I seem to recall (though it's been a LOONNGGG time) reading a story where Sivana acquires powers roughly equal to Shazam. Perhaps the screen writers were partly inspired by that.
There have been a couple of stories like that. Most recently in Grant Morrison's Mulitiversity: Thunderworld
Yep, the guy who hated the terrible New 52 Shazam comic hates the movie that is basically just that comic made in live action. Shocking
I eagerly await your review of something you already hate but are still going to see, rather than spending time on something that brings you joy.
I guess I just don't understand why. He ends in the right place for a super-hero. The wizard Shazam saw the good in Billy, even if Billy didn't see it in himself. He makes mistakes, he learns, and he grows into the super-hero he's meant to be. It's not the Golden Age version, but no super-hero that's been around for more than thirty years either. By that logic, you should hate Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and especially Batman.
^ fwiw, sometimes origins don't need to be made more complicated. (Old) Billy is certainly a pretty optimistic version of The System, but I've never cared for the change, however realistic it might be. Not as bad as killing Barry Allen's mom for... reasons, because he needed some darkness I guess but still leaves me meh. Something that I've been wondering about in following this trepidatiously is that aspect. Are they sticking with the traditional "powers of SHAZAM" with each letter representing something? It's just hard for me to look at these previews and see the Wisdom of Solomon or how this version of Captain Marvel ( ) isn't just Billy with superpowers and a grown up body instead of... essentially an idealized version of himself. I'm so torn. I really like Zach Levy but... what to do when I'd rather see the kid turn into later-season Chuck Bartowski? That said: that full trailer did give me a lot more interest and it looks *fun.* Maybe by halfway through he'll settle down in his transformed form. Maybe it'll even change him as a kid. I just want Cap... Shaz... Billy Batson as the moral exemplar.
First reactions are starting to come in on Twitter, and so far they are very, very positive, with some people even calling it the best DC movie yet.
Who knew that if they made their superhero movies more fun and hopeful instead of depressing violent introspective grimfests that they would get a better reaction and bigger box office? Huh.
Who knew challenging expectations rather than offering up comfortable familiarity might risk division in the audience? Comfort food is nice and all, but not every day. I’d rather experience the occasional reach exceeding one’s grasp that doesn’t entirely succeed along the way than a continuous serving of “same old, same old”. It’s precisely because Shazam is (apparently) so different from Man of Steel that I look forward to it—while simultaneously having Man of Steel at the top of my Superman movies list by a considerable margin.
But their job is not to risk division. Their job is to make the most money possible from their investment. That means making these quarter of a billion dollar movies for EVERYONE, not divide the audience. If the studio or a film maker wants to "challenge expectations?" You do what the first Deadpool did, and do it on a small budget, so that you don't need every ass in the seat to recoup your investment.
Do you think Snyder set out to make his movies with a “fuck you all” approach? He had a vision for his take on Superman and superheroes. He’d already tried a more obscure version with Watchmen that, apparently, persuaded the studio to give him a chance with a bigger property. He was also endorsed by and worked with Nolan, who also had the studio’s blessings. Any artist, obscure or famous, should have the opportunity to make what they want and let the audience decide how it feels. But the audience is NOT entitled to satisfaction. I don’t think Snyder’s DC movies are perfect, either in concept or execution. But they did do something I always appreciate—challenged my expectations. With Marvel movies, while I have enjoyed them all to varying degrees, I have only once had my expectations challenged, by the Gardians of the Galaxy. I’m not trying to turn this into another DC vs. Marvel argument (plenty enough of those already) but, to me, Marvel has been the comfort food and DC has been the quirky restaurant in my old neighbourhood that offers familiar food in unfamiliar ways—I don’t always like it, but I appreciate the effort and when I do like it, it’s awesome. So I want more challenges, not fewer.
I’d bet my mortgage such things happen less frequently than World Cup Downhill skiing tournaments in Tunisia.
I wouldn't say the audience isn't entitled to satisfaction rather they shouldn't go in expecting it. The best directors can make a crap film once in a while. Also, the artistic approach really shouldn't be viewed so either or in regards the audience. There is no hive mind that allows a production to say x with work with target group y. For all the honing marketing tries to target a project to be a hit with a conceived demographic all audiences are still made of individuals and sometimes those individuals are not impressed in spite of the targeting done to make a production work for them. Artists are not entitled to be understood or appreciated, either.
I totally agree. Though I always appreciate the effort to risk not being acclaimed, even when I’m not satisfied with the result.
And all that is fine. I am fine with either version. I'm just pointing out that you can legitimate update and/or modify elements of a character and still retain what makes that character. As for the Wisdom of Solomon--I have had issue with this in the comics as well. A possible solution is that he has the wisdom when he chooses to access it or grows enough to earn the power. This is similar to Freddy's journey back when he became Captain Marvel about ten years ago.