{"id":31104,"date":"2023-03-15T23:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T22:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1801332"},"modified":"2023-03-16T08:39:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T07:39:50","slug":"shazam-fury-of-the-gods-review-dc-sequel-hits-goofy-sweet-spot","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/shazam-fury-of-the-gods-review-dc-sequel-hits-goofy-sweet-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"Shazam! Fury of the Gods review: DC sequel hits goofy sweet spot"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s not perfect, but the new Shazam! film’s combination of silliness and optimism works its magic. <\/p>

By Dave Golder\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 15 March 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 4.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

Forget The Fantastic Four, meet The Philly Fiascos. As superhero teams go, they\u2019re more of a bumbling Power Rangers than The Avengers. There\u2019s a good reason for that: they\u2019re actually just a bunch of kids, with a lot to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first Shazam! (2019) was a surprise screwball entry in the DC movie universe \u2013 an unassuming, unpretentious superhero caper that cheerily poked fun at its silly central concept and turned old-fashioned cheesy sentimentality into retro-kitsch.<\/span><\/p>\n

It saw a wizard gift tearaway teen orphan Billy Batson (Asher Angel) the power to turn into a superhero (Zachary Levi) whenever he says the word Shazam! By the end of the film, Billy\u2019s passed on his powers to the other kids in his foster home to help defeat the bad guys \u2013 in the process accepting that he\u2019s found his new family among these loveable misfits.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as Shazam! Fury of the Gods<\/a> opens, that family is threatening to fall apart. The kids have been doing their superhero schtick with more enthusiasm than skill, and Philadelphia\u2019s real estate and infrastructure is paying the price, while the media is not being kind to them. And not all of the kids seem totally committed to the lifestyle; each has other issues distracting them, and Billy fears he\u2019s in danger of losing his newfound stability.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Zachary Levi in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.<\/span><\/figcaption> Warner Bros Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

To make matters worse, a pair of Greek goddesses, the daughters of Atlas (Dame Helen Mirren and <\/a><\/span>Lucy Liu<\/span>), have escaped millennia of captivity, and have revenge against humanity on their minds. All they need in order to accomplish this is something that resides in Team Shazam!\u2019s mystical lair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once again directed by David F <\/span>Sandberg<\/span>, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a fun follow-up that delivers exactly what you\u2019d expect. Tonally, it\u2019s the same mix of silliness, schmaltz and over-the-top action, with more than a few laugh-out loud moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you like your superhero flicks with a little more edge, you\u2019re better off rewatching The Dark Knight. Aside from a couple of surprising and conceptually grim death scenes, this is unapologetically family-friendly fare, and there<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s much to enjoy.<\/span><\/p>