Shazam (film)

**Shazam** is a 2014 superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The film was directed by David F. Sanberg and stars Zachary Levi, Gus Kamp, Dwayne Johnson, Grace Fulton, Jared S. Gilmore, Mark Strong, and Djimon Hounsou. It was released on July 2, 2014 and grossed $464.5 million against a $120 million budget. It ran 118 minutes and received highly positive reviews, with praise for its levity, humor and performances, particularly those of Levi and Fulton.

## Plot

In the Ancient Egyptian nation of Kahndaq, the wizard Shazam resides in the Rock of Eternity, a mountain existing outside of space and time. Shazam has been searching for a mortal to share his power with. Eventually, he finds a young boy named Aman. When Aman says the name "Shazam", he is turned into an adult with super-strength, super-speed, and flight. In present day Fawcett City, Billy Batson is a thirteen-year-old runaway foster child who has been searching for his parents, who seemingly abandoned him as a baby. After getting into trouble, Billy is sent to live with the Vasquezes, a foster family that houses the seventeen-year-old Mary Bromfield, fifteen-year-old Pedro Pena, thirteen-year-old disabled Freddy Freeman, and ten-year-olds Eugene Choi and Darla Dudley. Despite running away from nearly all foster homes, Billy decides to give the family a chance. He begins to develop a crush on Mary, while also forming a bond with Freddy, as they are the same age. At school, Billy sees Freddy being physically bullied, but does not intervene in fear. Freddy gets angry at him for not doing anything, but Billy makes it up to him by taking him to the bully's house and hotwiring his father's car. However, when they are caught, Freddy easily escapes, but Billy is attacked by the bully.

Billy manages to escape to the subway, where he loses the bully. However, in the subway, Billy is teleported to the Rock of Eternity, where he meets Shazam, who is searching for a child of the modern era to share his power with. Despite seeing flaws in Billy's character, Billy tells him that no one is without flaws, leading to Shazam giving Billy his power. Billy is excited at first, but Shazam reminds him to use his power for good, before dying as a result of his mission being content. Billy returns to the foster home, still in his adult form and suit, and convinces Freddy of his story. Freddy, a superhero-enthusiast, is excited at the possibilities of Billy's newfound abilities. Billy discovers that he can return to his child self by saying Shazam, and vice-versa. As Billy and Freddy go out for a night, Billy is found by Teth-Adam, who reveals that his nephew, Aman, became corrupt with the power Shazam gave him, so Shazam took it away and gave it to Adam, who has been lying dormant until Shazam found a new child. Freddy is weary, due to Shazam never bringing Adam up, but Billy trusts him and allows Adam to train him.

Billy begins to fall in love with Mary, who only sees him as a brother figure.Billy begins saving people in Fawcett City, becoming a superhero, and making Freddy jealous. Billy learns from Adam that Dr. Thaddeus Sivana plans on absorbing their magic and using it for his own purposes. Billy and Adam find Sivana and fight him, though Sivana has already taken some magic from the Rock of Eternity and nearly kills Billy. Adam stops Sivana, but mysteriously lets him go. Billy asks him about this, but Adam avoids the question. As the superheroing gets to Billy's head, he begins to act more cocky around his foster siblings, who all notice this, causing a small rift in the family. Billy goes back to the Rock of Eternity to be alone, but while he is there, Shazam's ghost begins speaking to him and reveals that Adam is not who he says he is, but before Billy can find out more, Adam appears in the mountain. Billy confronts Adam about his true identity, but Adam knocks him unconscious and steals Billy's power. Adam finds Freddy and offers him Shazam's power if he helps him. Freddy agrees and takes the power. However, Mary stumbles upon the scene, forcing Adam to kidnap her.

Adam and Freddy go to Sivana, who is revealed to be working with Adam the entire time. Freddy learns of their plan to use the magic to unleash the Seven Deadly Sins upon the world and take over. Freddy is horrified at their plan and frees Mary, who helps him escape. They trick Adam into opening a door to the Rock of Eternity, where they find and awaken Billy. Freddy transfers his abilities back to Billy, who takes on Adam in a one-on-one. Adam reveals that he is Aman, and when he realized that he could use his powers to appear as a god to Kahndaq, Shazam was unable to take him on, so he instead froze Adam as a statue in Kahndaq until he could find a worthy champion. Billy is saddened as he is forced to fight his former mentor, but he is able to control his emotions long enough to send Adam back to Kahndaq, where a combination of the abilities seemingly kills Adam. Billy returns to Fawcett City, where he closes the portal to the Rock of Eternity. Sivana has escaped, but Freddy and Mary know Billy will be able to find him. They return to the foster home, where Billy has a better attitude toward his family, and Mary gives him a kiss for his fourteenth birthday. In a mid-credits scene, Sivana finds an ancient temple in Kahndaq, where seven monstrous statues await command. In a post-credits scene, Rosa anad Victor discuss Billy, in which it is revealed they were assigned to take in Billy and that "he can never know" the truth surrounding his parents.

## Cast

* Gus Kamp and Zachary Levi as Billy Batson/Shazam
* Dwayne Johnson as Aman/Teth-Adam/Black Adam
	+ Bentley Green as young Aman
* Jared S. Gilmore as Freddy Freeman
	+ Adam Brody as adult Freddy Freeman
* Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield
* Mark Strong as Thaddeus Sivana
* Djimon Hounsou as Shazam
* Skai Jackson as Darla Dudley
* Adam Irigoyen as Pedro Pena
* Hudson Yang as Eugene Choi
* Dania Ramirez as Rosa Vasquez
* Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez

## Reception

### **Box office**

**Shazam** grossed $302.5 million (65.1%) in the United States and Canada and $162.1 million (34.9%) in other territories for a total of $464.5 million. Worldwide, it is the nineteenth highest-grossing 2014 film. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $147.9 million. *Deadline Hollywood* calculated the net profit of the film to be $138.8 million, making it the twelfth most profitable release of 2014.

### **Critical reception**

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 88% with an average score of 6.96/10, based on 384 reviews.