Shazam and Billy - totally different characters

I really enjoyed this film but I never felt like Zachary Levi’s Shazam was Angel Asher’s Billy character in a BIG-style grownup body (with powers).

Billy was a sullen, wounded, introverted, too-cool-for-school moody teen with a sharp wit, whereas Shazam was a goofy, excitable, extroverted, happy-go-lucky, quippy 10-year old in a man-bod.

Now yes, I get that having the powers might make a cynical kid a bit more optimistic, but it was like they’d completely lobotomised the cynicism and soulful sadness from his brain turning him into Happy Adam Sandler.

Billy never smiled, Shazam permanently had a shit-eating grin.

I was wondering if I was missing some plot element that meant his personality would morph too, but when I saw the other foster kids turn into adults and retain their personalities I was sure it was a performance problem.

Levi simply didn’t play Billy - he needed to at least show some of the wounded cynicism in amongst the clowning, or the director should have sprinkled some of Shazam’s puppy-like qualities into Billy. Asher seemed sincere, Levi seemed like a stand-up comedian doing his first movie.

It didn’t sink the film, I still really liked it, but it was a quite a bum note in a otherwise pitch-perfect Superhero comedy.

Anyone else notice this?

Submitted October 23, 2021 at 12:31PM by Pumice1 https://ift.tt/3B1w5gs