Trailer for the movie "Shazam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" (Tulip entertainment)
The two biggest comic book brands in cinema are currently in a strange transition period.
While Marvel is trying to regain the trust of the audience with a new supervillain, in the DC Universe the future is even more confusing.
The circumstances are more business than plot - on the one hand this universe has a new boss, James Gunn (Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" and also "Suicide Squad" - the good one, from 2021), who also aims to present a new vision.
On the other hand, it is not clear how and if at all Gunn's plans for the future fit in with the cinematic universe that has already been built, which characters will continue the journey, and whether there will be more sequels like that of "Batgirl", which was canceled after it was almost completely completed and arranged a hefty tax benefit for Warner Studios.
While all this is happening, films like "Black Adam" and "Shazam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" - films that were started before the new regime in the studios - are released and act as if nothing has changed.
What's more: DC themselves also squint out with "side adventure" movies that are not at all related to their main universe, old or new: "Joker", "Batman" or even the cartoon "League of Super-Pets".
All this makes the repeated attempts of "Shazam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" to enlighten us about the future of DC with all kinds of hints a little puzzling.
How can you be drawn into this "universe", when even the filmmakers don't yet know if the character will appear again in the next films?
A light children's film and dark and violent action in one package.
From "Shazam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" (photo: Tulip entertainment)
But underneath all the expectations and questions there is also a movie, and it is grandiose and much more loaded than its predecessor.
For those who missed or forgot in the meantime, this is the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel / Zachary Levy), a boy who grew up in various foster families in Philadelphia following the abandonment of his biological mother.
Batson found a warm home in the home of Victor and Rosa, who have other foster children, and gained mythological superpowers following an encounter with a sorcerer (Digimon Hounsou), which enable him and later also his brothers and sisters who strive to become superheroes - adults, muscular and capable - with the help of the magic word Shahzam
After the family became a team of heroes in the previous episode, "Shazam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" reminds us that after every happy ending, cracks begin to appear.
The spell may make the Shahazam family look like adults, but it's still a bunch of kids and teenagers who have no idea what they're actually doing.
Each of their daring rescue operations is carried out with a certain sloppiness, and the city mocks them instead of admiring them.
Billy tries to lead the team with a firm hand, but his abandonment anxiety and imposter syndrome make him become overbearing.
The younger siblings are still somehow okay with it, but older siblings Freddie (Jack Dylan Grazer / Adam Brody) and Mary (Grace Fulton) want to go on solo adventures.
The problems intensify when a new team of villains appears on Earth.
The strange transliteration Shahzam is actually the initials of various mythological heroes, including Atlas, whose powers were given to Billy - and now the daughters of the Greek titan want them back.
The figure and Calypso (Helen Mirren and Lucy Law) do not hesitate to use their dark powers to achieve their goal, while their younger sister, Anthea (Rachel Zegler, "Suburban Story"), hesitates to harm the humans after befriending Freddy.
The mythological characters return for revenge.
From "Shazam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" (photo: Tulip entertainment)
Like its predecessor, "Shahzam! 2: Wrath of the Gods" also combines two completely different tones - on the one hand, a light and heartwarming children's film, on the other hand, very dark and violent action.
Director David F.
Sandberg started his career with the horror films "Lights Out" and "Annabelle 2", and this is evident - quite a few moments in the film almost delight in the fear of ordinary people from their villains and monsters, and there are quite a few scenes of violence and rather brutal death.
The sense of danger here is more convincing than the average in the genre, especially when their heroes are, excuse the French, quite idiots.
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For a little more than two hours (plus two bonus scenes at the end) the film tries to balance these two sides with the help of humor, not bad effects and a lot of completely crazy moments.
It doesn't always work, but it's not a complete failure either.
Not every joke works, but when they land, they do it big.
The action is mostly good enough to make up for the overly convoluted plot, with some scenes that manage to surprisingly combine the weird, the dark, and the funny (watch the scene with the unicorns).
However, some ideas that arise at the beginning of the story are neglected to leave room for the battle between Billy and the sisters, some are resolved too easily and others are more or less forgotten.
Zachary Levy is as successful as the hero version of Billy as he was in the first film.
He easily carries the comedy on one shoulder and Billy's anxieties and stress on the other, which give the film its emotional heart.
The cast of child heroes is also mostly successful, especially Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy, who steals his brother's shine with every new line.
It's not always enough to compensate for the script that creaks more than once, but overall it's an easy and fun watch that justifies jumping to the cinema.
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Superheroes
Lucy Lu
Helen Mirren
