As you all know the power of Shazam was passed down to a high school orphan that has struggled to find a family. Adjusting to this new clan was difficult at first, but when he had proven to be the soul that deserved this new power, he had to fight to preserve this right. Now along with this new household they have to defend this new honor and protect the world from their blunders.
When the Staff was broken the Greek Goddess and daughters of Zeus were freed from their prison and now seek their revenge. The oldest sister Hespera (Helen Mirren) desperately wants to avenge her father’s death, Atlas, and with her sisters, Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and Anthea (Rachel Zegler), they begin their search. They first locate the one true knowledge of the one who possessed the staff and that could only be Shazam (Djimon Hounsou).
Billy Batson (Asher Angel) now has found the family he has been looking for, but struggles with what his alter ego Shazam (Zachary Levi) finds, that with the new power they all possess, staying together as a team can be difficult. Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) with his disability strives to always want to be his super hero self, Super Hero Freddy (Adam Brody), while Mary Bromfield / Superhero Mary (Caroline Grace-Cassidy) wants to move on with her life and go to college. The others are excited about their new powers and look for more knowledge to improve them. Eugene Choi (Ian Chen) / Super Hero Eugene (Ross Butler) explores the endless doors located in their private sanctum realm, Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman) / Super Hero Darla (Meagan Good) works to improve her abilities by practicing them whenever she can, and Pedro Pena (Jovan Armand) / Super Hero Pedro (D. J. Cotrona) tries to understand more about himself.
Still not aware that their band of misfits and children have these new powers, Rosa Vasquez (Marta Milans) and Victor Vasquez (Cooper Andrews) enjoy the new found peace that was given once Billy shared his secret with his adopted siblings. Now they will all discover what lies ahead for them and what they will need to defend to keep what is rightfully theirs.
Director David F. Sandberg creates a fantastic funny action adventure story that keeps you entertained throughout. Like the first installment, these films keep you interested even after you have watched it several times. He includes everything, a great consequence, provides a lot of laughter, brings much joy, keeps your awareness up, your curiosity is intrigued, there are some fun surprises, and David develops concern for these characters. The special effects are spectacular and help move the story in the direction it is intended. The actors perform their roles wonderfully and include amusing anecdotes throughout the narrative.
In summary, this tale goes the extra mile to keep your mind captivated and absorbed into these personalities that are entertaining us. This picture does what it is intended to do and that is bringing you to a new world to explore and to lift the weight of your problems off your shoulders for a little while.
Final Comment: I based my grade on the excellent storyline, the incredibly hilarious performance by the actors, and wonderful special effects.
Stars: 4 out of 5
Additional Film Information
Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Adam Brody, Jack Dylan Grazer, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Meagan Good, Faithe Herman, Ross Butler, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Caroline Grace-Cassidy, D. J. Cotrona, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, Diedrich Bader, and Djimon Hounsou.
Directed by: David F. Sandberg
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, and Thriller.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language.
Running Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Release Date: March 17, 2023
Distributed By: Warner Bros.
Release In: Dolby Digital, IMAX, and Standard.