For 130 minutes, Zachary Levi, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou and Helen Mirren are agitated in all directions without anyone really understanding why.
This time, Billy Batson, embodied in his superhero version by Zachary Levi, and his adoptive superhero siblings must fight once morest Anthea (Rachel Zegler who plays very badly), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren ), the daughters of Atlas come to recover their father’s scepter and destroy, in passing, Philadelphia.
Written by the tandem of Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan and directed by David F. Sandberg – the same trio as the first opus, released in 2019 – this “Shazam! The rage of the gods» furiously resembles a remix of scenes already seen in countless films or series of the same genre. The bridge, obviously over a river, which threatens to collapse: done! Families on the verge of death: done! The bitumen that cracks: done! Cars that get damaged in water: done! The population transformed into a statue: done! The Evil Dragon: Done! Superheroes to the rescue: overrated!
Some elements even sometimes make you think of “Morbius” – that’s saying it all – with these fantastic creatures ( once more and always) already seen bloodthirsty, we breathe hints of “Superman” with Shazam’s plans in the air, we evokes the shadow of “Spider-Man” with teenage romance, and a faint scent of Disney even floats around the message regarding family love stronger than anything. Definitely!
Moreover, and because it is “Shazam! The Rage of the Gods” – a minor feature film if ever there was one – the production budget is “only” US$100 million. Unfortunately, the giant screen of an IMAX theater lets no defect through and the sometimes approximate special effects (cars falling into the water, the dome above Philadelphia or the harpies, in particular) quickly take on the dimensions of catastrophic errors… especially for 130 minutes.
No need for this “Shazam! The rage of the gods”? Yes. Infuriating? Still yes. Because despite a nice short moment (the superb unicorns, coaxed by Skittles… we can of course imagine a juicy product placement), this feature film is not intended for any audience: adults will be at their expense, young children will be scared and teenagers will find the proposal very cutesy. No doubt, it’s high time for the DC universe to get a makeover. One more time.
