Shazam (Dir David Sandberg, 2h 12m)

Since the inception of the DC Cinematic Universe, it's arguably had one problem. It's not been fun. From Zack Synder's two tepid, grim death marches of films, only funny in the most unintentionally, awkwardly acted and scripted way (shouty Zod and Granny's Peach Tea, anyone), to the Marvel-lite popculturing of Justice League, DC's films have felt more like things to be endured than enjoyed, whilst the competition, the now nigh-unstoppable Marvel, deftly make even the darkest of their films a little lighter with well-placed humour. Even Aqua-Man and Wonder-Woman, undoubtedly DC's best films to date, have felt more action-driven than fun, despite their heroes' ability with a quick one-liner, and a few comic scenes.

Shazam!, thus is nothing short of a seachange. Gone is the muted shades of grey and brown, gone, indeed is the thematic darkness from this incarnation of the DCCU, gone, with a few smartly placed exceptions that reminds you what it must be like to be a bystander in this universe, is the DCCU itself. What replaces it is something new for DC-a smaller scale, more intimate tale of a boy becoming a superhero, mastering his powers, finding a family, and defeating a villain to save his city. On paper, it may sound like every other superhero flick, but DC needs something this back to basics, this emotionally driven, this fun to watch after its messy last few years-Sandberg lets a little light back into the DCCU, and the results are spectacular.

With fourteen year old boy, Billy Batson, (Asher Angel), trying to find his mother whilst escaping from a number of foster homes, becoming a magic-powered, brightly coloured and unmistakably Golden-Age style superhero, Shazam (Zachary Levi), after being granted powers by the titular wizard, so he is thrust not only into a new foster home as Billy, and into a battle with Doctor Thadeus Sivana (Mark Strong), a rejected applicant for the role of Shazam, who now seeks to take the hero's power for himself, aided by the horrifying Seven Deadly Sins. With Billy slowly growing to realise the importance of his surrogate family, and his role as Shazam, and Shazam growing in power, through several run ins with the super villain, so the stage is set for a  final showdown between Shazam and Sivana.

In its hero, DC have something new-the majority of DC's heroes to date haven't felt human, let alone normal people, and to see the DC Universe from a child's perspective-Billy's foster-brother, Freddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), is a superhero obsessive who collects not only newspaper articles but paraphernalia and tokens from battles-is not only refreshing from DC's point of view but from the genre in general. Angel adds a sense of a young man not only torn between finding his true mother and allowing hmself to settle down with his foster family, but between selfish use of his power to settle scores with, for example his bullies, and to buy alcohol and make money from his powers, and protecting the city of Philadelphia.

Levi, for his part, is perhaps the best bit of casting the DCCU has ever had, not only wowed by his own ability-and indeed, Levi captures the awkwardness and sincerity of a child in an adult's body in a way no-one since Tom Hanks in Big (neatly alluded to in one shot) has, but also more than capable of acting like a true superhero. It's almost embarrassing in points how very much Shazam feels like Superman should in a series where arguably the biggest hero has never felt himself. Not only this, but Levi imbues Shazam with fun, not only in a comedic sense, though his rapport with Freddie is strong throughout the film, but also because few actors since Christopher Reeve's Superman have caught so perfectly the exhilaration, the pure excitement of being a superhero.  Levi nails it.

Nevertheless, this is the funniest film DC have ever put out-and the tone is undeniably something new, rather than simply a slavish copy of Marvel, full of superheroic slapstick, including arguably the funniest flying scene in superhero cinema so far, and even a wry sideswipe at the Synder films, with one of Sivana and Shazam's battles crashing through buildings in a clear reference to Zod and Superman's battles, whilst the slow discovery of Shazam's powers is enjoyably chaotic, taking the form of a Youtube test montage uploaded by Freddie as the duo experiment with the limits of the superhero's powers.

But, at the centre of the film is the pure exhilaration, the pure fun of being a superhero. Is Shazam! perfect? No-its middle section does plod a little, with the film resting on overly tried and tested tropes of superheroics, with the battle between the "great power" and "great responsibility" highlighting the selfishness that can come with superpowers, whilst Billy's adoptive family and biological mother are little more than single-dimensional support. Even Sivana is a slightly dull villain, a scheming villain who simply wants power for power's sake, despite his clear vendetta against both the Wizard and his own family-more could have been made from the comparison between Billy, the boy who finds his family, and Sivana, who feels he will never be enough for his, and resents its existence.

But Shazam is an important step forward. Its very existence is fresh and exciting, its about turn on a dark and sombre universe to create a bright and excting and fun adventure exhilarating to watch. One can only hope this shot of light brings a new dawn to DC's films.

Rating: Highly Recommended.