Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Rating: PG-13
Film: 2.5/5
Plot Shazam! Fury of the Gods continues the story of teenage Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam (Zachary Levi)—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.
My ThoughtsI was a very big fan of the first film and went into this with high expectations. Sadly, it failed to meet them. The story is paper thin and the villains aren’t very interesting or that threatening. There’s very little dialog throughout the film and it seems to move from one action scene to the next for no other purpose than to give the special effects team steady employment. Furthermore, at 130 minutes, it’s way too long for the weak story to have much of an impact. Color me disappointed.
I expected the A/V quality to be off the charts like the first film and it mostly delivers, but I wouldn’t put it in the same class. The gamma is a bit dark and dull and some of the special effects are pretty obvious—something that’s common with 4K transfers. The Dolby Atmos has its moments to shine, especially during the raucous fights and action scenes, but I think the LFE could have been a ;tad more agressive.
Video 8.5/10 (AVC)
Audio 9/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features: Blu-ray Disc Supplements
- Commentary
- Shazam! Let’s Make a Sequel
- The Rock of Eternity: Decked Out
- The Shazamily Reunion
- The Zac Effect
- The Sisterhood of the Daughters of Atls
- Pay By Play: Scene Breakdown
- The Mythology of Shazam!
- Deleted Scenes, Alternate & Extended
- 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Code
Conclusion I was really tired when I sat down to watch this and thought maybe it colored my evaluation, but my wife didn’t care for it either and she liked the first one even more than I did. Another quibble with the film is the addition of some wokeness and in all honesty, I’m tempted to add a “wokeness” score to my movie reviews in the future. It’s getting so blatant and in your face that it’s taking away my enjoyment of movies. I’m starting to wonder if the writers have a checklist they use to make sure every box is checked before finalizing the screenplay—I certainly hope not! If so, maybe it’s a good thing they’re all out on strike.
Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato + Server
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
SVS SB3000
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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