Shazam is one of the more lesser-known (at least to the non-comic book fans) of the DC Superheros. If you are old enough you may remember the cartoon that was on TV back in the 1980s. He is actually a kid named Billy Batson who is given powers by a Wizard that allows him to become a superhero with powers very similar to that of Superman when he says the word Shazam (and he is also transformed into an adult wearing a super-suit with a huge lightning bolt on his chest.
In the movie, 14-year old Billy is played by Asher Angel and Shazam/adult/superhero Billy is played by Zachary Levi, who was best known for the underrated series Chuck. Billy is a kid who bounces in and out of various foster homes after running away from them trying to track down his mother who he has not seen since getting lost at a carnival when he was a little kid. He ends up getting his powers from the Wizard Shazam played by Djimon Honsou who is looking for a champion who is pure of heart to inherit his powers to battle the embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins and their champion Doctor Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The rest of the cast is comprised of child and adult actors including Jack Grazer, Grace Fullerton, Marla Milans, Adam Brody, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Cooper Andrews, Michelle Borth, Jovan Armand, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, DJ Cotrona, and John Glover. Of the supporting cast, Borth, Brody, Good, and Glover are probably the most recognizable. I will not say what roles the supporting cast plays because it would spoil the end of the movie, but all of the actors do a great job with their characters.
The movie is really an origin story with Billy trying to figure out his superhero powers. Levi does a great job of playing a 14-year old kid stuck in an adult's body, and you get that he would be a kid not necessarily being a serious hero when he gets these cool powers. Mark Strong did a great job as the bad guy and really played a great villain. The movie really seems to be what DC wanted for its movies, as a mix of action, and comedy with a dash of seriousness mixed in. It feels a lot more like a Marvel movie than the other "Snyderverse" movies.
For those who get the 4k set, there is a UHD disc that just has the movie, which looks and sounds great in the format. Then there is a regular Blu-ray disc that has the extras. Those include several behind-the-scenes and making-of features of various lengths, about 37-minutes of deleted and alternate/extended scenes, a gag reel, and a feature on the character of Shazam through the years. All in all, about two hours worth of bonus material (give-or-take).
Overall, the movie is very good. Like I said, the tone is definitely different than the other DC movies, especially those that Zach Snyder directed, but it fits given the storyline. It is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of superhero movies, and have not reached the superhero fatigue point yet.
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