‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Review – Over Crowded Sequel Can’t Take Flight
The team of super teens is back on the big screen this weekend. Is this sequel worth a trip to theaters? Check out our Shazam: Fury of the Gods review to find out.
The teenagers are trying to figure out how to juggle regular life and their adult superhero alter-egos. In the midst of that, new enemies arrive–the villainous Hespera and Kalypso, daughters of the Greek Titan Atlas. And the sisters are not screwing around. They want to hunt down the newly formed team of super siblings, take their powers, and then take the entire world.
Zachery Levi and Asher Angel are back, along with Jack Dylan Grazer, the rest of the kids, and their superhero counterparts. Helen Mirren plays Hespera, Lucy Liu is Kalypso, and Derek Russo is Atlas. Director David F. Sandberg and writer Henry Gayden, who were both in the first movie, are also back.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods Spoiler-Free Review
In going for a bigger movie with aged-up characters, the writers lost what is great about the first movie. 2019’s Shazam! brought a lighter, more family-friendly story to a DC universe that was dark and gritty. It’s joyous and unpretentious. The story includes solid lessons about family, being yourself, confidence, and responsibility mixed with plenty of genuine laughs. The bad guy is a threat, but he’s also a bit of a cartoonish bully. Overall, it’s a fun movie for everyone.
Fury of the Gods’ lighthearted moments are few and far between, and they can be downright awkward. There are some fun moments between siblings that feel natural and will make you smile. Then there’s everything else. A lot of forced (product placement is painful at times), bland, and wholly inappropriate jokes replace the charm fans fell for. The joy that made the first movie a gem just doesn’t make it into this darker story that can’t quite decide how to balance elements.
via Warner Bros.
Fury of the Gods is darker, both visually and thematically. There’s more violence, some graphic (but not bloody – this is PG-13) deaths, and the overall tone is dour even when it tries to be endearing. A good plot is in there, but it’s bogged down by many poor choices and scenes that feel like they were there to complete a superhero movie checklist. As we’ve seen with so many movies recently, it could have benefitted from a tighter, shorter edit.
It’s not all bad. The movie expands the universe, and the characters grow by its end. We get to see more of the Rock of Eternity and its secrets. The mythology surrounding all of the magic in this series gets deeper, and its connections to history are made clear. There are some fantastic deadly mythological creatures – I think Ray Harryhausen would have approved of some of the designs. The big fights are entertaining and look good.
Though there aren’t as many as I’d like, the team has some fun and touching interactions reminding you that they’re kids trying to figure life out under their grown-up exteriors. You can feel the best parts of the first movie wanting to bust out of those scenes.
via Warner Bros.
Should You See Fury of the Gods?
It’s not that it’s a terrible movie. It’s not. It just could have been better with some tuning and care, but after the studio shake-up, that wasn’t in the cards. Obviously, they just wanted to get this out of the door and move on from the DCEU.
If you want a darker, more adult story with higher stakes, this might be something you’ll enjoy if you can get past the mish-mash story. If you want more of the first movie, you’ll be let down, but there are some shining moments that you’ll love. Either way, I’d wait till it hits HBOMax.
Parents, you can check out Common Sense Media’s review here.
