Helen Mirren Reigns Supreme in Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Dame Helen…Lucy Liu and my girl Rachel Z are giving the kids a run for their money with this latest chapter of Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

This time, the gang puts their newfound powers on a little trial run against a trio of Greek Goddesses (Anthea, Kalypso and Hespera) set on overrunning Earth. Atlas’ Daughters’ grudge against the the family of teen superheroes and the wizard (Djimon Hounsou)  lays the groundwork for a series of dragon fighting and flying scenes which encompasses a good majority of the film.  As a result, their plan to overtake Billy’s realm feels a little complex.

Having said that, this all-star A+ cast was worth it all for me.  Zachary Levi is simply charmingly consistent tapping into his inner child for Billy and his performance is rock solid! But, the real win for me, is the fact that there is a woman of every single age, ethnicity and skill within the young cast and the their more mature counterparts.

The fact this trio of Greek goddesses weren’t blonde and blue-eyed, and full of diversity in their looks was refreshing to witness. More than that, they were led by Dame Helen Mirren, whose steely eyed presence and vocal command left me yearning for a spin off featuring  her kicking butts and taking names.

Director David F. Sandberg superbly excels at weaving in big laughs and dragon, only to pause for the cause allowing the foster siblings time to speak up, show up and show out. Not to mention, the tender yet terrifying fear of Billy’s turning 18 lurking about.

Rachel Zegler as one of the newbies to the franchise, more than solidifies her star power wasn’t a fluke when she stepped into the iconic shoes of Maria for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.  Her cinematic, beguiling presence is truly the stuff stars are made of.

Costumes, production design and CGI department really out did themselves on this one, making this sequel a lot of fun for the entire family this Spring.