Ever since the first footage of Shazam! premiered at San Diego Comic Con last year, we’ve been looking forward to the family-friendly superhero comedy. And while the character may not have been at the top of our lists for a solo film, the winning premise of “Big with Superheroes” is an easy sell, as is Zachary Levi’s goofy fun performance.
Thanks to advanced screenings, reviewers and fans are weighing in with their thoughts, which have been uniformly excellent. As of now, Shazam! is rated 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, eclipsing the DCEU’s previous top-rated entry Wonder Woman, which sits at 93%.
Shazam!‘s critical success (as well as its projected box office earnings) are part of a new wave of DCEU films that bring heart, humor, and a rich color palette to the DCEU. It seems that with the success of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the positive buzz around Shazam!, the DCEU is honing in on what audiences want. Having tried unsuccessfully to build an interconnected cinematic universe, the DCEU is smartly leaving that to Marvel and focusing on strong stand-alone films.
And they appear to have hit the target with Shazam!, if these reviews are anything to go by:
Like Sam Raimi's (still great) first SPIDER-MAN movie, #Shazam is both light on its feet and often cheerfully enjoyable while also quite dark and mournful. It's a lot of fun, but it treats its grim subject very seriously and never sells out its drama for the sake of superheroics.
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) March 24, 2019
My spoiler-free #review thread of #Shazam
The Donner’s Superman of our generation, Shazam has so much heart and goes back to the original core of the superhero genre. This movie makes us believe in a world where Superheroes could exist and be loved at the same time. PT 1/15 pic.twitter.com/wh4TFrSPcn— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 23, 2019
#Shazam is easily the best DC Comics movie of the current editions — an absolute blast from start to finish and impressive balance of fun, heart, and terror. Full review: https://t.co/a2OVm4ojpa pic.twitter.com/LXiSzqx6H2
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) March 23, 2019
#Shazam ably carries the ball forward for DC’s movie universe from #Aquaman. Big action, big laughs, big heart underneath, with terrific star turns from both @AsherAngel & @ZacharyLevi.
(I also have to give it up for how well the marketing kept the best surprises under wraps!)
— Zaki Hasan (@zakiscorner) March 24, 2019
#Shazam marks a sea change for the DCEU. Superb, sweet and smart, this is a BIG feel-good superhero movie you’ll want to see over and over again. My review: https://t.co/sx67TmaFmi via @FreshFictionTV pic.twitter.com/4udQrDC6Bq
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) March 23, 2019
I wanna talk about #Shazam all day everyday to anyone who will listen. My heart is still melting. My stomach still hurts from laughing. Can’t wait for you all to see this movie: https://t.co/emrRxeO3Xt way to go DC! Check out my non spoiler bedroom review NOW!!! 💛 pic.twitter.com/FZaGtCcCCf
— Roxy Striar (@roxystriar) March 23, 2019
My Non-Spoilery thoughts on SHAZAM!
SHAZAM is the 1-2-3 punch of the DCCU solo movies, continuing the streak from WONDER WOMAN to AQUAMAN to this fun Big Red Cheese-y flick! @ZacharyLevi @AsherAngel @Jgrazerofficial are all perfect! Will watch EVERY movie in this franchise! pic.twitter.com/q0uYHphqGf— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) March 24, 2019
THR's review of SHAZAM!: "(Zachary) Levi is a delight in the central role, hilariously conveying the goofy adolescent within the strapping body of his musclebound superhero." https://t.co/RF3BvLcTd3
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) March 24, 2019
#Shazam is total magic from start to finish. The DCEU continues with one of the most fun superhero films ever. @davidehrlich reviews: https://t.co/PlZNqmXu54 pic.twitter.com/Ps6txzwewx
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) March 24, 2019
Shazam! is DC’s most joyful and sweet movie since the days of Christopher Reeve’s Superman.
Our review: https://t.co/rbH5dtj3Ia pic.twitter.com/oz5a5U5lIJ
— IGN (@IGN) March 23, 2019
.@AP Film Review: With a terrific cast led by Zachary Levi and a script with heart and charm to spare, #Shazam is a delight, writes @ldbahr. https://t.co/9tWCNnrAN9
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) March 23, 2019
Have you seen Shazam! yet? What did you think? We’ll have our review up next week for the film, which premieres on April 5th in theaters everywhere.
(via CBR, image: Warner Bros.)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
