characters, the actors playing the foster parents. The rest of the cast had me wishing everyone else would loose and the movie would just end. The wisdom of Solomon was smart enough to skip this movie.

I don't know what part of this broken carnival ride to lay at the director's feet, unless disjointed and nonsensical were his goal. I felt less intelligent for having seen Shazam! Fury of the Audience.

All the bad movies these days are lowering my movie bar. So, I'd give up this movie a 4.5/10. A lot of people worked hard to make Shazam! Fury of the Gods. It's a shame all there hard work resulted in this puddle of melted ice cream. I want my money back.

Gonna be honest this was never a movie I was really hyped for, just like the first one and the final result it's kinda the same. It's an "okay" B grade movie. No disrespect, there must be movies like this too.

The story it's pretty basic and if you watch the trailers you can pick up the pieces quite fast.

Nothing really special, nothing intriguing, it is more predictable actually. The kids are now grown up and I wanted to see more of their chemistry, but instead we got more action, which is not bad on paper, but in reality it's kinda blunt and forgettable for the whole movie.

Talking about forgettable things...the villains fit pretty well in this category. I mean Helen Mirren is outstanding actress, but it's "just another villain" scenario.

The effects at some times look underwhelming...actually the trailers hinted at that.

If you liked the first movie, I guess you gonna like this one too. I don't have many problems with it, it was just boring in my eyes. The humor is okay for younger audience, but there are some good jokes for more matured audience too.

Overall it's "okay", but it's not gonna be one of the more rewatchable movies in the DC catalog...I guess.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) is a movie that my wife and I saw in theatres last night. The storyline picks up where we left off from the first film with Billy and his orphaned friends being super heroes and secretly, regularly saving people from unfortunate events. When three sisters retrieve the broken staff from the first film and look to open a portal from Olympus to Earth to take over civilization, Billy and friends are the only ones that can stop them.

This movie is directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) and stars Zachary Levi (The Mauritanian), Grace Caroline Currey (Fall), Helen Mirren (The Queen), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) and Meagan Good (Think Like A Man).

This movie kicks up the action scenes and special effects but the storyline lacks the heart and charm of the first film. I did love the incorporation of the mythological creatures, especially the villain's creatures and the unicorns. I will say the dragon was uneven with some sequences that were awesome and some that were too much. Once again Djimon Hounsou was excellent as the wizard and Liu and Mirren were great villains. The comedy was hit or miss with some good laughs here and there and some cheese also. Meagan Good looked amazing as always and I loved the cameo at the end. The ending credits sequence wasn't good.

Overall, this is an average addition to the super hero genre that's worth seeing once. I would score this a 5/10.

The sequel takes us through the Philadelphia fiasco, where Billy and fellow foster kids are enjoying their superhero days in their annoying childish manner. Enters the three daughters of Atlas who wants to take back their powers stolen from them and wreck havoc in the human realm. It is upto the Philly fiasco to be the Champions to beat the goddesses and save the realm.

What works is the humor despite the teens being annoying enough. Billy still is going through the impostor syndrome, trying to figure out where ye fits in. The action set pieces are elaborate and are entertaining for most parts of it. The screenplay checks off all the stuff a comic book sequel needs and the dull moments are lesser than anticipated.

What doesn't work are the weak villains. Though Lucy Liu makes the best of what she can with her riding the dragon in the third act, the trio however come out as bland. I mean they are goddesses who get overwhelmed by a group of kids. Add to this, Zachary Levi as Shazam / Billy is less fun and more desperately trying to be funny. His character didn't fully work for me.

Overall, the film knows it's limitations and plays along.

I mean the best thing I can give this film is that if you loved the first film, then you will love the second film. If you hated the first film, then don't bother with this one. This film literally captures EVERYTHING from the first and somewhat does it again. But for some reason, I think it did it better. The bad guys despite the horrible trailer, are actually not to bad. There perfectly fine one time villains. The action is about the same, visuals mediocre but compared to the MCU great and the comedy hits better. The film is less cringey and actually more funny than the first. Overall, I personally found this film the better version of the first film.

This film does not do any one thing great, but it was still a pretty decent watch. The plot is average-nothing we have not seen on the big screen before. Our villains have no development; their motivations are sound, but there is nothing further that develops them into something greater.

This movie starts off incredibly strong, with a fantastic first act that had me laughing hysterically. The comedy hits more often than not, which was a surprise for me. There is a bridge rescue scene that is electric. The combination of "I Need a Hero" mixed with all of the heroes showcasing their abilities was amazing. I think superhero films have dropped the ball by not showing heroes rescuing everyday people. The stakes have gotten so high outside of the everyday troubles that this art is lost. I really enjoyed that aspect of the film, but unfortunately, after the first act, this story becomes inflated to a point where it is indistinguishable from many other superhero blockbusters.

The final act is overly long and bloated with a plethora of CGI monsters for our heroes to defeat. I think the CGI actually looked pretty good, but it just was not an engaging conclusion for me. The stakes were high, but not built up properly for me to be genuinely interested. The action is pretty decent, but I couldn't care less. The finale did have emotional beats in terms of the family connection, which worked surprisingly well. That is when this franchise works best. When the focus is on family and not on god's attempts to destroy Earth,

The performances overall were pretty good. Zachary Levi is fantastic as Shazam; he has mastered the art of playing a child in a man's body. Jack Dylan Grazer is hilarious; his comedic timing is brilliant. Grace Caroline Currey is a queen. Rachel Zegler is a standout, and her chemistry with Grazer is top notch. The rest of the Shazamly do a great job as well. I think Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu are fine as antagonists but were wasted with a lack of screen time and development.

Overall, this might not be good, but it is entertaining. That is a lot more than can be said for some of the recently released superhero films (Black Adam and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania).

Score: 65% Verdict: Decent.

Shazam! Fury of the gods is just as good as the first. With everything just elevated and taken beautifully from the prequel. The laughs this film have been adapted to make them generic to all audience ranges, not just targeted towards younger ages. CGI has been turned up a lot, and it's visible to see through the daughters of atlas and what they bring with them throughout the film.

Speaking of these daughters, - Anthea (played by Rachel Zegler) alongside Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) have one of the best character dynamics across both films. In these terms, I can praise Fury of the Gods for allowing its characters to go on nice arcs across the film - even giving us some insights to each individual member of the Shazamily.

On the other hand, there were times where I felt FOTG was getting a little too hectic. Certain plot points felt a bit silly, and there were moments in the film where I questioned the amount of silliness that the sequel provides. Sometimes, it was this silliness that drove the plot forward - which allowed audiences not to take the film as seriously, despite the higher stakes. Villain wise, Helen & Lucy's portrayals of the daughters of atlas were fairly good, but their characters (especially Liu's) were very one dimensional and we couldn't respect them as Villains. Rachel Zegler's Anthea was great, and she was the only one I felt for, however I wish she were involved in more fight scenes with the other daughters, as her potential would've improved the quality of these fights that were similar to the first films - not much of an improvement and still, in my opinion, quite weak compared to other superhero fight scenes.

The Shazamily was great, and the foster parents don't really act like ordinary parents but we can move from that. ( I did love their dynamic with Ashler Angels Billy, who was great in the film!)

Despite the weaknesses, Shazam! FOTG is a bunch of fun and provides a good time. I for sure want Zachary Levi and the team to return!

The only way this movie earned a 6.6 rating is if parents let their children write the reviews.

I enjoyed the first Shazam movie but had low expectations for this one based on the trailer, which was shown infrequently.

Shazam is supposed to have the wisdom of Solomon and if he had exhibited it then maybe this movie would have been better but once again the character plays the fool. He is directionless and must seek help from Mary and Eugene. Freddie was even more insufferable and annoying as he was in the original. The wizard, who has lived thousands of years now acts as if he is as young and stupid as Shazam.

Stupid does not equal funny.

You can't say that the film Shazam! Fury of the gods is bad, but it is not a masterpiece either.

The film is made for the younger audience. You shouldn't watch it if you expect something like "The Dark Knight" or "Man of Steel" but you should watch it if you liked the first part because the second one is even better and funnier.

In some parts it was silly and pointless but it should be clear that this is a family film and they don't always have to make sense.

In summary, it's a good film that you don't have to watch but if you have time and want to watch something new then it's a perfect choice.

Great movie... Didn't feel like a DC movie at all. It's all in all fun. The movie had great amount of action, correct amount of humor and emotions and all is complemented with a fast paced writing and great CGI leaving no slow or boring bits. Everyone has been given their fair share of screen time but the main two (non superhero hero) guys, namely Billy and Freddy have been pushed to their highest potentials. I never thought I'll say this, but Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) was the best in the movie. His character was given the funniest and the most heart touching scenes that left most people in the theatre with choked throats, not giving any spoilers but it's just awesome.

In one line, the movie is a total summer entertainer !!!

I did not know much about the daughters of Atlas before the film and I know only a little bit more now. Most of the movie was spent on the emotional state of the protagonist and his sidekick and tried to focus on comedy, rather than the story. Worse than the original and not as fun.

I do not know if Billy Batson is going to continue to play a part in the DCEU, but judging from this film, he will not be missed.

Sadly, the best part of the whole experience is the spoiled, uncredited appearance of a certain character.

Stick around for the credits scene, if you decide to watch it, but there is not much need for the one after credits.

The movie itself is trying to lean on a family is important kinda storyline but i didn't really felt the chemistry between the children with each other or there "parents".

Going in this one i was kinda worried about how they'd handle the humor side of it but they did a fair job, some cringe like jokes but mostly really good and well placed!

You could really feel that the older versions of themselves are actually still child minded with the way they are handling situations or specific moments.

It's been a while since i've seen a good villain with a powerful motivation and background in a superhero movie and i'm still waiting on one... The sisters weren't that iconic or well written... Shazam! 2 isn't DC top pier or anything special, it's mostly just a fun superhero movie.

Now i can say with confidence that 4DX isn't really my thing, i am a fast distracter and all the elements that comes in to play with the moving chair, water sprinkler, wind turbines, etc etc... kept me from focusing fully on the movie itself!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods has David F. Sandberg back in the director chair, doing a good job but the final product came out too late, I think it's a great superhero film maybe not a great film, just because of the characters and actors playing them. There's plenty to like for a fan of the genre, or just a film for the family to watch and enjoy. The film is written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan. It stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou and Helen Mirren. I think it's a great cast, some performances are great but most are just average. Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer are two of the better ones along with Grace Caroline Currey, Ross Butler too. I actually think the visual effects is quite great, also well shot. The cinematography is actually quit great. You can criticize the film and agree it isn't a great film, but if you go in hoping to find an entertaining film, your expectations will be met. I think the writing could have been better, also a different story with more focus on their civilian identities like the previous film had. The musical score should be praised, along with the sound design.

Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

I really didn't like how cartoonish and laughable the opening sequence were, it was supposed to introduce the new villains played by Helen Mirren who portrays Hespera: The oldest daughter of Atlas, who has elemental abilities, and Lucy Liu as Kalypso: The middle daughter of Atlas, who has the power of chaos. There's also the youngest daughter "Anthea" of Atlas who's played by Rachel Zegler. But it was not a great introduction, but what we get after is great, just because of how great Zachary Levi is regarding both his comedic timing and dramatic chops. He's a big reason why I loved the first film, also the story but it's the younger actors and characters who are really the heart of the film('s), there is sadly not as much as I wanted, screen time of the younger actors but that's fine. I like how Grace Caroline Currey is now portraying her superhero form instead of only Mary Bromfield like she did in the first film, she has aged since the last film and fits the role perfectly. I like the dialogue during her scenes, also like in the first film, Mary and Billy are so great together with both actors. They are some of my favorite scenes in the film. The Shazam family is great together, it's where the comedy is at its best. I really like the themes and character arc which Billy Batson has in this film, it's actually some great writing and real at that, it would be completely natural for someone who had his parents abandon him and has abandonment issues to fear his foster family leaving him. In this film, Billy Batson is actually soon turning eighteen which means he ages out of the foster system. You very much need to see the first film to understand and enjoy this one, partly as it's still very entertaining, a specific item is again of the utmost importance and I'm of course talking about the original Shazam's (the Wizard) and his staff which is what the daughters of Atlas need and want. These antagonists starts out bad but ultimately becoming an okay pair of antagonists, I expected better acting from them though. The ending and final action sequence, it was spectacular and beautifully shot.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a good follow-up but it isn't as great as its predecessor, a great superhero film non the less, one for the family. I enjoyed it more than I expected I would. Zachary Levi is perfect as Shazam!

Three Gods seek to recover their lost powers, and remove our budding heroes who've just flowered, in a museum petrify, no way that they can be denied, they've got a dragon, though its temperament's quite dour. At the eye there is an apple made of gold, it's from years and years ago which makes it old, in a fertile baseball park, it leaves a mark and lots of bark, plus some fruit that takes a mythical foothold. It's hard work, when you're ability's enhanced, when in the throes of enduring, adolescence, but with help, and great support, they cavort with fine retort, and demonstrate there's more, when you've got a lot less.

This was a very disappointing sequel to say the least. There wasn't anything captivating about it. This was more of a cheesy Disney T. V. movie. The first movie was better in all aspects, do not watch with high hopes.

The characters of Billy and Freddy are not as interesting as they were in the first movie. Freddy's romantic plot is very typical and lame. The whole story is very predictable as is everything about all the villains. The writing of this film is at fault. None of the villains feel like an actual threat even with their destruction and their motives. We just know them to be bad because we are told they are but they do not feel menacing on screen.

What made the ending of the first Shazam exciting was seeing that Billy's brothers and sisters were given powers. This movie completely takes away that excitement by not showcasing any of the other characters or their individual powers. The humor in this movie is a complete let down as it tries so hard to make every line of dialogue a comedy sketch.

There are some mediocre CGI scenes throughout the film mainly during some of the destruction that takes place. There are scenes of poor acting from those who play some of the civilians. The creatures that show up are kind of pointless as no one really fights any of them.

Djimon Hounsou was good as usual although he played a limited role with limited amounts of dialogue. The design of the dragon was pretty cool but otherwise this movie is a poorly made sequel.

The original Shazam! Was a surprise hit as it took many audiences and critics alike. Following four years later, there definitely didn't seem to be that much anticipation regarding this sequel. It sort of went under the radar which resulted in a box office flop.

However even with the flaws of this film, the visuals and characters bring enough energy where it is still an entertaining watch. The mystical aspect with the monsters creatures and dragons weren't bad. Although Lucy Liu and Helen Miren we're both entirely miscast.

It's clear the the writers wanted to appeal more to a family audience with more silly juvenile humor, where which a majority of it didn't work.

One thing which was highly irritating and over the top is the overall acting by Zachary Levi. Him as Shazam is portraying a 17 year old (they mention he's turning 18 in some months) yet he's acting like a 10 year old child. Why exactly were the portrayals by the child Shazam (Billy) and adult Shazam different? The other adult superheroes were portraying their characters accurately.

Also very nice brief Wonder Woman cameo. This was a clear trade for another sequel yet we doubt that happening anymore.

Overall this sequel isn't as good as the original but it's still solid enough. Better than Black Adam and better than these low reviews are claiming it as such.

I did not really like the first Shazam. It felt a bit too juvenile and it tried too hard to be funny. But the first movie at least had some heart and a bit of fun, this movie does not have any of that.

If you saw the trailer you know what will happen, you can pretty much recite the entire movie without seeing it. This is very full of cliches, bad writing and many of the family of Shazam's are really bad actors. But my main issue with this movie is how incredibly boring it is. Nothing feels fun, no jokes land, no fights have any stakes, the story is bland and cliche.

The only good things I can say is that the DC tech department have stepped up their game in the past two or three movies. Their FX CGi used to be horrible, now it is not anymore. Perhaps I can give some props that this movie is not the worst I have ever seen, but damn this is so, so boring.

Also, did I mention how boring this is?

I give this a 3/10. Almost feels a bit generous, but most of the movie is not bad-bad, this just lack everything above decent and it is so boring and horribly written with cringe scenes every 2min I cannot stand watching it. If you liked the first one you definitely need to stay away from this one. This is one of the worst superhero movies the past years and definitely the most boring.

Did I mention this is a boring movie?

I like it but i get why many people dont This movie has very good action scenes and cgi effects and some pretty funny scenes. But the thing that makes this movie worse then the other is that we dont anything from Billy's development like the first one where we got to know the connection between his mother i wish he met her or there was anything about Billy at all but it was just him being Shazam for 95% of the movie. When he is Shazam now he still acts mature even tho he has 2 years of experience and is almost 18 years old wich it would be better if he acted like Billy himself. Even tho it has some super exciting action fights and acting. Ending was a little weird but its still good it ended that way. It is a fun watch especially for kids but also cool for teenager and some adults. So i recommend to watch Shazam! Fury of the gods.

Overall I did enjoy this film. Clearly built for the family fun environment of cinema and did well in that department. Comedy was good, film was entertaining, and Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren were great additions with strong performances. Shazam has always been a top hero from the DC so it's always nice to see him on the big screen. My only hope is that if they produce a third film they can make it more of a serious tone, especially in regards to Billy/Shazam.

I would place this on par with the first film, each good in their own way. I really do hope we get a third film and more of Shazam in the future.

Honestly, this was more about Fam than Fast & Furious ever was. And a helluva more enjoyable.

This shocked me, so to speak. I wasn't really looking forward to it since, as they say, this isn't a sequel anyone was really wishing for. And this is coming from someone who really enjoyed the first one. I really liked this follow-up, despite its flaws.

The gang of heroes are back, though still in the toddler phase. And that's not good considering vengeful Gods are unleashed, bent on revenge. Silly as this movie is at times, serious teamwork's needed to save the world...especially when no one else is coming to help.

That last part, of my synopsis...rings true for most of these multi-superhero movie crossovers: when the world's at risk, where are ALL the Avengers? Er, I mean, Justice...Groups? It's a common, though frustrating, trope and isn't helped when most of the other heroes in this universe are mentioned by name.

Yes, I get this group of God-Like warriors need to learn to be the heroes they truly are, but when the whole world's at stake, c'mon Superman, Batman, et al. You kinda have an obligation. Heck, they even covered this in Black Adam.

At any rate, aside from that, questionable CGI in the climax, being about 20-minutes too long and the weird shift in tones (from enormously light/silly to pretty dark and I'm not just talking how incredibly darkly lit this was,) I had a blast. It's absolutely not perfect, original or high ranking amongst the DCEU, but it's a very harmless and fun superhero movie.

You will see a lot more movies in this one. Just to name a minute few: Man of Steel/Batman v Superman/Avengers (2012)/Harry Potter/hell, even The Simpsons Movie. And while that's true, it's not overwhelming.

I do recommend it. Don't go in thinking this is the Food of the Gods. It's the Fury of the Gods. Trust me, they'll remind you more than a few times of that title - before the movie begins, and twice after.

And don't forget to fast-forward for the two-end credits scenes. I'm SUPER glad to be watching this as home so I can fast-forward to those...and I honestly wish they'd stop doing those.

***

Final Thoughts: While Marvel thrived at the box office probably 5x as much, honestly, the percentage of much better films overall belongs to the DC. I really enjoyed or loved just about 50% of all the DCEU and would watch them again. The same could be said for ONLY one-third of the MCU films. In fact, the grand majority of the MCU is meh-to-horrible.

Speaking of which, here's the current DCEU ranking, Best to Bad - spoiler, only the last 3 are really the bad ones.

1. Man of Steel (2013) 2. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition, 2016) 3. Wonder Woman (2017) 4. The Suicide Squad (2021) 5. Shazam! (2019) 6. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) 7. Black Adam (2022) 8. Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) 9. Suicide Squad (Extended Cut, 2016) 10. Zach Snyder's Justice League (2021) 11. Aquaman (2018) 12. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) 13. Justice League (2017)