Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam

I don't know very much about Shazam/Captain Marvel, but this short serves perfectly wall as a nice introduction to the character, and I would totally recommend it to any casual viewer., with a nice animation and a entertaining plot.

The 2019 movie was okay too.

This DC Showcase short is a tad longer than the rest, it stands at around 25 minutes and is about Billy Batsons rise to become the superhero known as Captain Marvel.

We see Superman jump in and save young Billy from Black Adam, but my biggest complaint is that this is a big story and 25 minutes simply doesn't suffice.

Alike the other showcases this is very well animated, has a great voice cast and is well written. Sadly it all feels rushed and I struggled to get into it.

Well worth a watch for fans of the DC Showcase shorts, but I feel it was a bit underwhelming.

The Good:

Well animated

The Bad:

Story is simply too big for 25 minutes

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

This has actually made me want a live action Shazam movie, but I fear I'll regret saying that

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (2010) is the first of four DC Showcase films on a DVD release with the same title. The plot revolves around Superman's initial encounter with a formidable villain whose magic-based power poses a threat due to Superman's vulnerability to magic. To overcome this adversary, Superman joins forces with a new ally, Shazam.

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse), the film features the voices of Zach Callison (Steven Universe), James Garner (The Notebook), Jerry O'Connell (Stand By Me), and Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy).

The animation for this film is excellent and highly entertaining. The action scenes are impactful and well-executed, while Shazam's backstory is effectively conveyed. Every Superman vs. Black Adam fight scene is outstanding, leading to a heartwarming and worthwhile conclusion. The only drawback is the desire for this to have been a feature-length film.

In conclusion, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam is a must-watch for DC comics fans. I'd give it an 8/10 and recommend seeing it at least once.

When I sat down here in 2023 to watch the 2010 DC animated movie "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" with my son, I wasn't really harboring much of any grand expectations. I am not overly fond of or keen on superheroes in general.

However, I have to say that "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam", from writer Michael Jelenic and director Joaquim Dos Santos, turned out to be one of the better DC animated movies I have seen in a long, long time. I was genuinely entertained through the 25 minutes that the feature ran for.

The art style and animation in "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" was good. It was fast paced with a lot of fighting, and the things on the screen looked nice. Which definitely helped to bring the story to life in an enjoyable manner on the screen.

With "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" being an animated movie, then having a proper voice ensemble is important, and the definitely had that here. With the likes of James Garner, George Newbern, Jerry O'Connell, Kevin Michael Richardson, Gary Cole, Alyssa Milano, Malcolm McDowell, Jon Polito, Neal McDonough, John DiMaggio and Grey Griffin, then you are in capable hands. And then there was Arnold Vosloo, which was the icing on the cake. He was so well cast to voice Black Adam.

If you enjoy the DC universe, then I will say that "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" is definitely well-worth sitting down to spent 25 minutes on watching.

My rating of "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam is so far the best and longest entry in the DC Showcase.

OMG! I can't wait to watch this epic fight scenes in live-action. Can't even imagine how it's like when Zachary Levi and Henry Cavill fighting Dwayne Johnson. It's going to be LEGENDARY.