Wow, this has been a long time coming. DC’s latest series of films has been … uneven, to be kind, disastrous if you’re feeling nasty. There have been six films in the series so far, and only two gained any critical acclaim. It’s no secret that, due to these issues, there has been much shuffling around behind the scenes at DC Films in order to try and get what Warner Bros are aiming for: a multi-billion dollar franchise to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but one need only look at the dreadful mess that was Justice League to see how that behind the scenes shuffling did the series no favours at all. Finally, it seems, they’ve come to their senses. After the box office success of Aquaman this past Christmas, DC seem to be leaning into the idea that they don’t need a massive franchise – they’ve announced that they will only be focusing on individual films for the foreseeable future. If their latest is anything to go by (Shazam!, from Lights Out director David F. Sandberg), this will at last see the studio become a roaring success.

Shazam! tells the story of foster teen Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who gains the powers of six mythical beings when chosen as champion by a dying wizard. Upon saying the wizard’s name, Billy transforms into the superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi), and must navigate his newfound powers and responsibilities, while also trying to settle into his new home. It’s a nicely compact story. For once; there are no world-ending stakes, or huge wars, or battles for the throne – Shazam! is simply a story about a boy with extraordinary gifts trying to find his place in the world, and it’s all the better for it (though it does contain the usual duo of post-credits scenes, the first of which hints at an expansion, and the second of which is barely worth the wait).

Perhaps the most important thing about Shazam! – and indeed the thing that sets it apart from previous DCEU movies – is its huge heart and delirious sense of fun. This is a fairly recent course correction for the series, and is the only time it has worked properly. Shazam! is a complete delight, from start to finish. It’s basically a coming-of-age movie with a superpowered protagonist, which allows Sandberg complete freedom in terms of character and story. Scenes of Billy discovering his powers are truly magnificent; Zachary Levi’s seemingly unending enthusiasm lends these moments a sense of true authenticity, imbuing the film with a fantastic feeling of wonder – something we’ve seldom seen from these films.

Speaking of the cast – they are perfect. Each and every one of them. As I’ve already mentioned, Levi is a gem as Shazam, perfectly capturing Billy’s mix of childlike wonder and teenage cynicism. Asher Angel does the same as Billy himself (though he does get much less screentime than we may like), and the two of them together create the most likeable and enjoyable protagonist the DC movies have ever seen. Hats off to Mark Strong, too, who returns to the DC canon after his ill-fated turn as Sinestro in 2011’s Green Lantern. He plays villain Dr Sivana, and is fantastic. For once, we’re treated to a DC movie that actually develops its villain well. We open with a flashback to Sivana’s childhood before moving back to the main narrative – though a simple device, this flashback fleshes out Sivana the perfect amount. Upon his reintroduction, we immediately understand both his motivations and his emotions, as well as the reason he’s after Shazam in particular. Strong is great in the role; equally human and menacing, he’s shown to be surprisingly conflicted internally, while his relationship to Shazam means that we actually care about how the two interact. Jack Dylan Grazer (It) plays Freddy Freeman, one of Billy’s foster brothers. Freddy is a huge superhero fan, and owns more than his fair share of Justice League merchandise (if only real-world fans were able to love the Justice League as much as Freddy does …). Freddy is there to help Billy every step of the way, and Grazer somehow manages to surpass Levi’s enthusiasm at Billy’s newfound powers. Scenes between the two of them are utterly joyful (the one where Billy discovers he is bulletproof is a highlight of the entire film), as Grazer plays perfectly with both Angel and Levi. Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, and Jovan Armand play the rest of Billy’s foster siblings, and his foster parents are played by Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews: all are delightful. We instantly believe in them as a family unit, even though we’re initially left on the outside due to Billy’s reluctance to join them.

That’s something that pervades Shazam! as a whole; the idea of family, of what that means, and of finding the right one for you. The film is a strong advocate of that old saying ‘family is what you make it’, and actually better portrays a foster family than other recent efforts (such as the overly saccharine Instant Family). Much of Billy’s arc revolves around finding that this new family is there for him in ways that others haven’t been, including his birth mother (speaking of, that entire subplot is superbly dealt with). Everything Billy goes through constantly builds toward his final arc in a way that feels so rare for this series – this is basic characterisation done extremely well, with a fantastic payoff in the final act. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know what I mean, and if it didn’t leave you grinning like a maniac, then I’m afraid you’ll need to step outside and think about whether you’re able to feel joy.

Sadly, it isn’t all sparkles and perfection. As good as Mark Strong’s villain is, the seven deadly sins that give him his powers feel a tad too reminiscent of Batman v Superman’s Doomsday. The CGI and design of them are admittedly leagues ahead of what Snyder and co gave us, but there’s little in the way of development, and some questionable internal logic holds the final act back from true greatness (if the sins can turn to smoke, as we see them do, why are they able to be hit later on?).

Even so, despite these admittedly tiny niggles, Shazam! is, ahem, a marvel to behold. It’s funny, moving, entertaining, boasts the best action of any of the new DC canon, and showcases some truly brilliant character work, all while leaving you with the biggest grin of any superhero movie in the past couple of years. If this is what the future of the DCEU looks like, then I’m there – just say the word.

Verdict: 

DC’s biggest course correction turns out to be its greatest success. Shazam! is everything we could want from a superhero movie and so much more besides; as exciting as it is emotional, as hilarious as it is gripping, DC have finally made a bona fide smash to rival even the best films from their competitor. More of this please!

8/10