And something broken here will probably create another sequel... or two

★★ out of ★★★★

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Runtime: 130 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language.

Because Billy Batson (Zachary Levi in superhero form) broke the staff Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) held in Shazam!, it led to this sequel. Because Billy Batson left a black apple on the table, the second-half of the film happens and drags. These are all irresponsible massive mistakes characters make that will probably set up another sequel, and another one.

This is largely quite disappointing, because while Shazam! Fury of the Gods remains consistently watchable, it never reaches the heart, innovation and sharp writing of its superior predecessor. The main problem is that "Fury of the Gods" doesn't dare to take risks and ultimately tries nothing novel. It also carelessly puts in emotional moments that don't feel earned, though the message and evocation they send to the viewer ring with some truth.

"Fury of the Gods" is three movies: The "Shazamily" fighting the villains, The daughter of Atlas regaining their land and seeking revenge, and an awkwardly shoved in romance between two characters. If that sounds too much to you, that's because it probably is. It juggles between so many subplots and players that all the individual moments don't really add up to a whole. Perhaps if the final act was shorter, or the character-and-plot-building scenes were longer, "Fury of the Gods" would have been more tolerable.

We start with a mildly amusing museum heist, reminding us of far superior opening heist sequences like The Dark Knight. It's your standard villain introduction and what they can do or whatnot. Villains Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren) retrieve a staff from a Greek museum and launch chaos, causing everyone in the museum to turn to stone as they escape.

In a predictable joke sequence that follows, Billy Batson (Asher Angel, Zachary Levi in superhero form) seeks a pediatrician to vent out all his issues and how he feels like he isn't contributing much to the city. There's a brief introduction to everyone back at the house again, including Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody), Eugene Choi (Ian Chen, Ross Butler), Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona), Darly Dudley (Faithe Herman, Meagan Good), Mary Bromfield (Grace Caroline Currey), and the foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans respectively).

The first big set piece involves the Shazamily saving civilians from a collapsing bridge, because "that's what superheroes normally do". We cut to a later scene where it is revealed that the wizard (Djimon Hounsou) is not dead and is forced to repair the broken staff. Then, the wizard appears in Billy's dreams and warns him about the daughters of Atlas who are arriving to reclaim their power.

As Billy and his foster siblings work out on identifying the villains, another subplot also involves Freddy bumping into a new girl called Anne (Rachel Zegler), whom he is instantly smitten with. He still has troubles with bullies but alas chooses to shrug it off, himself knowing his secret abilities. Some more plot unfolds as Pedro introduces to the Shazamily a secret library in the Rock of Eternity, where they gather information.

It does get more interesting when the villains finally show up at the end of the first act. Kalypso drains Freddy's power and keeps him hostage, while Hespera has casted a dome on the city that has left the Shazamily and its civilians trapped in there. As expected, there's a plan to save Freddy, to thwart the villains' plan, and ultimately stop them from their goal.

Like mentioned, a huge problem is its unambitious narrative. I audibly exclaimed across several scenes and elements from the film, "Wasn't saving a falling passenger in a car from Spider-Man: No Way Home? Wasn't a collapsing bridge from Final Destination 5? Wasn't the dome in the city from Under the Dome? Wasn't the disintegration of villains here from Avengers: Endgame?" "Fury of the Gods" offers a plot so bland and predictable to the point where almost each scene felt like it was taken from a better film, or even video game.

Still, it isn't a complete disaster. The film reaches a high point when characters' dialogue ring with honesty and great truths. I particularly liked the scene of Mary advising Billy to not hang on too tight to the foster family, and how each of them will need to get jobs, a career, and live their own life. It also briefly highlights Billy's hurt past self, being abandoned and rejected by his family and numerous foster homes.

Another aspect that softens the film's many shortcomings is Levi's comedic performance and a few genuinely hilarious sequences. While one can point out the disparity between Levi and Angel's portrayals, you can't deny that Levi always makes the film a little brighter whenever he appears, lightening the tone and reducing the blandness. There's also a funny scene where Hespera reads a terribly written letter from the Shazamily that made me unintentionally cringe and snicker at the same time.

However, there's also no denying in how there's lesser stakes and lesser conflict this time around. "Fury of the Gods" should have put more focus on Billy still struggling with the prospect of aging out of the foster system, and battling with rejection from his family. There isn't enough emotional groundwork that challenges this character, and that causes a distance from him to the viewer.

In addition, other performances are also slightly weaker and not so memorable. Lucy Liu gives a surprisingly wooden performance here, and Helen Mirren's appearance in such a project like this, given her immense talent, is also baffling. Such a talented cast like this are squandered in forgettable roles that are like nails on the smooth road.

Similar to Black Adam, "Fury of the Gods" starts dragging quite badly towards the end, and tips a little into consumerism (that Skittles scene), but it does make a good attempt to redeem Billy in an adequately touching and satisfying ending. The film seems to end on a high note, but then Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) appears to resurrect the staff, and Billy, making the sacrifice and build-up pointless. It would have been better to stick with the unconventional, melancholy ending that brings the film to a crescendo, but it ultimately retreats to safe, crowd-pleasing tactics that I groaned at.

Oh, and don't stay until the pointless post-credits scene which reveals absolutely nothing. In the end, we don't want safe and predictable films. "Fury of the Gods" won't make you completely regret watching it, but that's if you're fine watching something you've seen several hundred times before.