Reviewers were not really happy with the film Shazam!, which was published in 2019. At the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods isn’t that very different. Not even the acting talent of Helen Mirren (Hespera) and Lucy Liu (Kalypso) can raise the level of the superhero movie. NU.nl lists the reviews from the foreign media for you.
Empire – three stars
“Gothic unicorns. A Skittles ad. A magic pen named Steve. These are just a few of the many weird (and not always fun) things that come up in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Combined with illogical mythology and endless one-liners, the film wants too much. Fortunately, this superhero sequel knows how to hold the viewer’s attention on an emotional level.”
The daughters of Atlas are played by a truly divine Helen Mirren, a goofy but fun Lucy Liu and the ever-engaging Rachel Zegler. For reasons surrounding wizards, magical orbs and a golden apple – try not to get too caught up in these intricate details – they want to steal back Shazam’s powers to restore their own empire.”
Variety – does not give stars
“In Shazam! Fury of the Gods Superhero Levi’s alter ego, orphan Billy Batson, has aged a little. The comedic link between the muscle in his red suit and the easily overwhelmed teen isn’t as obvious as it used to be, but it’s still funny. And the film stands or falls with the character, whose enthusiasm is slightly less contagious this time.”
“Fury of the Gods is one of those superhero movies with a certain tune. The storyline is unnecessarily complicated and unimportant. The CGI is exaggerated quite a bit, as if that is the only way to show the value of the film. Now that does happen in more film adaptations of comic books, but the first movie Shazam! was an exception. It was lighthearted, crazy and charming.”
“The sequel isn’t terrible, but it’s too busy, not original enough, and joyless.”
The Guardian – three stars
“This new film is heartwarming and has a dose of self-mockery. It also has a touch of diversity due to the introduction of a gay character. There are some nice lyrics and Mirren, Liu and Djimon Hounsou – who plays an ancient wizard – enjoy their role. Although sometimes they also seem to think about what to eat again tonight.”
“The film does not escape the superhero pattern, but Shazam 2 has an orange juice-just-from-the-fridge flavor that makes the movie enjoyable.
The Hollywood Reporter – gives no stars
“When young Darla gathers a whole herd of unicorns with a handful of Skittles, you don’t really want to watch the movie anymore. Yes, the Shazammovies are aimed at a younger audience who like comic books, but this is more like the cartoons you see on a Saturday morning.”
Admittedly, Mirren and Liu take their role as avenge very seriously – one can only guess at how many times they burst out laughing during the shoot. Unfortunately, their characters aren’t very interesting, apart from the fact that they wave their arms and cause chaos. Here and there they make a sharp remark or a witty joke. But it is up to Levi to compensate for the lack of humor and you can see that this is becoming increasingly difficult for him.”
