Shazam!

Based on a comic book, Shazam! follows teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) as he’s gifted with the ability to transform into a near-invincible superhero (Zachary Levi’s title character) by merely saying the word “shazam” – with the narrative detailing the character’s eventual effort at preventing a diabolical villain (Mark Strong’s Dr. Sivana) from destroying the planet. It’s a seriously appealing premise that’s employed to decidedly erratic effect by David F. Sandberg, as the filmmaker, working from Henry Gayden’s bloated screenplay, delivers a padded-out and viscerally-overlong narrative rife with ineffective stretches that ultimately diminish its overall impact. And yet it’s equally clear that Shazam! remains fairly watchable for the duration of its ludicrous 132 minute running time, with the picture’s mild success due mostly to the irresistible nature of its setup and the strength of the various performances. (In terms of the latter, Levi’s almost impossibly charismatic work here is matched by a typically stellar bad-guy turn by Strong.) Sandberg’s reliance on the various conventions of the contemporary superhero genre paves the way for a truly (and disappointingly) tedious climax, however, and it is, in the end, impossible not to wish Shazam! had been infused with a far lighter (and family-friendly) touch.

**1/2 out of ****