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Review | Shazam! Fury of the Gods movie review: DC Extended Universe loses its way, yet again, with muddled superhero sequel
- A sequel to 2009’s Shazam!, Zachary Levi returns in the title role alongside Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren, but the action can’t hide its lack of an emotional core
- The visual effects in an early scene are superbly realised but the film relies too much on CGI, to the point where the characters’ motives are hard to work out
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2/5 stars
The curse of the DC Extended Universe strikes again.
Back in 2019, David Sandberg’s Shazam! was one of the perkier entries in the DCEU, a humorous take on what happens when an adolescent is granted superhero powers.
Zachary Levi was great as Shazam, while Asher Angel, as his teen alter ego Billy Batson, and Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy’s foster brother Freddy brought a real freshness to spandex-wearing heroes.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a muddled sequel that gets more tiresome by the minute despite some worthy additions to the cast.
Here, the Daughters of Atlas – Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren) – seek out the magical staff that Shazam previously broke. Arriving at an Athens museum where it’s held, they cause havoc, turning patrons into statues.
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