Starring: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Faithe Herman, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans
OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆
Story:
Superhero fantasy adventure based on the DC Comics character of the same name directed by David F. Sandberg. Shazam! (2019) centers on 14 year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who once again finds himself in a new foster-family. The troubled Billy is one day confronted by an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou), who gives him the power to transform into an older, godlike superhero, Shazam (Zachary Levi), upon uttering the words “Shazam.” Billy and his new foster-brother, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), must learn how to use his new powers to stop the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).
Our Favorite Quotes:
'Here's the thing about power. What good is power if you got nobody to share it with?' - Shazam (Shazam!) Click To Tweet
Best Quotes
Ms. E.B. Glover: Foster home in Pittsburgh reported you missing two weeks ago.
Billy Batson: You sending me back?
Ms. E.B. Glover: No. They don’t want you.
Billy Batson: [chuckles] Harsh.
Ms. E.B. Glover: You laugh, but you’ve run from foster homes in six counties, Mr. Batson. From good people, who want you, all in pursuit of someone who arguably does not. It’s time someone looked you in the eye and told it to you straight.
Billy Batson: I don’t need parents to play make believe with. I got a mom.
Ms. E.B. Glover: Yes. You’re some detective. Seventy-three Batsons, between the ages of twenty-eight and forty, and you’ve crossed out every one.
Billy Batson: She’s still out there. I know it.
Ms. E.B. Glover: There’s a couple outside, Mr. Batson. They run a group home.
Billy Batson: I can take care of myself.
Ms. E.B. Glover: When you’re eighteen. Until then, I won’t have you living on the streets looking for someone who never looked for you. Give these people a chance, because that’s what they’re giving you. You’re out of options.
Rosa Vasquez: Freddy. This is Billy Batson. Make sure you make him feel at home, okay? Maybe don’t say anything too weird?
Freddy Freeman: Oh, one weird thing is you know the Romans used to brush their teeth with their urine? And apparently, it works.
Freddy Freeman: [as Billy looks out the bedroom window] Oh, it’s a long way down. Trust me, I speak from experience. Victor pushed me. They seem nice, but don’t buy it. It gets real Game of Thrones around here.
Billy Batson: What?
Freddy Freeman: Dude, I’m just messing around. It’s terminal cancer, I have three months. Kidding, again! You look at me and you’re, like, “Why so dark? You’re a disabled foster kid, you’ve got it all.” Right?
Dr. Sivana: [to the Wizard] Do you know what it’s like for a child to be told you’ll never be good enough? No, you don’t. What you said to me all those years ago made me realize who I really was. And you know something? I am not pure of heart.
Freddy Freeman: Flight or invisibility? If you could have one superpower, flight or invisibility, what would you pick? Everybody chooses flight. You know why?
Billy Batson: So they can fly away from this conversation?
Freddy Freeman: No, because heroes fly. Who doesn’t want people to think they’re a hero, right? But invisibility, no way. I mean, that’s pervy. Spying around on people who don’t even know you’re there. Sneaking around everywhere. It’s a total villain power, right?
[everyone in the diner goes quiet and turns to look at Freddy]
Freddy Freeman: Then they did this study, and this is a real thing. They asked people the same question. You know, what power do you want? But this time, they made it so the answers were anonymous. And most people, since they knew that it was secret, said invisibility. And I think that’s because most people don’t feel like heroes on the inside, deep down.
Darla Dudley: [as Freddy is getting beaten by bullies at school] Don’t touch my brother!
Burke Breyer: What, you need your fake family to stand up for you?
Brett Breyer: Stand up for yourself, man.
Burke Breyer: Yeah, huh? Here, stand up. Stand up for yourself.
Brett Breyer: What are you going to do?
Burke Breyer: Go home, cry to mommy? Oh, yeah, you don’t have a mommy.
Darla Dudley: Stop hurting him!
Billy Batson: [uses Freddy’s walking crutch to beat the Breyer brothers] Hey! Man, sorry about that. That wasn’t fair, but then again, you don’t fight fair, so.
Wizard: Billy Batson.
Billy Batson: How did you know my name?
Wizard: I am the last of the consul of wizards. Keeper of the Rock of Eternity.
Billy Batson: Oh. You’re that guy. Listen, I don’t have any money.
Wizard: Do not patronize me, boy! You are standing in the source of all magic. The Rock of Eternity. Seven thrones of seven wizards.. But long ago, we chose a champion. And we chose recklessly. He used his power for revenge. Releasing the Seven Deadly Sins into the world. Millions of lives were lost. Entire civilizations erased from existence. That is why I vowed never to pass on my magic until I find one truly good person. Strong in spirit. Pure in heart.
'Most people don't feel like heroes on the inside, deep down.' - Freddy Freeman (Shazam!) Click To Tweet
Billy Batson: Look, man, maybe this is magic. I don’t know, but the people you’re looking for, good, pure people, I’m not one of them. I don’t know if anyone is really.
Wizard: You, Billy Batson, are all I have. All the world has. Lay your hands on this staff.
Billy Batson: Gross.
Wizard: And say my name so my powers may flow through you. I open my heart to you, Billy Batson. And in so doing, choose you as champion.
Billy Batson: Thanks. Don’t scream at me, mister, but I really got to get going.
Wizard: My brothers and sisters were slain by the sins. Their thrones lie empty! My magic must be passed on.
Wizard: Now, speak my name!
Billy Batson: I don’t know your name, sir. We just met.
Wizard: My name is Shazam.
Billy Batson: [chuckling] Wait, for real?
Wizard: Say it!
Billy Batson: [puts his hand the staff] Okay! Jeez. Should I say it? Like, Shazam?
Wizard: [lightning explodes from the staff] Yes! Carry my name, and with it you carry all of my powers. The wisdom of Solomon! The strength of Hercules! The stamina of Atlas! The power of Zeus! The courage of Achilles! And speed of Mercury!
Shazam: [Billy transforms into a grown man godlike superhero] What happened to me? Why am…? What did you do to me? What did you do to my voice?
Wizard: You have been transformed to your full potential, Billy Batson. With your heart, unlock your greatest power. The thrones of our brothers and sisters await!
[he gives Billy his staff and then turns to dust]
Freddy Freeman: [as Shazam holds up the sign “Don’t Scream”] Victor! Victor! Victor!
Shazam: No, wait, don’t scream. It’s me! It’s Billy! It’s Billy! You asked me, flight or invisibility? I thought that was stupid, but now I look like this and I need your help! Meet me back here after lights out?
Victor Vasquez: [just as Billy’s seen Shazam outside the window] What’s up, bud? You alright?
Freddy Freeman: Yeah. Yeah. I’m just, I’m really sad, because Billy’s gone. And, you know, maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I did it. You know, maybe I snore.
Victor Vasquez: [embraces Freddy] Hey, hey, hey. Not your fault, son, alright? We’ll find him, okay? You don’t snore that bad. But you kind of smell.
Shazam: Look, Freddy, I swear it’s me, okay? Look, I know we’re not really close friends or anything, but you’re the only person that I know that knows anything about this Caped Crusader stuff.
Freddy Freeman: That’s Batman.
Shazam: What?
Freddy Freeman: Forget it. Can I…?
Shazam: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Freddy Freeman: [as he gets his hands close to the lightning bolt on Billy’s costume, golden electricity comes out] Oh! Oh, my God!
Shazam: It’s crazy, right?
Freddy Freeman: What are your superpowers?
Shazam: Superpowers? Dude, I don’t even know how to pee in this thing!
Freddy Freeman: Okay. Can you fly?
Freddy Freeman: [to Billy as Shazam] Electricity manipulation, hyperspeed, super strength! Dude, you’re stacked! You’re as cool as Superman, almost.
Shazam: I’d like to purchase some of your finest beer please.
[the store clerk looks at him with boredom and points to where the beers are]
Freddy Freeman: [as they are buying beer] I don’t know about this. I mean, we don’t have a fake ID.
Shazam: Freddy, would you relax? Look at me, I am the fake ID.
Shazam: [confronting the armed robbers] Gentlemen, why use guns when we can handle this like real men?
Freddy Freeman: Billy, look out!
Freddy Freeman: [the robber shoots him and the bullet falls to the ground] Bullet immunity. You have bullet immunity!
Shazam: I’m bulletproof.
Freddy Freeman: [starts filming Billy using his phone] Today is December 8th, and this is video proof of authenticity. Shoot him again.
Shazam: ]offers the gun back to the robber] Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Here, here. Go, both of you. Come on. Go to town.
Freddy Freeman: [both robbers start shooting at Billy, but the bullets just ricochet off him] Wait, wait! Wait, wait! We still don’t know if the suit is bulletproof or if you are. Shoot him in the face.
Shazam: Shoot me in the, in the face?
Shazam: [robbers shoot Billy in the face] It kind of tickles.
Shazam: [to the robbers] You’re dead.
[we see the robbers come crashing through the store window]
'If a superhero can't save his family, he's not much of a hero.' - Billy Batson (Shazam!) Click To Tweet
Shazam: [as they walk out of the convenience store] Sorry about your window.
Freddy Freeman: Have a good night.
Shazam: But you’re welcome for not getting robbed!
Shazam: [to the woman passing them by] Oh, hey. What’s up? I’m a superhero.
Freddy Freeman: Yeah, his name is Captain Sparkle Fingers.
Shazam: No, it’s not. No, it’s not! It’s not my name! Hey, we should hang out. We’re like the same age.
Shazam: [to Freddy, sitting at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art] I mean, it’s a pretty sick view. I totally get why Rocky was training so hard to get up here.
Shazam: [they enter Darla’s room] I told you this was a bad idea.
Rosa Vasquez: Freddy? Freddy, what happened to the stairs?
Freddy Freeman: [Billy as Shazam quickly goes over to Darla and covers her mouth] Hey, covering her mouth like you’re going to kidnap her is not going to make her less scared, okay?
Shazam: Darla, it’s me, it’s Billy. I know I don’t look like me. A wizard made me look like this.
Freddy Freeman: Maybe don’t start with the wizard, it’s just going to make her more confused.
Shazam: Some old guy brought me to a temple, and he made me say, “Shazam.”
Freddy Freeman: Verbally triggered body manipulation properties. You can switch by saying, “Shazam!”
Freddy Freeman: Listen to me, Darla, you cannot tell anybody about this, alright?
Darla Dudley: But it’s Billy, he’s the hero.
Freddy Freeman: Yeah, but if a supervillain finds out that he’s a hero, that endangers us. Okay, heroes loved ones are like the perfect bad guy target.
Billy Batson: Is she even good at keeping secrets?
Darla Dudley: Moderate.
Freddy Freeman: No.
Billy Batson: Oh, God.
Dr. Sivana: What sin best befits you, father? Hm?
Mr. Sivana: I’ll give you anything. Money. The company? You want the company?
Dr. Sivana: [referring to his Seven Sins] There it is. Greed. Do you honestly think all this material you’ve accumulated amounts to actual power? This is power. More than you ever had. More than anyone has.
Dr. Sivana: [referring to his father] Oh, Greed, you can have him.
Mr. Sivana: No. No!
Freddy Freeman: More powerful than a locomotive.
Shazam: Locomotive? What are you? An old prospector?
Shazam: [walks by people and zaps electricity to their cellphones] Your phone’s charged. Your phone’s charged. Your phone’s charged.
Freddy Freeman: You know what? You really need like a mic-drop catchphrase after you do something cool.
Shazam: I’ve been thinking about that. I was thinking, what about, what about this, “That’s why you don’t mess with electricity.”
Freddy Freeman: Catchphrases, obviously, aren’t one of your superpowers.
Shazam: [zaps electricity to the cellphone of the man walking by them] And your phone’s charged.
Shazam: [to Freddy] Well, you think you could do better?
Pi**ed Off Phone Owner: [the man’s phone’s explodes] What the hell?!
Realtor: A lair?
Freddy Freeman: Yes. And obviously, we’re going to have to be making this purchase anonymously.
Realtor: Obviously.
Freddy Freeman: And if you have a location like on a cliff, like a castle-esque type thing.
Shazam: Overlooking some water.
Freddy Freeman: Overlooking some water, seas below it. Rough, you know.
Shazam: Like a waterfall, so you can, like drive into…
Freddy Freeman: Then we’ll take, waterfall! Yeah, if you have a water, Yeah.
Shazam: Dude, did you see that?
Freddy Freeman: Yeah, you electrocuted a bus and almost killed these people.
Shazam: And then I caught it! Freddy! I caught a bus with my bare hands, man. I caught a bus like people catch fly balls. Like who does that? I do that.
Freddy Freeman: Billy, you do nothing, you take selfies and make people pay you. You know what, forget it. I can’t really talk to you when you look like this.
Shazam: You just wish it was you.
Freddy Freeman: No s**t. You think? I would kill to have what you have. Because everything I do is like some desperate attempt to get people to notice me, to not feel sorry for me. I mean, look at me. Look at me. Do you even see me? Because most people don’t, because they don’t want to. And now you don’t either. I mean, you think this is who you are? I mean, Billy, you’re fourteen. And now you’re no better than the Breyers. All this power, and all you did was turn into a showoff and a bully.
Shazam: Whatever, kid. I do what I want! And I’m like mid-twenties, probably. Maybe even like thirty.
Dr. Sivana: Chosen one. The so called perfect man. Pure of heart. Flawless in every way. What made you so worthy?
Shazam: I’m sorry, can I help, can I help…? Do you want a autograph or something?
Dr. Sivana: Give me your power, or die.
Shazam: Oh, snap. You’re like a bad guy, right?
Trailer: