10 Ways Shazam Is Still The Best DCEU Movie

10 Ways Shazam Is Still The Best DCEU Movie

Between the perfect casting, being inspired by 80s family movies, and the unabashed cheesiness, Shazam! could be the best movie in the DCEU.

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Shazam! is a strange entry in the DCEU, as it was one of the lowest-grossing movies in the franchise but one of the most critically successful. Not only that, but it has a completely different tone to any movie that came before it.

Gone are the tonally and physically dark scenes from Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. Instead, they have been replaced with heartfelt moments between children and thrilling and colorful action sequences. Between the perfect casting, being inspired by ’80s family movies, and the unabashed cheesiness, there’s an argument to be made that it’s the best movie in the DC Extended Universe.

10 It’s A Family Movie

With the movies being PG-13, all ages can see the DCEU movies as long as they are accompanied by an adult – but that doesn’t mean they’re totally family-friendly. Batman v Superman has depicted the caped crusader as a merciless murderer, and Superman has lacked the hope that the character is known for.

However, Shazam! is a family movie in every way, as the main cast is made up of mostly children, who bond and form close bonds as they grow up in a foster home together. The movie is even set at Christmas time, and there’s nothing more family-oriented than Christmas when it comes to Hollywood movies.

9 It Has The Most Character Development

Batman and Superman learn to respect one another by the end of Dawn of Justice, and there are examples of great character development in Wonder Woman too. But for the most part, all of the movies in the DCEU are solely about the heroes learning the ropes (and that’s quite literal when it comes to Wonder Woman).

But in the 2019 movie, Billy, who has always been a lone wolf, learns to make friends with other kids his age and accepts that he can’t solve everything by himself. When Billy’s friends are transformed into adult superheroes just like him, that wasn’t to simply set up future movies. It was the perfect way to show that Billy now understands that he sometimes needs a helping hand.

8 It References The DCEU In Creative Ways

Although it doesn’t prominently feature other heroes from the same universe like how MCU movies do, most DCEU movies still reference the other heroes to some extent. Shazam! referenced its big brothers in some extremely creative ways.

Shazam brilliantly uses toys of Batman as weapons by throwing them at Sivana, which isn’t just funny, but it skillfully shows that the caped crusader is seen as a hero by children in the universe. But best of all is the Superman tease at the end of the movie, as the Man Of Steel walks into the school cafeteria. However, despite the great references, there’s a chance that Shazam 2 might not be part of the DCEU.

7 It Has The Most Fascinating Dynamic Between The Hero And The Villain

Although Joker has Batman, they amazingly never came head to head in the universe except for in the 15-minute epilogue of Zack Snyder’s Justice League and a couple of minutes in the Suicide Squad. Outside of that, the villains in the DCEU have been mostly CGI characters.

But in Shazam!, the villain is Sivana, who literally envies a teenage boy. What makes the dynamic even more unique is the moral dilemma that Sivana has of threatening and potentially murdering Billy. The sequel is looking to have an even more fascinating dynamic between the hero and the villain. The main antagonist of Shazam! Fury of the Gods is looking like it’ll be Mister Mind, who is a two-inch alien worm with telepathic powers.

6 It’s A Satire Of Superhero Movies

Shazam! brilliantly satires other superhero movies while at the same time being an incredible superhero movie itself. The movie doesn’t rely on vulgar humor and references to other movies to satirize the genre, but it ingeniously makes fun of superhero tropes while simultaneously playing into them.

For starters, Shazam’s suit itself is one big joke, as it intentionally looks fake with padding on the bicep and ab areas. And during the final battle with Sivana, it’s almost like a running satirical commentary, such as when Sivana goes on a villainous rant while flying that Shazam can’t even hear.

5 It’s The Funniest DCEU Movie

When it comes to comedy in the DCEU, Shazam! doesn’t have much competition. The cinematic universe has doubled down on the grittiness with almost every consecutive movie ever since Man of Steel. While that’s a unique approach compared to the MCU, it can sometimes come off too serious.

When there are jokes in the DCEU movies, they feel forced, which is one of the shared criticisms people had with the theatrical cut of The Justice League. But Shazam! is filled with jokes that actually land, and it’s mostly full of physical humor, such as Billy busking on the streets with his powers. There are loads of funny moments in the dialogue too, and that’s in part thanks to Zachary Levi improvising many of his lines in Shazam.

4 There’s Chemistry Between The Main Characters

Although Zack Snyder’s Justice League greatly improved on the original movie in many different ways, it was still lacking when it came to the chemistry between the characters. But that’s far from a problem in the 2019 family movie as all actors have a strong connection with each other.

This is mostly thanks to actors Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer, who genuinely came off like best friends, despite the real-life age difference. Though John Cena almost played Shazam, casting Levi as the titular hero is one of the best casting decisions Warner Bros. has made with the universe.

3 It Looks To Movies Outside Of The Superhero Genre For Inspiration

Superhero movies tend to influence each other, whether it’s Suicide Squad borrowing from Guardians of the Galaxy or Wonder Woman being a period drama just like Captain America: The First Avenger. Although the MCU Spider-Man series is inspired by John Hughes movies and Ant-Man is inspired by heist movies, the DCEU rarely looks for inspiration outside the superhero genre.

However, Shazam is the first to be truly inspired by other movies, particularly ’80s films. The entire premise, which sees a teenager magically turn into an adult, is inspired by Big, one of the greatest family movies of all time. There’s even a direct reference to the ’80s movie, as Billy falls onto giant piano in a children’s store.

2 It Isn’t Ashamed To Be Cheesy

Relative to other DCEU movies, not only is Shazam! funnier, but it’s cheesy too, and the movie wears its cheesiness like a badge of honor. Though Wonder Woman 1984 was cheesy too, it wasn’t pulled off as well as it was in Shazam!, as the serious characters didn’t match the cheesy aesthetic of the movie.

In Shazam!, along with the over-the-top costumes and the satirical approach, the villain is as hammy as the most iconic antagonists (like the Emperor from Star Wars). With a Shazam sequel on the way, it’s only going to get cheesier.

1 It’s Hopeful

Superman is supposed to represent hope, but general audiences wouldn’t know that based on the DCEU movies. However, Shazam! does some heavy lifting for the DCEU by not only having heart, but being hopeful too.

In the movie, after trying to get rid of his powers, Billy learns that he has them for a reason, which is to protect innocent civilians. Shazam! is almost more of a Superman movie than Man of Steel, as the whole film has an optimistic and hopeful aesthetic (not to mention that it ends on such a positive and uplifting note).

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/dceu-shazam-ways-reasons-storylines-best-movie/

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