Shazam! review: Shameless mining of Spielberg, Big pays off for DC Comics

In order to have a reputation as a more fleshed-out film studio, DC Comics doesn't just need the likes of Wonder Woman. It also needs films like Shazam!—one-off morsels that are free from the weight of a connected universe, that can unabashedly walk the same ground as the best '80s kids-action films, that let us laugh with an infusion of Spielberg-ian heart.

Shazam! is in no position to "redeem" DC Comics' reputation in comparison to Marvel Studios' fare, and it succeeds the most by wearing that fact on its giddy-teen sleeve. Of course, Marvel comparisons are inevitable, so I'll start with one: the resulting film lands somewhere between the first and second Ant-Man films. It's fun. It's funny. It's fine. Shazam! can easily be criticized for issues and lapses, but its worst issues are nitpicks, not damning reasons to steer clear.

We have a Monster Squad apologist here

I was particularly charmed by the solid cast of kids and teens. If shameless mining of the '80s well that brought us Big, The Goonies, and E.T. brings us more talented young actors having fun and kicking butt with magical powers while learning valuable friendship lessons, then, sure. I for one don't really tire of that formula. (Gosh, I still like Monster Squad, which was already an unnecessary Goonies rip-off when it came out 30 years ago.)

There's more plot than that going on in Shazam!—about a wizard defending an ancient temple from seven beasts who represent the deadly sins, and an evil force releasing said sins, and a brooding kid somehow hooking up with said wizard to claim his powers in the nick of time—but none of that would matter if we didn't like the kid actors who dominate this film.

Teen protagonist Billy Batson (played by Asher Angel) and his accidental best bud Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) unite on opposite ends of the outcast spectrum, and it's a good pairing. The film establishes Billy's petty-crime streak and emotional reluctance, then introduces Freddy's damaged enthusiasm. Their friendship isn't automatic by any stretch, so Shazam! is mindful of that, letting each character tiptoe into niceness before teen Billy's transformation into an unwitting, grown-up superhero (played by Zachary Levi). At this point, each eggs the other on as they becoming friendly jokesters, only to poke each other's insecurities when they each see the whole superhero thing going in different ways than the other expected.

Meaning: the duo has its share of one-liners, including some delightfully Beavis & Butt-head-esque reactions. But buying into their friendship and watching it evolve is what elevates Shazam! beyond its best jokes (a few of which were already spoiled by trailers). This quality, by the way, makes Shazam! easy to watch if you know bupkis about its comic book history.

Zachary Levi also counts as a likable kid actor in this film, seeing as he's doing the whole Tom Hanks thing (a fact that the film acknowledges in one laugh-out-loud moment). The biggest problem I have with his performance, however, is that he's playing a different teenager than Billy's character. The actual teen has gone through legitimate trauma and is equal parts hardened and wimpy, as appropriate. Levi's take never reflects this crucial emotional content, and in many scenes, that makes sense—Levi's the one with the cape and the bullet-proof skin.

This acting disconnect doesn't sink the film by any stretch. Levi gets some much deserved laughs in doing the ol' Hollywood grown-up-kid switcheroo. But it's a clear example of Levi taking on a legitimately tougher role than Big's Hanks—of balancing a teen character's pained backstory with the Red Bull sugar-rush of flight and lightning bolts—and thus paling in comparison.

One bad adult doesnt spoil the teen bunch