SHAZAM!

In the same universe as a murderous Batman once tried to stab a miserable Superman to death with a Kryptonite spear, there exists a wizard named Shazam! Having spent eons looking for a chosen one worthy enough to bestow his power upon, Shazam’s (!) hand is forced when the evil Doctor Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) suddenly attains the power of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Unable to carry on holding out for a hero, Shazam (!) imbues one Billy Batson with his mighty power, allowing the moody orphan to transform into a stacked, thunderbolts-and-lighting-powered Zachary Levi. Together with his adoptive family, Billy must learn to control his incredible new abilities and defeat Sivana, before the villain can claim Batson’s powers as his own.

It’s been on the cards for a while now, with the inspirational Wonder Woman, tonally all-over-the-place Justice League and chest-thumpin’ Aquaman, but Shazam! is the DCU at its family-friendliest, with actual jokes, wisecracking and a Freddie Mercury needle drop. Fans of the Synder-verse as it was will likely baulk at this bubblegum entry into a hitherto dark and glum pantheon of movies – but it’s hard to deny that this is one of the DCU’s best movies so far.

Not since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man has a superhero’s origins tale nailed just how fun it can be to possess the powers of a god, and Shazam’s (!) strongest part is its midsection, in which Batson comes to terms with his powers, figuring out just what he can and can’t do. Levy is a delight and a revelation as Captain Marvel Shazam, effortlessly selling the wonder and innocence of his being a teenager bottled up in the body of a Superman. Mark Strong works wonders with not a lot, bringing a genuine sense of threat to an otherwise paper-thin role. And even the kids are alright, with Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer bringing plenty of heart to their respective roles of Batson and his superhero-obsessed ‘brother’.

However one connects with Shazam! will depend on what one is looking for from the superhero universe; a light-hearted, fun, action romp which bears more in common with The Guardians of the Galaxy or Spider-Man: Homecoming than it does Batman vs Superman or Man of Steel. Although a guy does still get thrown from the window of a skyscraper by a horrifically ugly CGI beast, so it’s not a complete wash-out.

Some will decry Shazam! as the Disney-fication of a hitherto portentous and epic cinematic universe but, really, isn’t there room for both? In the same universe as a murderous Batman once tried to stab a miserable Superman to death with a Kryptonite spear, there’s also fun for, and with, all the family. And, ultimately, there’s nothing more Comic Book than that.