To Know Before You Go:
*This Shazam discussion questions and review blog contains affiliate links and light spoilers*
Movie: Shazam!
Rating: PG-13
Age Suggestion: A mature 13+ (Many parents felt this should have been rated R)
Running Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Release Date: April 5th, 2019
Stars: 3 1/2 out of 5
Themes: Responsibility, Family, Courage, Trust, Heroes,
Trigger Warnings: The plot line centers around a kid in foster care; there is a lot more cussing than in your typical super hero movie; It was advertised as a kids movie- but it is an adult hero movie; there is a lot of explicit violence; The boys pass through a strip club; The villain is very dark and is in scenes that might disturb younger kids.
Quick Summary: Parents should know that this is not an innocent kids super hero movie that seemed to be advertised. It was a good superhero movie that we really enjoyed, but it earned it’s PG-13 (possibly R) rating. Billy is a kid struggling to find his place in the world and in his new foster home. Add to that super powers and a darker force at work and you have a superhero origin story rife with action, comedy, and drama.
Shazam Discussion Questions:
1) If you had any superpower what would it be?
2) Billy discovers family isn’t always who you are related to. Do you have any one in your life that is or could be family like that?
3) Billy was afraid and ran away from his problems and the scary situations. Is there anything you are afraid of now? How can you be brave and face your fear?
4) At first, Billy had superpowers but he really wasn’t a hero, what do you think it takes to be a real hero?
Reviews:
Thoughts from the Ranger:
-I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. It was fun and light hearted but still kept you engaged in the characters and story line.
-I think it did a great job of addressing real problems that kids deal with, and rather than giving them someone to look up to, it pointed out that anyone can be a hero.
-Overall it was a really fun movie and a great time.
Thoughts from the Princess:
-I was really surprised by this movie in a great way. Shazam! was full of great laughs as well as deep and powerful moments.
-I loved the theme of family, and that you can choose your family. I also really like the fact that, although Shazam (Billy) got his powers, he still showed selfishness and fear. We got to see the human side, the little boy messing around with his cool powers, and the fear. It is a side that usually is not explored, at least in this capacity. I think they truly showed the human underneath all the responsibility and power.
-The humor was excellent. It was the most light hearted DC movie yet and made me laugh the whole way through. I really got attached to all of the characters and truly cared about them.
-Overall, great character development, great storyline, great CGI, and a great movie.
Thoughts from the Ent
-I thought this movie was very well done. It had good comedy, intense backstory, and dynamic characters. The character development that Billy had to go through was interesting, learning that you don’t have to face the world on your own.
-I love the fact that we are getting superhero movies of lesser-known superheros. I think this adds a dash of freshness in a genre that is overly saturated right now.
-Although most probably will not be annoyed by this, the portrayal of Billy’s birth mother in this movie got under my skin a little bit. Most people have the idea that parents of foster or adoptive kids simply give up their child because they feel no attachment or love, which simply is usually the opposite of the truth. This movie, unfortunately, perpetuates this stereotype.
-The child actors in this movie were simply put: perfect. They all created a group dynamic without feeling one-dimensional. The chemistry between Asher Angel (Billy Batson) and Jack Grazer (Freddy Freeman) is honestly what made up 95% of the comedy in this movie and it was fantastic
We hope you enjoyed this Shazam discussion guide and review. You can find the movie on Amazon here.
Check out our other superhero movie reviews and discussion guides:
–Aquaman
–Incredibles 2
–Avengers: Endgame
–Black Panther
–Ant Man and the Wasp
–Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse
–Captain Marvel
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