A new Shazam! soars into theaters, with the C.C. Beck/Bill Parker/Otto Bender-sprung Captain Marvel and his family variants returning to righteous action, combatting three Greek goddesses, The Daughters of Atlas, played by Helen Mirren (as Hespera), Rachel Zeglar (as Anthea) and Lucy Liu (as Kalypso). The ladies are displeased (well, at least two of them are) that these disguised kids are running the big-time, magic show and feel the need to distill the youngsters' powers, in light of the deities having lost much of their own (give or take an incantatory whisper, not to mention a problematic, snapped staff, which the women otherwise mend fairly fast).
With its friction established, Fury of the Gods, directed by David S. Sandberg and scripted by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, starts a short time after the 2019 reintroduction of the revered/altered, Fawcett/Whiz (now DC) superheroes. Audiences will find that the clan has worked hard to get into the superheroic groove, even as their home-base media labels them The Philly Fiascos. Despite the unjust derision, the group comes to learn that maturity (sprung from persistent diligence and duty) is the best remedy to battle the opposition, whether it be unappreciative citizens or jaded spellcasters: the picture's parable-plus.
For the challenge, Fury of the Gods' actors and their characters (with most main semblances conjoined) thunder as follows: Asher Angel and Zachary Levi as Billy Batson/Captain Marvel (Shazam!, "The World's Mightiest Mortal"); Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Freddy Fremont/Captain Marvel Jr; Grace (Caroline Currey) Fulton as Mary Bromfield/Mary Marvel; Faithe Herman and Megan Good as Darla Dudley; Jovan Armand and D.J. Cotrona as Pedro Pena; Ian Chen and Ross Butler and Ian Chen as Eugene Choi; Djimon Hounsou as the grand, incarcerated wizard, Shazam; and Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews as Rosa and Victor Vasquez, the kids' foster parents; with a special-guest appearance by Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman.
On the minus side, the energetic ensemble doesn't have enough tossed at it (regardless of the gnarly dragon and its related CGI, Harryhausen imitators) to shine as brightly as it should. Goddesses, sorceresses and elegant, wand wavers are too frilly to create an ardent threat, unless it's Kate Blanchett's Hela (of Thor III), and then, okay, nuff said. (Many have lodged a similar gripe at the old, Captain Marvel/Fawcett villainess, Aunt Minerva, but at least she sustains sadistic bite.) Fury of the Gods' anxious meanies are more in sync with Disney villainesses (ho-hum), and try as the trio may, it never clicks for a tale that should be two-fisted throughout, even if at times irreverent and/or humorous. (Really, the opposition needn't have been as ruthless as Doctor Sivana, Mister Mind or Captain Nazi, or as formidable as General Zod, Thanos or Kang, let's say, just more, well, virile.)
Fury of the Gods' emasculated edge places it on a par with any whiny, socialist, Potter venture, though (thank the Lord!) there's no blatant, political agenda installed (though one may wish to blur those polarizing, CNN references when they appear). The movie instead aspires to be mythological in the best possible manner (not a bad move, considering that classical mythology is muddled and bashed beyond recognition these days), but in the wake of the world's present problems, a precise, metaphoric view to keep things pure against philosophical invaders (and that's just on our home front) would have been a better option, even with the snitty goddesses employed. (Envy alone isn't enough to heighten villainy, and a prolonged, unicorn-led, Skittles commercial doesn't help one iota, either; and oh, don't get me started on that romantic leakage between Freddy and Anthea! No, no, no!)
Maybe next time (and regardless of the sugary slope, I'd like to see a Shazam! 3) the gang will be teamed with Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam. (A post-credits scene implies the possibility.) If so, Black Adam, along with the other Justice Society members, could establish a dilemma that tests the Shazam! family in a superior way. To fuel the franchise's longevity (and that includes crossovers), let's pray that a tougher concept manifests, for softness (even more than the current J.J. Abrams) invariably spawns brevity.
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