Holly on Hollywood – Shazam

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Holly on Hollywood
“Shazam”
by Holly McClure

In the DC world of superheroes we have Superman, Batman, Aquaman and now…SHAZAM! The new superhero is 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who’s been bounced around foster homes most of his life. Billy gets a final placement with a large foster family of lovable kids and cool parents who genuinely are glad he joined their “family”. One day Billy is mysteriously summoned to the secret lair of a powerful dying wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who gives him the magic to transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) by saying the word “Shazam!”, for the sole purpose of keeping the evil seven deadly sins, from destroying the world. Billy shares his secret with his foster brother and the two discover all of the powers Shazam can perform. When his fame spreads, an evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), finds Shazam and tries to destroy him to gain his powers.

Parents, the PG-13, comics-based, superhero comedy has lighthearted moments that are sure to appeal to younger kids but there are a few intense darker scenes as well, so the rating is for a good reason! There are several intense chase scenes and a few deaths by the scary/grotesque “seven deadly sins” monsters who appear out of black smoke, bite off a few human heads, throw a man out of a high rise window and chase children (no blood but they are scary looking). There is some mild language, Shazam and Freddy buy beer but spit it out after the first sip, characters go into a strip club to look for someone but only the outside is shown. There are uplifting themes about family, courage and taking a stand for what’s right. Sweet, kid-like moments when Billy and Freddy discover Shazam’s superpowers when Bill dances on a floor piano like in “Big” and scenes kids will appreciate when Billy defends Freddie against school bullies. The story is sort of a mixture of “Big” and “The Goonies” with an 80’s feel to it. The valuable lesson Billy learns is that a supportive family is the most valuable superpower of all! At the end, when the siblings come to help Shazam take on the monsters, an unusual event takes place that unites them all and sets up a happy ending for a sequel. Be sure and stay for the credits to see what comes next!

“Remember to Choose Your Movies Wisely”

~Holly On Hollywood~

Holly McClure is a multimedia personality with a career that spans over 20 years in the entertainment industry. Her background as a film critic, film and television producer, creative writer, filmographer, radio and television host, author, and pundit for family values, has established her media expertise and made her a recognized advocate for family-friendly entertainment. Holly was the first ‘family film critic’ syndicated in over 365 newspapers by The Orange County Register. Her “Holly on Hollywood” movie reviews have been featured on various media outlets and can now be seen on Uplift TV, Parables movie channel, and thelaundrymoms.com.

In 2002, Holly was asked by Mel Gibson to film the behind-the-scenes interviews for “The Passion of the Christ”. She produced a one hour special, “The Making of The Passion of the Christ”, that aired on TBN and ION. She has since produced numerous press features for various films (The Passion Of The Christ, Do You Believe, Dancer and the Dame, God’s Not Dead, The Frontier Boys, etc.) and is listed on IMDB .

Holly is a charter member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and serves on the advisory boards of The Dove Foundation and The Parents Television Council. She is a proud mother, grandmother and mentor, passionate about supporting and creating life-changing entertainment!

For more information visit Hollymcclure.com or IMDB.com