Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

• Man, talk about a killer sequel. In fact, I actually enjoyed this movie more than the first, and I will probably even go as far to say that this one was better (by a small percent). Granted, the first one was absolutely fantastic, but this one was just so awesomely awesome. It’s currently in my top 5 favorite DCEU films, so that goes to show you how awesome it was. Normally, with these kinds of sequels, they’re sometimes trashy and kind of fall apart. However, it continues the characters in a great way, with a strong story, and just an exciting mood. I love how, much like the first movie, it revolves around fantasy and monsters. The use of Greek mythology is legitimately perfect, and my inner Percy Jackson fanboy was absolutely screaming the entire time. I won’t say more about the plot, for spoiler reasons. Just know that it packs a fun punch, and I honestly enjoyed every single second of it. Seeing the Shazamily again was also epic. Even though all the kids have aged, they still have the same personalities, which keeps the youthful feel. They provide so many laughs, much like the first movie. The humor didn’t feel forced, and didn’t overload the movie with it. Zachary Levi, of course, is perfect as Shazam, but Jack Dylan Grazer was the standout to me. He projects so much in this movie, and I’m really happy to see how well his performance/character turned out. Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu were also extravagant. The soundtrack was phenomenal, as it fills the movie with so much passion and heroism. The effects and CGI were delicious, and I don’t think I have a single complaint about them (except for only one specific scene). The design of all the creatures were gorgeous yet terrifying, and that dragon was AWESOME. I can’t even put into words how great it was. Overall, this movie was flipping fantastic, despite what the dumb critics might say. And, in the last 5-ish minutes, I was smiling the entire time. I’ll leave it at that. I would highly recommend this movie to all superhero/DC fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!