Shazam! Fury Of The Gods is much darker than the first film, with bits of comedy thrown in that often fall flat. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods releases in theaters across the United States today, March 17, 2023. The film stars Zachary Levi (Shazam), Grace Caroline Currey (Mary), Rachel Zegler (Anthea), Asher Angel (young Shazam), Jack Dylan Grazer (young Freddy), Michelle Borth, Lucy Liu (Kalypso), Meagan Good (Darla), Adam Brody (Freddy), Ross Butler (Eugene), Helen Mirren (Hespera), Marta Milans (Rosa), and David F. Sandberg. It was directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden, Chris Morgan, and Bill Parker. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
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Shazam! Fury of The Gods Parents Guide Movie Review
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods Parents Guide
In Shazam! Fury Of The Gods: Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods Age Rating Parents Guide
Let’s take a look at what parents need to know about the age rating of the movie before letting their younger children watch Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Language: Shazam! Fury of the Gods contains some strong language, with light profanity used throughout. Stronger words include sh*t, a**, d*mn, d*ck, and almost “mother f*cker,” but the phrase was cut short. There are also phrases used such as “sucks balls” and “what the hell.”
Mature Content: Other than the bad language mentioned above, the other big indicators of adult themes include strong, persistent violence. This sequel is much darker than the previous film, and violent scenes include explosions, hand-to-hand combat, the use of magic, dark creatures attacking characters, characters being put in peril, a bridge collapsing with cars and drivers plunging to their deaths, guns, and other weapons used. There are a few death scenes that may be very emotional for some viewers, and a scene that includes a character being under a spell and walking off a rooftop, plunging to their death. There are also scenes that include children being bullied and punched in school, which could be triggering for some viewers.
Age Rating of Shazam! Fury of the Gods: Warner Bros. Shazam! Fury of the Gods has a PG-13 rating for intense violence and language, and the parents’ advisory recommends it for an adult audience, younger adults, and teens 13 and older. The suggestion of parental guidance or an adult guardian is highly suggested for younger kids (or older kids) under 13 years of age for this PG-13-rated film. The minimum age recommendation is 13 years old; it is not suitable for young children. Young viewers are not recommended to view this film.
Overall Thoughts
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a much darker film than the original, and while the one-liners continued in this sequel, they were much fewer and didn’t always land as well. One of the things that made the original Shazam! movie stand out from other superhero films that have saturated the market was the comedy and how light and breezy the overall feel of the film was. The story revolves around an orphaned kid who gets magical powers, giving him the ability to fly, shoot lightning bolts from his hands, have incredible strength, and more. A kid having these powers when invoked turns him into an adult with the mind of a child, giving this superhero a bit of innocence and a good-heartedness that often becomes jaded as one grows older. In this sequel, the newness of these powers has faded, and his superhero “family” has become a bit disinterested in living that crime-fighting life or wants to branch off on their own more so. This just leaves for a bit of a depressing plot, and when the “villains” enter the scene, it begins to feel hopeless throughout.
Speaking of the villains in Shazam! Fury of the Gods—they were some powerful, badass, motivated women that were there with a mission. This installment is all about family, and that includes the villains, who are sisters, although they look nothing like relatives, which is par for the course considering Shazam’s family is made up of his orphaned brothers and sisters and foster parents. Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, and Rachel Zegler are possibly the best part of the movie, having terrific chemistry together and each giving powerful performances that are both menacing while also having a bit of compassion, or at least some of them do anyway. They have a purpose and a motivation for their actions, which has the audience feeling a bit of sympathy towards them and their mission on earth.
Another standout performance in Shazam! Fury of the Gods is that of Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays the young Freddy Freeman. As seen in the first film, Grazer has a charm and wit about him that make his character authentic and believable when he delivers his lines. He has more screentime in this installment of Shazam!, which is a welcomed treat for many while also sending a powerful message about the abilities of the disabled. There are moments his dialogue will tug at the heartstrings, such as “All this pretending to be a superhero is just me pretending I’m not broken,” and as the audience watches him evolve in this film into someone more confident in himself without using his superhero powers, it is beautiful to witness.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is pretty cheesy as far as the CGI visuals are concerned, and the two end credit scenes have fans wondering about the future of DC. Now with James Gunn at the helm and so many abrupt changes being made that have fans in an uproar, one has to wonder how this new installment, especially the end credit scenes, fits into the future of this superhero world. If the goal is to turn this universe into a darker DCU, then mission accomplished. However, if the goal is to rival its competitors in the MCU, perhaps they should get back to the drawing board; darker isn’t always better, especially when it involves a superhero that is literally a child in a man suit.
