Sequels, by nature, are more. Whatever the original had, just add more, the rule seems to be. Even more words in the title 鈥� how often is a sequel鈥檚 title shorter than the original?
And so, exactly four years after the original DC superhero pic 鈥淪hazam!鈥� of innocence and silliness, and enough wit to blunt the inevitable ridiculousness of plot, we have It brings five times the title wordage, more action, more villains, more monsters and more star wattage 鈥� Oscar winner Helen Mirren, for example.
But not more charm. The sequel, again directed by David F. Sandberg, feels less breezily funny, less fresh, less fleet of foot. (At two hours and 10 minutes, it鈥檚 actually two minutes shorter than the original, but doesn鈥檛 feel shorter).
In its favor, though, are some elements that lent the original its pleasures, especially Zachary Levi and his goofy efforts (if perhaps more frenetic) to play a youngster in an adult superhero body, and Jack Dylan Grazer as fast-talking, always-thinking best bud (and foster brother) Freddy 鈥� this time given a love interest in appealing Rachel Zegler. It also smartly drops colorless villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, who鈥檚 apparently still in that lonely cell.
First, a plot refresher. We鈥檙e back in Philadelphia with teen hero Billy Batson (Asher Angel), the foster kid who was bestowed in the original with magic powers by a wizard (Djimon Hounsou) and learned that the word 鈥淪hazam!鈥� turned him into a strapping superhero (Levi). But now, his foster fam (well, just the siblings) has joined the superhero biz.
It鈥檚 not going great, though. The group is known in the City of Brotherly Love as the 鈥淧hiladelphia Fiascoes,鈥� because of frequent youthful mistakes. We know teenagers have only partly developed brains, right? No matter how many buses or train cars they can hold with one arm.
And there鈥檚 a big new villain to fight 鈥� actually three, the ancient Daughters of Atlas, who arrive in the human world to reclaim their stolen magic.
Turns out the mythical staff of the gods, which Billy/Shazam had broken at the end of the first film, lies in a museum, and let鈥檚 just say the visitors are not in for a good day when two daughters of Atlas appear 鈥� Hespera and Kalypso 鈥� ready to annihilate anyone in their way. They鈥檙e soon revealed as Mirren and Lucy Liu, adding some real mean goddess vibe to the proceedings.
Meanwhile, Billy/Shazam is in a therapy session, saying he feels like a fraud. (He鈥檚 mistakenly gone to a pediatrician, but it鈥檚 not hard to diagnose impostor syndrome.) Soon, though, he and his siblings are called upon to save the city from a collapsing bridge.
The funniest parts of 鈥淪hazam!鈥� and now its sequel involve the overlap between teen-human and superhero life. Witness the teen-designed secret lair, complete with all the Skittles and other junk food anyone would want (Skittles will play a key role at one point.) There, we also learn what鈥檚 currently occupying each of the siblings. The oldest, Mary, who studies organic chemistry for fun, is aching for college over superhero life. And Freddy wants to forge his own identity.
But Billy, abandoned as a child by his parents, wants family unity at all costs. Mary tries to tell him nothing lasts forever 鈥� plus, soon he鈥檒l be 18 and checks to his foster parents will stop coming. Then what? (Ya think we鈥檒l have a scene later where someone assures him family lasts forever?)
Meanwhile, the Daughters of Atlas, accompanied by a big old dragon and some other monsters, are on the warpath. Where鈥檚 the third, you ask? Ah, she鈥檚 masquerading as human, and she鈥檚 taken a shine to Freddy, who cannot believe his luck.
That鈥檚 all you need to know to understand the action. And there's lots. Still, the best moments are when the wit of the original shines through 鈥� like when Hespera (Mirren) reads aloud a letter that鈥檚 been dictated by the young superheroes to a magic quill pen, who like a smartphone catches the extraneous dialogue, which means she鈥檚 repeating gravely: 鈥淎nyone else want a Gatorade?鈥� (Would that Mirren 鈥� and Liu, too 鈥� had more such comic moments.)
The action, laden with CGI battles, could fatally weigh down the film if it weren鈥檛 for Levi, who brings the nimbleness of a musical theater performer (ever see him ) and Grazer, a bit older but still irascible, not to mention singleminded (鈥淲e can鈥檛 let her die, she called me sweet!鈥�).
Angel still makes an appealing teen Billy, and Hounsou gets a dashing fashion moment. The family鈥檚 all back, and foster mom Rosa gets at least one good line amid apocalyptic destruction: 鈥淚 am not entirely sure how to parent here.鈥�
Oh wait, we forgot the unicorns!
Did we need a dragon AND unicorns? Well, of course we did, because in a sequel, there鈥檚 always more.
鈥淪hazam! Fury of the Gods,鈥� a New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America 鈥渇or sequences of action and violence, and language.鈥� Running time: 130 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
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MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
