Shazam! arrives in a little under two months from now and DC fans are getting a bit restless for that second full trailer to really give us a taste of the original Captain Marvel’s big screen debut. We haven’t got that just yet, but an early reaction from someone who was present for a recent test screening of the movie has come our way.
The person we spoke to admitted that they weren’t expecting to be a fan of the pic but found themselves “blown away” by it, teasing that Shazam! is more fun than Aquaman and could even be the best film that the Worlds of DC franchise has given us to date. In particular, Zachary Levi and Mark Strong are great as the titular hero and his nemesis, respectively.
“I went to Shazam with low expectations and was blown away. This could be the best DCEU movie to date, even more fun than Aquaman. It’s well written, with great jokes. Zachary Levi shines in the title role. You see he was born to play this part. Mark Strong is also great as his foe Dr Sivana. He’s powrful [sic] and scary and can be funny too. The rest of the cast is good too.”
What’s more, our source notes that there are some affectionate nods to Tom Hanks classic Big as well as much to look forward to for DC fans, such as a few very special cameos.
“There are some great nods to Big which this movie took a lot from and to the rest of the DCEU (and speaking of some great surprises to DC fans!). The VFX and action are well made and the looks great.”
The one flaw that this individual had with Shazam! was that the Seven Deadly Sins – demonic enemies of the hero’s who we’ve previously heard were in the movie – weren’t utilized as well as they could’ve been and their designs are apparently lacking, too.
“My main problem with it was with The Seven Deadly Sins who were nothing more than a generic punching bag for the heroes to fight. And their design was pretty boring as well.”
Apart from this criticism, Shazam! sounds like a thoroughly entertaining experience, with our source planning to rewatch it again when it hits cinemas.
“But other than that I loved everything about it and can’t wait to watch again (and again).”
Obviously, this is just one person’s opinion, but it’s an encouraging reaction nonetheless. It sounds like DC might have two major hits in a row on their hands here, which is exactly what the franchise needs after its rocky first few years. It’s too early to say for sure, though, so we’ll just have to wait until Shazam! releases on April 5th to see how things unfold.
