Tag: ZacharyLevi

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Learning how to juggle the superhero powers that were bestowed upon them at the the end of 2019’s Shazam!, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and the rest of his foster siblings (Grace Caroline Currey, Jack Dylan Grazer, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen and Pedro Peña) are enjoying their alter egos (Zachary Levi, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona and Meagan Good) while looking after the people of their hometown. But when the Daughters of Atlas arrive on Earth in search of magic that was stolen from them long ago, the Shazam! team will be tested more than ever before.

I was a huge fan of first Shazam! film. To this day, I think it is one of the stronger entries in the DC universe with its found family trope, funny one liners and great ensemble cast. I remember wanting to be a part of this group and couldn’t wait for more. With many delays, the sequel Fury of the Gods finally hit theatres this weekend and I can say that it was mostly worth the wait.

Where the film excels is once again in the aspects that I appreciated so much the first time around. The cast, helmed by Levi, is top notch delivering many laugh out loud and heartwarming moments. As for the kids, while the focus was more on Freddy this time around, I feel like it fit with the overall story. We already know a lot about Billy, so it made sense for us to learn more about some of his siblings. I also really liked having Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler come to play as the villains. They completely owned their roles and Zegler, in particular, was a welcome treat that I hope we will have more of in the future.

With some pretty good CGI and never ending action, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a good time for the whole family. Sure, they try to cram in too much into the two hours and ten minutes and there are a lot of characters to keep track of this time around, but it is still true to its predecessor. The future of DC may be up in the air at the moment, but I do hope this isn’t the last we will see of these characters that we have come to know and love.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

The Mauritanian

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Tahar Rahim) has been detained and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for six years. Never actually charged for a crime, the government believed that he was involved in the events of 9/11. Defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) work together with military prosecutor Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) to uncover the truth of this conspiracy to hopefully set Mohamedou free.

The Mauritanian is not a movie that I would normally gravitate towards. This one spoke to me however, not only because of it’s impressive cast, but because it is based on a true story. Prior to watching, I had only heard bits and pieces of Mohamedou’s story. I never expected to be so deeply impacted by it when I learned more of the details. Despite having seen it a few days ago now, it is still at the forefront of my mind.

Watching this was, at times, difficult to watch. It is not to be taken lightly. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around what was unfolding in front of me. How could one man go through so much and for something that he didn’t even do? I couldn’t believe it and I’ll admit it made me emotional many times. It really goes to show just how unfair the system is.

Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch all gave outstanding performances. The additions of Zachary Levi as Stuart’s friend Neil and David Flynn as Kent, I was immediately transported into the past. Sometimes I forgot I was watching a movie because of how organic it was. The nominations (and wins) that they have received so far are 100% deserved. I only hope this will continue to be the case as the award season continues.

The Mauritanian was an eye opening movie for me. I’m always hesitate to dive into more serious genres but getting out of my comfort zone is important. This was a piece of history that I will never forget and I urge you all to check it out for yourselves.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥