Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The junior league version of the DC universe gets another outing--and as with many a minor-leaguer, it follows up a great game with a few errors. The humor in this episode doesn’t come across quite as fresh or clever. The impact of a solid cast of characters, all back from the original, is diluted here, And the plot pulls some of its punches, enough to make the stakes less terrifying and more tepid. (Also, what gods? The trio of presumed Olympians is decidedly second-rate. I guess it would have required a Superman flick to get Zeus involved.) So is this one a bad movie? No, that’s a bit too harsh. You don’t have to feel ashamed if you spend a couple of hours with it. And, again, with minor-leaguers, most of the reason you  sign them up is for potential. There’s still some possibilities in this corner of the extended franchise--but the producers had better make sure the next entry is spot on, or audiences will be only too ready to designate this player for assignment to the cinematic version of retirement.

Shazam!

A real surprise. This flick appears at first glance to be a throwaway addition to Warner’s somewhat feeble attempts to build a DC cinematic universe. After all, it features what can best be described as a relatively minor character from the old pages--certainly so for those who are not comic heads from way back. But initial impressions can be deceiving. This movie actually stands as one of the better recent  efforts in the genre--even compared with that other studio’s output. The story here is presented with a lot of humor and charm, and--when you witness the interpersonal dynamics between Billy and his foster family--even a certain amount of beauty. The characters all around are well played and suit their roles in the story exceptionally well. You root for these people, and you care whether or not they triumph the end. Add all that in with some good action, good but not overwhelming special effects, and an excellent supporting role for my native town of Philadelphia, and it all comes together in an unexpectedly uplifting superhero film. Who’d have thunk it? The power word here is...PURR!

Tangled

Mostly harmless. The most intriguing thing here comes from the fact that, in what is ostensibly a light, comedic animated romp, the most effective parts of this movie are the dramatic turns. I suspect that owes a lot to Mandy Moore, who can not only sing but proved early on in her career that she really had acting chops (even in voice over, that comes through). Other notable aspects: the film looks fabulous, not just in the technical way of all things animated these days, but in an artistic sense as well. This visual team has a really good set of eyes. On the down side, it's all very predictable. Yes, it's based on an old fairy tale, so how far afield can the story really go? Even so, there's much here that's well worn. Overall, it's worth a look, and maybe it's even good, if you're not too demanding. I just suspect that at this point in movie history, the audience for even a kiddie movie probably wants just a bit more.