Shazam!

In 1940, Fawcett Comics debuted its answer to Superman, Captain Marvel. DC did not take it kindly and sued Fawcett out of existence in 1953. In 1972, DC bought Fawcett's assets, including Captain Marvel. Because of Marvel's Captain Marvel, they couldn't use the name on its comics. But they could use it in the comics. At least they had the right title substitute: Shazam!

Decades later, DC's Captain Marvel is now DC's Shazam. It's now the name of his first feature film. It's a simple story for a hero with a complicated history. And it's a great one.

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a Philadelphia foster kid looking for his real parents. He's adopted by the Vasquez's (Cooper Andrews and Marta Millans) and joins their five other foster kids. When Billy defends his new foster brother, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), from bullies, he is summoned to meet the Ancient Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou).

The Wizard wants someone to pass his powers to. Billy is it; when he now shouts the Wizard's name, he morphs into a super-powered adult (Zachary Levi), also named Shazam (long story). He plays around with his powers with Freddy's help. Until Freddy gets sick of his recklessness.

Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) was rejected by the Wizard Shazam as a child. He now has the powers of the demonic personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins. But he also wants the Wizard's powers. He'll threaten Billy's new foster family to get them. Billy will have to mend his relationships to stop Sivana.

Director David F. Sandberg works from a script by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. It's a simple story with intricate emotions. Billy learning of, and playing with his powers, is comedy gold. So is the issue of his alias. Billy's story of him finding his place in the world is captivating. Billy only accepts his foster family once he learns the truth of his past. It leads to the final battle where Billy and his foster siblings take on Sivana. It's as awesome as it's heartwarming.

Asher Angel's Billy is a troubled, yet good kid. You wouldn't blame him that much with his family issues. Zachary Levi as Shazam is perfect as a kid with new-found privileges. You'll be amazed as he becomes a legitimate hero. Glazer as Freddy is a good pal for Billy. His chemistry with Angel/Levi is great. Billy's other foster siblings, Mary (Grace Fulton), Darla (Faithe Herman), Eugene (Ian Chen) and Pedro (Jovan Armand), are a nice bunch, too. Finally, we have Strong as Sivana, who's a perfectly legitimate threat for this sunny film.

It's amazing how a film like this cost no more than $100 million. The visual effects crew dazzles us with Shazam and Sivana's superpowers. The CGI enhancements to his costume are flawless. Billy's on-screen transformations are seamless. The Seven Deadly Sins are legitimately scary CGI creatures. The best shot from cinematographer Maxime Alexandre is the debut of Billy's superpowered foster family. The Wizard's realm, the Rock of Eternity, is incredible. The sound design and Benjamin Wallfisch's score also work wonders. It's another fine league of technical heroes on screen.

Shazam! is an excellent crowd-pleasing superhero film. It's a film that enjoys super-heroics as much as its young hero. Sure, he's irresponsible at first, but he gets over it. And you'll wow when he does. I've some issues with the plot but they're relatively minor. Overall, you must see it on the big screen at any price. It'll leave you ready for a sequel. The mid-credits scene promises an unusual foe for our hero. The end-credits scene has some fun with Aquaman.