Tagbilly batson

Posted August 8, 20191 Comment Movie Reviews

Opinion: 3 reasons Shazam! should be a TV series moving forward

Last week I finally got around to watching Shazam! It was an entertaining movie that had its campy moments, but overall it was a solid story with pretty good character development. Especially with the main character, Bill Batson.

Click for the full review here

After I watched Shazam! I started thinking about if Billy Batson joined the ranks of Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, and all of the other DC Legends. It would be a great way to get more out of the character Shazam! were a television series.

Think this over with me.

Character Development

In my movie review, I expressed that young Billy Batson was more interesting than Shazam Billy Batson. In a TV series, Billy could evolve as a teenager as he adjusts to life with his new family. The story could pick up where it left off at the end of the movie. It may be a could idea to retcon his siblings getting powers or just making them dormant until the season finale. Concentrating on Billy’s character would be the best.

From the superhero perspective, Billy could learn the ropes of what it means to be the savior of his city. Especially since apparently, he knows Superman now. It wouldn’t be so unbelievable that Shazam would know the Flash and the other just like in the comics.

Comedy

Most of the CW shows have some form of comedic relief in them. Billy Batson as Shazam and his brother Freddy brought a lot of funny moments to the movie. It would be a waste not to put them in more situations together.

The adventures that he’d be able to go on with his brother as a superhero and as his teenage self would give episodes of entertainment.

Gimmick Suit

If Shazam is a television character, I think I would be able to get around the suit. I was critical of the suit in my review of the movie. I felt the suit looked very campy and bulky off of Zachary Levi. However, he could get away with that suit if it was a television production.

This could be a stretch, but honestly, I think that the Shazam character could benefit from having weekly episodic adventures. The Flash has a new lifespan due to his TV run on the CW. Weekly stories would allow us to get to know the other siblings better, flush out Billy Batson as a character, and build his story for a new audience.

Posted August 2, 20191 Comment Movie Reviews

Why did I wait so long to watch Shazam!? (review)

I’ll tell you a key reason why I usually watch movies, television, and anime without reading reviews or checking hashtags for opinions.

Sometimes those opinions can turn into your own. If you watch something for yourself, you can have your pure thoughts on whatever it is you are watching.

Unfortunately, I didn’t watch Shazam! July due to other people’s criticism. That’s why I waited so long to watch it.

Shazam! came out in April 2019 and guess what, it was good!

Sure, I was more interested in the young Billy Batson’s progression versus his escapades as Shazam. But, his entire story arc was good.

We meet Billy in a very vulnerable state. He’s looking for his mother, he doesn’t trust anyone, and he’s thrust into a new environment when child services catch him in Philadelphia following a lead on his mother.

From there we meet the best part of Billy, his foster family. Most specifically his brother, Freddy. The chemistry between Freddy and Billy is great. They came off as bonded friends throughout the movie.

Billy and Freddy, Shazam! — Billy and Freddy

And the family’s positive and welcoming behavior throughout the movie made it easy to believe that he would trust them at the end of the movie to become his partners and fight the supervillain.

Speaking of the villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana was creepy and the 7 deadly sins were well designed. Plus, it was nice to see Philadelphia used in this type of film. You never really see it.

This movie had a lot of funny moments. However, the suit was not one of them. It threw me off. At one point it seemed like the writing poked fun at the suit.

There’s a moment where Billy is at the dinner table with his foster family and a comment is made about the suit Shazam is wearing. Billy responds that the superhero may not have had a choice in his outfit.

That is a funny way for the writing and directing staff to poke at itself. But seriously, you’re in a franchise where Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman have sleek, shiny suits. Shazam needs a better look in the sequel.

Besides the suit, I enjoyed the movie. I wish I hadn’t let people tell me it was too campy. Because it wasn’t. It was funny at times and heart-warming at other times. And it’s worth a watch.