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Shazam! first reactions herald Zachary Levi film as 'best DCEU instalment yet'

'Shazam! is parts Home Alone, parts Big, a crowd-pleasing family-friendly joy-filled wish-fulfilment superhero film'

Jack Shepherd
Thursday 14 March 2019 05:38 EDT
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Shazam! - Trailer

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The first reactions for Shazam! are out, with critics heralding the upcoming flick as the best modern DC superhero outing yet.

Starring Zachary Levi as the eponymous character, Shazam! centres on a young boy – played by Asher Angel – who can transform into a Superman-type hero by saying the word “shazam”.

After screening to press, critics have come away calling the film the best instalment in the DCEU universe – also including Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, Aquaman, Suicide Squad and Justice League – yet on Twitter.

Directed by Annabelle: Creation‘s David F Sandberg, the synopsis reads: “Still a kid at heart — inside a ripped, godlike body — Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test?

“Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).”

Shazam! reaches UK cinemas 5 April.

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