Shazam!

Intro: I just want to remind people of the reason for the two scores. I'm drawn to two audiences: the film lover and the film maker. So the first score is how much did I like it. The second is what kind of film is it.

Going in: I hope this will be a lot of fun. I expect it'll disappoint a little bit - I mean, this is a DC movie. I went opening night with my oldest son Jake, who is not a superhero loving movie goer.

Popcorn: 9/10. I LOVED this movie. I was tempted to give it a 10 but pulled back. It did not disappoint. Quite a few belly laughs (also remember this is on opening night audience) and generally got lost in the movie. This had one of the most satisfying climaxes I've seen in a long time. The climax is a CGI-fest but watching the characters involved was so enjoyable. And this might have appealed to my inner 12-year-old. But, oh, was it so worth it. To date, this is #2 on my list for 2019. The only movie beating it is On the Basis of Sex, but that's because the message in that movie was so personal and important to me. So, depth won out but this movie was a lot more fun.

Art: 8/10. This isn't what you would call an excellent movie, but it was so much fun in terms of story (in particular characters) and seeing them come to life. There wasn't anything necessarily bad. It was a little CGI cheesy in a couple of places but it didn't overshadow the good.

Acting: 5/6. The adults were what you'd expect. They were even a little over the top. The kids were really good, especially the lead actor. Regardless of which actor it was, no one pulled me out of the film.

Music: 3/4. The music had influence but, like most other movies of today, I don't remember what it sounded like.

Filming: 3/4. Okay, plenty of skyline shots and some others that celebrated Philadelphia. The absolute shot that I fell in love with and seeing it on film made it just as good (it's in the trailer) is when he jumps off the roof and transforms mid-flight. It's CGI, but it was really, really well done. And put into the story context, felt pretty significant.

Art Dept: 3/4. One of the sets felt really lived in. The other ones didn't stick out but they weren't bad either.

Editing: 3/4. This was basic fare for editing. Nothing stood out, but this is one of those thankless jobs that people usually notice you when you screw it up. That didn't happen here.

Story: 8/8. Okay, the meat of the movie. The characters in this movie are an absolute delight to watch. Given that he becomes a man but still a teen, I was worried that things might be a bit weird. But this movie is centered on loss and pulls all the right heart strings. This isn't a fantastic movie, but the characters more than make up for it.

Directing: 6/6. I LOVED this movie. It wasn't an excellent film, but the characters and acting made it really, really good. Well done, folks. Well done.

Production: 4/4. This movie was so worth seeing. A good idea and property to put on the big screen.

Orthodox thoughts (major spoilers):
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This movie was a little heavy-handed on the theme of family. But, it was felt. Billy Batson's chief goal is to find his birth mom. And he does but finds out that she didn't want him. He's hurt, but he takes it in stride and needs to get back to his "real" family. The idea of "worthiness" comes up often and we have a telling moment in the beginning where, when Billy meets the wizard (Shazam prime?), Billy says "I'm not pure of heart" and he really believes it. Compare that to Thad who struggles with worthiness and believes he is worthy. (Come to think of it, both are really children in men's bodies.)

So, where is Christ in this movie? On the topic of family, there's actually a verse that God "puts the lonely into families." Families are there for our benefit. At the same time, we live in a screwed-up world and things aren't as they should be. This movie points out both within the context of the same character. People who grow up in fallen families often find communities that they can belong to.

One question that I feel comes up is "How can a loving God let a world get so messed up." There's no clean answer. I don't have one so if you permit me, I'll ramble a bit. We can't talk about "loving" without talking about "free will". Often, when we feel hurt by God's apparent lack of action, it's in the fashion of something bad happens to someone and because God could prevent it and didn't, He can't be a loving God. To rephrase the question for the purpose of the discussion, why didn't God take away the offending party's freedom to act? The answer to that question is easier. If God takes away one person's freedom to act, He must also take away everyone else's. And that would be unloving. He has promised that at the Great Judgment (or perhaps better the Great Justice) that those who abused their power will receive their just due. Those with excess in their life will lose it; those with a shortage will gain. The Western Christian philosophy holds that there is one standard for everyone on which you will be judged. But in Eastern Christianity, God takes into account what each was given. For example, I was born a white male and economically well off. I've learned about Who God is, what He's like, and dove into theology. I will have a higher judgement on what I've done with my life because I've been given more. But if you take a homeless man abused by those in the church to the point he doesn't believe in God, he will have a lower judgment and more compassion. God may accept him with loving arms because he demonstrated the compassion of Christ without even knowing who Christ is. No one knows. We're simply called to do the best with what we have.

In respect to worthiness, there's a pretty straightforward application. When, from our heart, we believe that we deserve or should have certain things, status, or even feelings - God can't use us. But, when we're broken, when we have no design for things, status, or experiences - God can use us. In Western Christianity, there's this sense that either God is in complete control or that mankind is. Within Eastern Christianity, there's only synergy. To the degree we're willing to cooperate with God, that's the degree He'll work through us.

Anyway, some random thoughts that came up as I was thinking about this. Regardless if you agree or disagree, this was a fun movie and you should see it in theaters. Maybe with your own family or community :)