christian movie review shazam

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DVD & Streaming

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Action/Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 17, 2023
Zachary Levi as Shazam; Asher Angel as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman; Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield/Superhero Mary; Helen Mirren as Hespera; Rachel Zegler as Anthea; Lucy Liu as Kalypso; Adam Brody as Superhero Freddy; Meagan Good as Superhero Darla; Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez; Djimon Hounsou as Shazam (the Wizard); Ross Butler as Superhero Eugene; D.J. Cotrona as Superhero Pedro; Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena; Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen as Eugene Choi; Derek Russo as Atlas

Home Release Date

April 18, 2023
David F. Sandberg

Distributor

Warner Bros.

Movie Review

The wisdom of Solomon. The strength of Hercules. The stamina of Atlas. The power of Zeus. The courage of Achilles. The speed of Mercury.

It’s a nice summary of Billy Batson’s powers when he’s in his Shazam form. But it’s actually more than just a summary. It’s actually a categorical list of all the gods, demigods and (apparently) an Israelite king from whom Shazam takes his powers. And we learn that a previous Shazam did, indeed, literally take them (though Billy wasn’t aware of any of this), leaving the aforementioned deities powerless.

And here’s the thing—the gods don’t exactly appreciate it when you steal their powers.

They (the Greek titans and gods, that is) have been sealed away from our world by a magical staff for thousands of years, which is why we haven’t seen them—and as long as that staff remains intact, that seal cannot be broken.

You might remember that said staff made its appearance in the first Shazam! movie, when Billy and his foster siblings battled it out with the maniacal Dr. Sivana and his Seven Deadly Sins. You might also remember how Billy broke said staff in half during said battle.

And just like that —the seal is broken. The Daughters of Atlas are coming. And they’re not very happy that their father’s name is a mere letter in Shazam’s.

Positive Elements

The first Shazam! featured many positive messages about family, and its sequel is no different. In the first film, Billy struggled with believing whether or not a genuine loving family could actually exist. In the second, Billy struggles with the fear that his family is going to abandon him like his birth mother did.

That’s because he’s about to turn 18, which means that his foster parents, Victor and Rosa, will no longer receive federal aid for housing him—and according to Mary, the oldest of the foster siblings, his options are to either get a job to help the struggling parents or move out. The fear of abandonment is evident—Billy tells a man that he feels abandoned by his mother, his family and his city (the last of which thinks of the superhero siblings as “fiascos.”)

The fear of abandonment is perhaps why Billy is so focused on making sure that he and his siblings only go crime fighting as a team . But Billy’s fears are eventually assuaged by Rosa, who tells him that he “will never age out of [his] home—never.”

And, of course, there’s the positive of the six supers putting their lives on the line in order to save countless citizens. To that point, we hear a couple sentiments that it’s not the powers that make someone a hero or brave; it’s who they are as a person. Case in point: Even when Freddy isn’t in his Shazam form, he still stands up against evil.

Spiritual Elements

[The following section contains a few plot-specific spoilers]

Shazam! came bolting out of the spiritual gate in its first film, having Shazam (whose name is itself an acronym that includes some pagan gods) battle the Seven Deadly Sins—demons based on both Christian and pagan influences. With that in mind, and with the sequel’s title being Fury of the Gods , you might expect this second movie to follow suit.

You’d be right—and more so.

Fury of the Gods almost immediately stipulates that the Greek gods are the real deal. Several characters seem to suggest that every other religion got it completely wrong, Christianity included. (And speaking of, Victor’s signature dinner prayers from the first movie are entirely absent in this film). We hear mocking comments such as “A god has answered their prayers at last” and “they pray to the gods to absolve them.” Indeed, when people contemplate whether someone can be brought back to life, someone laments that “there are no gods left.”

The mythology of Fury of the Gods goes as follows: long ago, the Greek gods ruled the world, thinking of humans as nothing more than servants. One of these gods used wood from a mythic “Tree of Life” in order to create a magical staff with the ability to bestow and take away gods’ powers. Then, some human wizards managed to steal the staff, take the powers of a few of the gods (and Solomon, I guess?) and sealed the gods away in their own realm.

Because Billy broke the staff, however, the seal was broken, and the Daughters of Atlas have managed to squeeze through (why none of the other gods came with them is unknown—though there are a couple unclear indicators that they perhaps all died while locked away). These three daughters each have a different power: Hespera has the Power of Elements, primarily using her powers to heat things up and create a forcefield. Anthea has the Power of Axis, meaning she can rotate things really well. Kalypso has the Power of Chaos, and she uses it to compel people to speak and act against their will—which the movie depicts to be a quite painful and frightening endeavor for the victim.

And back to that “Tree of Life,” which has similarities to Christianity other than its name. For instance, the tree is guarded by a dragon, similar to how the Garden of Eden was guarded by cherubim (Genesis 3:24). It also produces apples (the typical depiction of the “forbidden fruit”). These golden apples have the Seed of Life and are used to plant more trees of life, which (on this world at least) sprout forth various Greek monsters, including minotaurs, cyclopses, harpies and manticores.

Furthermore, we’ll see some magical powers used. Kalypso’s Power of Chaos causes people to turn into zombie-like creatures, spreading the chaos to others. A man casts an incantation on a splinter of wood. There’s also a sentient pen and books that flap around like birds. The dragon is said to “emanate fear from its body.”

Additionally, because of his courage and powers, Billy is referred to as a “true god” by a few people—including another god. People talk about ambrosia. People lose their powers through magic.

Sexual & Romantic Content

Pedro, one of Billy’s foster brothers, comes out as gay. We see him looking at a magazine that contains a man in his underwear, and he later admits his homosexual attractions to his family, who tell him they were already aware.

Billy’s mother, Rosa, is seen in a revealing nightgown. His father, Victor, is seen in boxers. A marble statue in a museum is of a nude man, and his genitals are very briefly visible.

Billy has a dream that he’s on a date with Wonder Woman, and he calls the himself and Wonder Woman the “hottie goddies.” Later, he tells Wonder Woman that he’s about to turn 18 if she can wait for him. Billy says that “the City of Brotherly Love is getting a little moist,” and others tell him that he needs to work on his word choice. Freddy makes a remark that one of his bullies has chlamydia.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Freddy shares a kiss with a girl. Just before they kiss, she tells him that she’s actually about “6,000 years old.” Because of that fact, Victor comments on the kiss, calling it a bit inappropriate.

Violent Content

The crew of Shazam siblings and the Daughters of Atlas face off in many battles, typically resulting in the near-invulnerable people being slammed through concrete. Plenty of people die, including a museum full of people who are turned into chaos zombies. The change causes their bodies to convulse before they transform. Eventually, they’re turned into statues by the Daughters, and one of them is tipped over and shattered. During that scene, one man is thrown into a glass display, and another is thrown headfirst into a marble wall with a force strong enough to cause a heavy indent in the wall.

A man, possessed by the chaos magic, is compelled against his will to commit suicide by jumping off the side of a building. We hear the resulting thump as he hits the ground. A woman is impaled by the scorpion tail of a manticore. Harpies lift people high into the sky and drop them to their assumed demise. Someone is stabbed through the chest. A man is choked to death. A cyclops is pierced by a unicorn horn. A dragon destroys many buildings. Someone is killed, and we see the badly bruised and beaten corpse.

A man pulls a long thick splinter of wood that’s wedged under his fingernail in one scene that caused our viewing audience to collectively grimace. Bullies hit Freddy in the head with a football and knock him to the ground with a punch. Freddy’s face is additionally slammed into the ground.

A bridge collapses, and general peril ensues, though people seem generally unharmed (some cars are crushed, but they appear to be empty). Cars slam into a forcefield at high speed. Tree roots tear up a city. Beings and creatures sometimes “die,” with their bodies turning to dust and blowing away.

Crude or Profane Language

The young Darla nearly uses the f-word, preceded by “mother,” once. (The full word is drowned out by the surrounding chaos.) The s-word is heard five times. “D-ck” is used once. We also hear a handful of instances of “a–” and “h—.” God’s name is used in vain 13 times, including three times where someone says “g-dd–n”. Characters say variations of “suck balls” a handful of times.

Drug & Alcohol Content

Mary, the oldest of the foster siblings, is visibly suffering the effects of a hangover in one scene. When Victor asks what the kids are doing, Freddy sarcastically responds “probably drugs.”

Other Noteworthy Elements

Someone talks about using magic to turn into a gaseous form so they can “fly out of here like a fart.” A woman walks in on a man while he’s using the toilet. The odor from a portable toilet becomes both a plot point and a running joke.

I’ll be honest, the pagan (and specifically, Greek) gods make up perhaps the least believable religion humans have ever seriously come up with. And yet, those are the deities Shazam! Fury of the Gods tells its audience to accept.

As it turns out, the reason why you haven’t been struck down by Zeus’ lightning bolt is because some human wizards locked him and every other deity living on or near Mount Olympus into their own realm, making them no longer able to interfere in the lives of humans. But when that seal is broken, Atlas’ daughters return to punish humanity and bring the gods back to their former glory.

That spiritual side is what’s going to be the biggest pill to swallow if you’re thinking about watching this Shazam! sequel. Granted, the first film had some definite spiritual problems, syncretizing some Christian and pagan elements together to create some baddies for Billy Batson to battle. But Fury of the Gods certainly raises those issues a few rungs higher on the content ladder.

Also packaged in this sequel are a few frightening and violent scenes that mimic some of the more violent moments of the first movie, including a man who is compelled by magic to commit suicide and a museum of people who are turned to stone. Further injected into the film are two brief moments where one character indicates his attraction to men—which felt to me like Fury of the Gods wanted to gain some social credit by having a gay character than anything else. And in terms of swearing, you can expect the notch to be turned slightly up on that, too, with a partially-uttered f-word and a similar number of s-words to the previous film—amidst other swears, too.

Yes, Fury of the Gods continues its lovely story of Billy Batson’s family and their unconditional love for one another. It also talks about sacrifice and how it doesn’t take having superpowers to be a hero. But those messages ultimately come second to the film’s deep dive into pagan belief.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

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5 Things Parents Should Know about Shazam!

Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
Updated Apr 05, 2019

5 Things Parents Should Know about <em>Shazam!</em>

Billy Batson is an insecure, 14-year-old teen living in a foster care system he hates. He has no plans of staying – as he’s proven countless times by running away.

“I can take care of myself,” he tells a social worker.

But that can’t happen until he’s 18.

So he’s sent to live with another foster family – his seventh – where he’ll continue his quest for an identity and a future.

Then lightning strikes in his life, both literally and figuratively, when he’s transported to another dimension and encounters an aging wizard named Shazam, who is looking for a replacement. Shazam is searching for someone who is “strong in spirit” and “pure in heart.” Billy says he doesn’t possess those qualities, but it doesn’t matter. Shazam is desperate, and Billy is the chosen one.

Billy becomes Shazam – a superhero who can fly through the sky, run faster than a speeding bullet, and leap tall buildings. If only he could figure out how to do those things.

The DC Comics film Shazam! (PG-13) opens this weekend, starring Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer as his friend, Freddy, and Zachary Levi as Billy’s superhero alter ego.

Here are five things parents should know:

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Photo courtesy: DC

1. It’s Original and Funny

Shazam! is different from any modern-day superhero film. It has more comical I-can’t-believe-I’m-a-superhero moments than Spider-Man: Homecoming . It has more humor than Thor: Ragnarok . It’s a million times more appropriate than Deadpool , and, for the most part, the funny moments stay family-friendly.

It’s hilarious to watch Shazam learn to fly (he falls flat on his face), fight (he gets hit multiple times before he learns the ropes) and leap tall buildings (he makes it halfway up before crashing into a window). All along, his friend, Freddy, is doing what any teenager would do: recording Shazam’s antics for YouTube videos. (Yes, they go viral.)

Eventually, Shazam’s immaturity catches up with him, as happens when he accidentally forces a bus to crash while demonstrating his lightning powers. He had become – Freddy tells him – a “showoff and bully.” Don’t worry: Shazam matures before the credits roll.

2. It’s All About Family and Foster Care

Yes, Shazam! is a superhero flick, but it’s also a film about foster care, family and one teenage boy’s search for identity.

“I’ve got a mom... She’s still out there. I know it,” Billy says early in the film, referencing his biological lineage. He got separated from her at a young age when he got lost in a crowd. Ever since, he’s been living in the foster care system, rejecting every family that takes him in. He’s now on his seventh set of foster parents: Victor and Rosa Vasquez, who have a quaint house and five other foster kids. He likes them, but not too much. “Families are for people who can’t take care of themselves,” he tells his foster sister. But by the end of the film, he has a change of heart.

3. It Just May Make You Cry

The film’s heavy themes will lead some parents wanting more details. If that’s you, then keep reading. (Otherwise, flee! )

It’s heartbreaking to watch Billy search for a mom he doesn’t know – a mom that social workers believe didn’t want to find him. He goes from city to city, house to house, looking for anyone with her last name. He finds her toward the end of the film, but it doesn’t bring the joy he expected. (She says she was 17 and too young to raise him, and she felt the police could better take care of him.) Still, it brings closure to this chapter in his life, and he moves on. He realizes he already has a family. He already has the love he craved. He even calls Victor and Rosa his “real” family. Perhaps you’ll shed a tear of sadness ... and then a tear of joy.

4. It May Be Too Much for Kids

Shazam! is rated PG-13, but I’m guessing DC is targeting older children and tweens, too. If that’s the case, DC didn’t hit the bullseye.

The movie includes several violent and disturbing moments that could give children nightmares, led by the demonic-looking spirit creatures that provide Sivana his powers. These ugly creatures are the demons of the seven deadly sins (greed, pride, lust, gluttony , envy, wrath and sloth), and they look every bit like something from the pits of hell. They’re also violent. We see one of them bite off a person’s head. Second later, one of them eats a person whole. During one of the scenes, I heard a young girl in the theater cry.

The film’s fisticuff violence is typical for a superhero movie.

The film twice shows Shazam outside a strip club – “The Booty Club” – although we don’t see inside. The movie also has a moderate amount of language (more than 25 words, including a few instances of s--t, by my count).

5. It Has Mid-Credit and Post-Credit Scenes

The mid-credit scene is essential to the plot (it includes Sivana), while the post-credit one is just for laughs (it involves Shazam and Freddy).

Not surprisingly, the movie sets up a sequel, as Shazam shares his powers with his siblings, making them superheroes too. This means the next film will have a team of superheroes in the vein of Marvel’s Avengers or DC’s Justice League. Just a lot less serious.

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material.

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com .