Ever wondered if Deadpool was PG13 instead of Rated-R? Well, look no more! Shazam is to Superman as Deadpool is to Wolverine--the funny, talkative, goofy and meta hero with the same powers as their more serious counterparts. The Good: Like Deadpool, Shazam makes fun of superhero and movie tropes that it’s borderline parody, but in a good way. The premise and his costume are very silly as it is, so the direction to go full comedy was the right choice. Actor Zachary Levi as the adult Shazam just looks silly with his fake overblown muscles, but it works well because he makes us laugh anyway whether he’s joking, pulling pranks or just being a kid amazed by his new powers. Zachary really feels like a kid in a man’s body; he’s so good in the role. Then there’s his friend Freddie who has such good chemistry with adult Shazam, especially in their training montage with Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen playing on the background. Supporting cast is also good, but my favorite has to be their foster parents and their cute little sister. I also love how he learned to fly. He wasn’t an instant expert flyer like Captain Marvel was in her movie. The Bad: A minor complaint, Mark Strong as the villain (again) isn’t a bad actor, but come one, he’s already played a main villain in Green Lantern, Kick-Ass, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes and so many other films. When I saw him I was like, that guy again? Seemed like lazy casting. And let’s face it, Mark Strong isn’t a chameleon like Tom Hardy, he basically has the same personality in every villain role he plays. Wish they just cast another lesser known actor not known for playing villains, like maybe John Kranski (A Quiet Place), Gerard Butler (300), Jackie Haley (Rorschach in Watchmen), Jemaine Clement (Vlad in What We Do In the Shadows), or hell even Steve Buscemi or Channing Tatum just for fun. Give other actors a chance! My biggest complaint about the film is the casting of the teenage Billy Batson. What bothered me was how different his personality was to his adult version played by Zachary Levi. As a teenager, Billy has those really sleepy eyes, is very aloof, serious and lacks any sort of energy. But when he becomes Shazam he suddenly becomes this wide-eyed, goofy and energetic guy who even dances. Unless Billy also gained the superpowers of a comedian, then I just don’t buy it. The actor who played best friend Freddie would have been a better teenage Billy since he had the same vibe and energy as adult Shazam (and even looks like him). The Ugly: On a side note, Mary, the love interest, barely helped in the finale, as she was constantly molested by the “Lust” Sin monster and its many tentacles. Watch out for it. Verdict: With Wonder Woman, Aquaman and now Shazam, DC is mining gold with the fun factor, and both critics and audiences are loving it. DC should just stick to solo films. Like in the comics, DC stories work best when studio execs just leave them alone. It’s also a nice contrast to Marvel, where I am more excited with their crossover team-ups because they do the shared universe just better, but not so much on the solo stories which I feel are mostly filler. Also, isn’t it cool that we get two Captain Marvel films this year? Shazam was originally called Captain Marvel. Even Shazam’s love interest is still called Mary Marvel in the comics https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2249873425091797&id=349610521784773