Despite an overblown action-packed finale, the movie is ultimately fun and uplifting.

As we live in the golden era of superhero movies, it’s the fantasy of every fan to develop superpowers and fight evil. In Shazam, a teenager Billy Batson gets to live this fantasy, when he is granted magical powers by a bearded wizard. All Billy needs to do is say the magic word “Shazam!”, and he is transformed into an adult (Zachary Levi) in a superhero suit. Billy might have the powers of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, but like any 14-year old, he uses his newfound identity and superpowers for buying beer (before promptly spitting it out), paying a visit to a strip club, and making viral videos on YouTube. Zachary displays the same exuberant enthusiasm which Grant Gustin had embraced in early seasons of The Flash.

Some of the jokes feel childish, which is understandable considering it’s a kids’ film, starring kids. Billy’s roommate at the foster house, Freddy is a superhero nerd who helps his fledgling ungeeky superhero friend discover his powers, by running a series of hilarious superhero tests. Billy’s camaraderie with his other foster siblings is also wonderfully Stranger Things-ish.

While the movie smartly deals with exposition by tying it with the villain’s backstory early in the movie, Mark Strong’s Dr. Sivana seems to be straight out of a Mummy movie, as he conjures up bland, dastardly CGI depictions of the seven deadly sins. It’s understandable given director Sandberg’s history with making horror movies (Annabelle: Creation), but I would have preferred more imaginative versions of the deadly sins.

The movie’s laden with Easter Eggs, as was evident even in first look posters. Shazam may not be the refreshingly original superhero movie which the trailer had promised, but the movie is undeniably fun, and its core message of finding one’s family is conveyed sweetly. The movie overstays its welcome with an overblown action-packed finale, but Shazam is ultimately uplifting and another step in the right direction for the DCEU.