'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' review: A fun, yet crowded sequel that has trouble finding its footing

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has undergone significant changes since 2019. Although it's only been four years since the release of Shazam!, it feels like a decade has passed. Director David F. Sandberg's superhero movie was a surprise success that served as a refreshing break from the darker, grittier Snyderverse. The film's debut marked a more family-friendly approach to the DCEU, with Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a foster kid searching for his biological family, suddenly gaining the power of the Gods from a Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) that allowed him to transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) by uttering the movie's titular word "Shazam." 

We cheered as Billy gave his foster siblings powers of their own to defeat the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) and restore balance to the world. The film also opened the door for Shazam's comic book nemesis, Black Adam, and teased the coming of another villain from the comics, Mister Mind, in a future instalment. Unfortunately, neither of these stories made it to the sequel.

Instead, Shazam! Fury of the Gods takes a different approach to a comic book blockbuster by introducing new, original antagonists. Although the film deviates from the franchise's roots, it's still a fun ride aimed at a younger audience. The sequel, however, lacks the ensemble charm of the original as it tries to fit a huge amount of story, characters, and monsters into its two-hour, 10-minute runtime.

What's Shazam! The Fury of the Gods about?

Shazam! The Fury of the Gods centers around the "Shazamily" of Billy Batson (Angel/Levi) and his foster siblings, Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand/D.J. Cotrona), Eugene Choi (Ian Chen/Ross Butler), Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman/Meagan Good), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer/Adam Brody), and Mary Bromfield (Grace Fulton). Together, they set out to protect Philadelphia from crime, all while (unsuccessfully) trying to minimize collateral damage.

However, between their heroism and homework, the group is oblivious to the theft of the Wizard’s magic staff from a museum by the Daughters of Atlas. These three goddesses are Hespera (Helen Mirren), an elemental; Kalypso (Lucy Liu), who possesses hypnotic magic; and Anthea (Rachel Zegler), the youngest of the three. They've entered Earth's realm to reclaim their father's powers and rebuild the world of the Gods. For those unfamiliar with comic book lore, the powers inherited by Billy and his siblings stem from the word "SHAZAM," which is actually an acronym for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury.

To locate Shazam, Anthea infiltrates Freddy's high school and befriends him. Unbeknownst to her, Freddy possesses a piece of her ancestors’ powers himself, and unbeknownst to Freddy, "Anne" is a 2,000-year-old goddess. As fate would have it, the two fall for each other. Meanwhile, Hespera has apparently resurrected and imprisoned the Wizard and is more than a bit irritated at the fact that he would bestow such power upon mere children. After a bit of murder, the sisters kidnap Freddy.

The race is on to rescue Freddy and save the world before the Daughters of Atlas (well, one in particular) destroy our planet. 

The Shazamily is back in action. 

The heart of the first Shazam! film was Billy's search for family and the quest to understand his new powers. The core of the sequel, however, is Freddy, his burgeoning relationship with Anthea, and his desperate race to save himself, his siblings, and the world. Freddy and Anthea’s relationship makes up the most charming onscreen sequences; Grazer (young Freddy) and Brody (superhero Freddy) are superbly cast as they genuinely embody two parts of a whole character.

Good also does an incredible job of maintaining Darla’s innocence in superhero mode, as does Fulton, who, as the eldest sibling, gets to play both the older and younger versions of her character, Mary Bromfield/Mary Marvel. 

A marked difference exists between how Angel and Levi portray the title character in the sequel. In Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, Billy has grown up, making him appear more mature than his alter ego when caring for his younger siblings. In the first movie, Levi's portrayal of Billy captured the wonder of gaining new powers. However, in the sequel, he seems jaded and overacts with wild facial expressions, which his younger counterpart rarely demonstrates.

The Daughters of Atlas soar on the big screen. 

The true power of Shazam! The Fury of the Gods lies with the Daughters of Atlas. Dame Helen Mirren's portrayal of eldest sister Hespera is robust, with her near Shakespearean depiction of a Greek goddess playing well off Levi's goofy, often awkward comedy. Zegler's performance as Anthea is impressive, even while undercover as a coed. Meanwhile, Lucy Liu's Kalypso has very few scenes in the first two acts, but dominates the latter as the true extent of her villainy remains somewhat veiled — while Anthea and Hespera wish to reclaim what is theirs, Kalypso just wants to watch the world burn.

One of the real highlights of the film is the battle sequence between Kalypso and Shazam in the final act. Pulling inspiration from Alex Ross’s art in the D.C. Comic Black Vengeance, the epic fight is both climatic and epic, bolstered by electrifying effects and riveting sound design. It just takes a long time to get there.

Gods and monsters give the DCEU bite. 

In addition to the Daughters of Atlas, the Shazamily members, and their parents (it's about time they learn what the kids have been up to), Shazam! The Fury of the Gods is packed with creatures, gods, and monsters.

We're talking a floating Harry Pottter-esque library nestled in the Rock of Eternity, the lair of the Wizard, about six harpies, five unicorns, four minotaurs, three Cyclops, two Manticores, and one aware pen named Steve. Not to mention an appearance by Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman which DC curiously spoiled on purpose in a recent teaser. Like Henry Cavill's appearance in Black Adam, Wonder Woman’s cameo is brief. Still, unlike in Kal-El's scene, Diana’s presence is critical to the storyline and hints of things to come in James Gunn and Peter Safran's upcoming DCEU reboot. 

Before I could even consider the possibility of a Billy/Diana collaboration, the post-credit scenes sent me in another direction. 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is fun and funny, and yet… 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods works best when it relies on its physical comedy — for instance, when Hounsou's Wizard gets locked in a cell arguing with Freddy or anytime Levi's Shazam flies into a wall. This type of physical humor is perfect for kids, however, it's not so great for comic book fans who won’t be able to get over the Black Adam-shaped hole in the storyline. 

Similar to Marvel’s Ant-Man: Quantumania, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a sequel film aimed at a younger audience. In essence, it's an enjoyable standalone film in a franchise that is going through some changes. Mirren and Liu wisely play their roles straight, the latter making a truly formidable supervillain. And although there are plenty of satisfying comedic moments and a few strong fight scenes, this sophomore attempt is missing some of the triumphant joy of the original. 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now in theaters.