Shazam reviews: What do critics say about Shazam?

Shazam stars Asher Angel as a young Billy Batson, the 14-year-old who is gifted powers by a mysterious wizard. By shouting one word – Shazam! – Batson transforms into an adult superhero, played by Zachary Levi. He’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).

What do critics say about Shazam?

Shazam currently holds an impressive rating of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The critics’ consensus reads: “An effortlessly entertaining blend of humour and heart, Shazam! is a superhero movie that never forgets the genre’s real power: joyous wish fulfilment.”

Alonso Duralde for TheWrap:

Captures the original comics’ combination of breezy heroism and nutty plotting, transferred from the 1940s to the modern era with great skill.

Benjamin Lee for the Guardian:

Buoyant and unpretentious, Shazam! aims low and mostly succeeds, a kid-friendly caper powered with enough energy to keep its target audience engaged with a fun central conceit that plays like a cross between Big and Superman.

Rafer Guzman for Newsday:

A welcome antidote to the usual brooding DC fare, an upbeat superhero movie that feels young at heart.

Lindsey Bahr for Associated Press:

Shazam! is just a lightning bolt of unexpected joy that is certainly worth your time and money.

Chris Nashawaty for Entertainment Weekly:

Whenever Levi is on screen, wowed by his new grown-up physique (his muscles seem to have muscles) and shocked by his newly discovered powers, the movie soars.

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky for the AV Club:

What is often the most businesslike part of a superhero origin story-establishing the hero’s powers-ends up becoming the most entertaining part of Shazam!, carried along by Levi’s fidgety, boyish charm.

Brian Truitt for USA Today:

Supes and Bats will never die, but in Shazam, a character who’s been around for seven decades and is only now breaking through into the mainstream, youngsters have a new family-friendly hero to call their own.

Owen Gleiberman for Variety:

Shazam! suggests that if you’re taking a superhero’s powers deadly seriously, you may not be totally connecting with the spirit of the comics.

The movie says: You’ve got to giggle at this stuff. That’s part of the adventure.

Frank Scheck for the Hollywood Reporter:

Levi is a delight in the central role, hilariously conveying the goofy adolescent within the strapping body of his musclebound superhero.

Hugh Armitage for Digital Spy:

A (mostly) family-friendly movie that is not only a delight but probably the slickest DC Comics movie in years.

Tim Grierson for Screen International:

Shazam exudes a boyish spirit appropriate for a superhero origin story about a teenager who gets invested with powers far beyond his adolescent imagination.

This latest DC adventure is, however, a mixed bag that doesn’t quite work.

Susana Polo for Polygon:

David F Sandberg…delivers an outright joyful fantasy that doesn’t waste a moment on feeling self-conscious.

Shazam! is out in cinemas on Friday, April 5, 2019.