For 130 minutes, Zachary Levi, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou and Helen Mirren get excited in every direction without anyone really understanding why.
This time, Billy Batson, embodied in his superhero version by Zachary Levi, and his adoptive superhero siblings must face off against Atlas’ daughters, Anthea (Rachel Zegler, who plays very badly), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren). , line up to regain their father’s scepter and destroy Philadelphia in passing.
Written by tandem Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan and directed by David F. Sandberg – the same trio as the first work released in 2019 – this Shazam! The Wrath of the Gods” furiously resembles a remix of scenes that have already been seen in countless films or series of the same genre. The bridge, obviously over a river that is about to collapse: done! Families on the verge of death: done! The bitumen that cracks: Done! Water damage to the car: Done! The population turns into a statue: done! The Evil Dragon: Done! Superheroes to the Rescue: Overrated!
Some elements even make you think of “Morbius” at times – that says it all – with these fantastical creatures already seen bloodthirsty (over and over), we breathe hints of “Superman” into the air with Shazam’s plans, we conjure the shadow of “Spider.” -Man” with teenage romance, and a faint scent of Disney even hovers around the message about family love stronger than anything else. Definitive!
Also, and because it’s “Shazam! The Rage of the Gods” – a small feature film if there was one – has a production budget of “only” $100 million. Unfortunately, the giant screen of an IMAX theater lets no defect through and the sometimes only approximate special effects (particularly cars falling into the water, the dome over Philadelphia or the harpies) quickly take on the proportions of catastrophic errors… especially for 130 minutes.
No need for that “Shazam! The Wrath of the Gods? Yes. Aggravating? Still yes. Because despite a nice brief moment (the gorgeous unicorns lured by Skittles…we can imagine some juicy product placement, of course) this feature film isn’t meant for just any audience: adults will be entertained, little kids will be terrified, and teenagers will grow find the suggestion very cute. Without a doubt, it’s high time the DC Universe got a facelift. One more time.