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Shazam! is directed by David F. Sanberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation), written by Henry Gayden (Earth to Echo) and stars Zachary Levi as Billy Batson/Shazam.

The film follows 14-year-old Billy Batson, an orphan boy who keeps running from foster homes. When he gets adopted by a couple who share a home with many foster kids, Billy is soon granted magical, wizard powers, and discovers that when he says the wizard's name, Shazam, he turns into an adult male with super-hero like abilities.

The DCEU isn't much of a franchise at this point. Aquaman was so separated from other films in the franchise, it's essentially its own thing. Shazam! follows suit. While there are references to Superman, Batman, and other Justice League heroes throughout, the film isn't concerned with connecting dots or setting up a franchise. It tries to be its own thing.

The strongest aspect of this film by far is Zachary Levi. A ravingly underrated actor, Levi brings this film the energy, charm, and humor it needs. He plays the role of a teenage boy stuck in a man's body not only well, but eerily convincingly so. Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays Billy's foster brother Freddy, is also great. Neurotic and hilarious, he helps further convince you of this film's ridiculous premise.

Asher Angel, who plays young Billy Batson, got the short end of the stick here, as he's given a character who hides his emotions. So while he still feels like Billy, he's the less entertaining half of Billy. Nonetheless, he delivers a great performance, and the film lands because of him.

The rest of the cast is alright, with some weak performances and a decent one from Mark Strong.

The script is another strength here. It balances humor and drama, horror and light-heartedness, and character and spectacle better than any DCEU film so far. I cared about these characters. I understood their motivations and their desires.

The film is a character piece more than a super-hero film, though. The story isn't about a boy who turns into an adult super-hero battling evil, it's about a boy learning to grow up and accept the things he's ignored his whole life. Billy must realize he must pursue what he needs, not what he wants, and he comes to understand that everything he believed to be true is wrong. It's fantastic, and it's what makes the entire third act land.

This movie is self-aware. It carries a plethora of tongue-in-cheek references, and never forgets to make you laugh. The humor is natural, fresh, and never undermines the dramatic tension of the film.

Sanberg's direction is strong here. There are definitely some horror-tinged sequences. I'll have to see it a second time to really analyze how this film was shot, but if I remember correctly, it rarely goes large. The movie doesn't try to be a spectacle, and instead simmers down and remains small unlike it's hero.

The score is great. The soundtrack is amazing. I had some genuine laughs. While the film is definitely one set piece too long, and could have been tightened down in its third act, I don't have many complaints outside of that.

It also brings its own spin to the super-hero genre. This is definitely a family super-hero film. I would argue it's even more of a family super-hero film than The Incredibles. And aside from some mild language and a couple scary scenes (it earns it's PG-13 rating), it's one of the more wholesome super-hero movies to come along in a while.

I loved this film. Everybody here knocked it out of the park. It has heart and humor and a great message. Hands down the best DCEU film. I can't wait to see what they do with the future movies.

So far, it's my favorite film of the year.

B+

DUNKIRK review

Dunkirk follows three stories – one that takes place on the land, one that takes place on the sea, and one that takes place in the air. Each story revolves around the evacuation of Dunkirk during World War 2.

I'm not a fan of war movies. I know, sue me. It's probably because I've never seen a really good one. I also wasn't a fan of Christopher Nolan's last directorial effort Interstellar. Though he's easily my favorite director, with films such as The Prestige, The Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception, my excitement for this film was virtually nonexistent. I had low expectations.

The film clocks in at a brisk 1 hour and 46 minutes, boasting Nolan's shortest run time for a film in recent memory. Due to the short amount of time you're in your seat, the film moves quickly. If it had been any longer, it would have suffered.

It's hard to say what Dunkirk is about, because the film doesn't feature a main protagonist, and definitely doesn't follow the classic Hollywood structure we're so used to. The dialogue is minimal, and at most times indiscernible. It's told with a non- linear structure and never really explains exactly what's going on. All of this hurts the film but helps the film at the same time.

Despite its downfalls, any audience member can tell how good Christopher Nolan is. He has full control of this film. Nothing is out of place. Everything is where it should be. Hoyte van Hoytema is quickly proving himself to be one of the best cinematographers to date. And Hans Zimmer delivers a chilling score that blends so well with the movie, you'll forget it's there.

If this movie doesn't win an Academy Award in any category relating to sound mixing, then something is wrong with Hollywood. The movie is so loud at times that you have to cover your ears, yet can immediately drop to absolute silence without feeling unnatural.

The performances are rich, though I couldn't tell you a single character's name. The movie isn't about people, it's about war. Having grown up in America, I knew nothing about the evacuation of Dunkirk. It was educational. And like any war movie should do, it helped me gain more appreciation for the men and women who serve all countries. Of course, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy must be mentioned and given a shout of excellence.

Nolan is a brave director. Anybody could tell you that. He trusts his audience to be smart. While most summer blockbuster films tell you exactly what's going on at all times, Nolan expects you to pay attention. A lot of his movies require active viewing, which is what sets them so far aside from other films. Dunkirk, like I mentioned before, is told non-linearly. Everything happens out of order. Some scenes are repeated up to three times. He leaves it up to you, as the viewer, to keep track of our three coinciding story lines and understand how they all relate to one another.

Because of the lack of a protagonist, the movie's emotional beats are nearly absent, save for the resolution of the story. It's not necessarily a bad thing for this movie, though it would absolutely fail in any other Hollywood film released this year. Again, Dunkirk is impossible to explain because it is so different from anything else.

The film earns its PG-13 but definitely doesn't push it. The movie gets you to wince and jump, yet it doesn't feel the need to show buckets of blood pouring from wounds. Aside from a couple F-words, which don't stand out due to the English accents and quiet dialogue, it's appropriate for most people.

It's not my favorite Nolan movie, not even close, but that's to be taken lightly. Like I mentioned before, I don't love war films. Dunkirk is a feat. It's well-crafted, beautifully executed and proves that Christopher Nolan can accomplish anything.

8.3/10

The second episode benefits simply because it comes after the first. The tone is established, we've already spent an hour with the characters and the plot can finally start to really move forward.

The Baudelaire children are much more grounded in this episode, with their skill sets coming into play (as they will throughout the rest of the series). Count Olaf is less out of place, and he gains control of the world that he'll stalk the children through for the remaining episodes to come.

All the tropes are set up, the running gags. The "death" of the Baudelaire's parents is explored a little more heavily, and, with it, the main goal of the series. We as an audience now have something hopeful (though Lemony Snicket will tell you it's not so) to look forward to.

Though Olaf's house is a disgustingly gorgeous set piece, it will be nice to move on. It took a couple of hours, but I'm now fully interested to see the rest of this world. I'm sure with the next episodes that the story will find its pace, and I'll suddenly find myself racing through these episodes at a break-neck speed.