“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” continues the story of teenage Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam (Zachary Levi)—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.
For in-depth thoughts on Shazam! Fury of the Gods, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Shazam! Fury of the Gods offers a pleasing uptick in quality over the already stellar accompanying Blu-Ray, delivering a real treat for those who can support the superior format. There is some really dazzling production design featured in the film which you can really appreciate even more with this transfer. There are a multitude of landscapes presented here with each location providing sumptuous detail that is exciting to explore. Even more so than the original film, this sequel ratchets up the amount of visual effects conjured up to create this world, but these elements are blended seamlessly into the frame. Any nagging digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or banding present on the Blu-Ray are eliminated with this 4K UHD disc.
Where this format really shines is in the use of Dolby Vision/HDR to elevate colors to miraculous heights when it comes to vibrancy. The healthy range of the color spectrum is never less than a joy to behold. Highlights in the film are more firmly defined with whites pure and balanced and no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the film taking place in shadows are clear and finely delineated. These black levels stay deep and inky with great detail throughout the presentation. Skin tones appear more natural and balanced throughout the ensemble. This 4K UHD presentation really improves on all fronts including strong gains in stability, clarity and color. Warner Bros. continues to treat their first-run titles with respect.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a very strong Dolby Atmos audio mix that does a more than capable job of bringing this epic story to life. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear, and it is never overwhelmed by any competing sounds. The height channels are put to the test just as you want from a big comic book film with characters flying overhead. There is pretty constant activity in the surrounds, but there is never difficulty delineating what each sound is trying to accomplish. This is a powerful track that provides all manner of destructive sound effects and a heroic score to keep you grounded in this reality. There is an onslaught of activity in the low end that flows through the room in a way you will not soon forget. All of the sounds are coming from the correct direction, and there are absolutely no technical issues with the track. This track is pretty great overall.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director David F. Sandberg provides a pretty decent commentary track in which he reflects on the production of the film, the conspiracy theories around the missing DC opening of the first film, the footage that was cut from this feature, abandoning ideas that were set up in the first film, the details behind casting certain people and more.
- Shazam! Let’s Make A Sequel: A great 25-minute behind-the-scenes featurette featuring the stacked cast and the creative team in which they discuss the pressure to make a worthy sequel, bringing new performers into the Shazam! family, the experience of wearing the costumes, the direction of Sandberg, notable cameos and more.
- The Rock of Eternity – Decked Out: A six-minute look at the revamped lair which went from a brooding locale to a teen dream with fun production design and more.
- Shazam! The Zac Effect: A four-minute piece with the cast and crew praising the lead performer and the energy he brings to the set.
- Sisterhood of Villains: An eight-minute piece which takes a look at the villainous women who get to join this universe and the response from everyone on set.
- Shazam! Scene Deconstruction: A ten-minute featurette which takes a step by step approach to breaking down a scene into small parts which allows you to see what an undertaking certain moments are to realize.
- Mythology of Shazam! Fury of the Gods: A five-minute look at why the creative team decided to incorporate elements of Greek mythology rather than directly tackling any particular comic book characters for the villains of the sequel.
- Shazamily Reunion: A five-minute featurette which looks at the bond between the cast members on set and how they have become a real family.
- Deleted Scenes: A 31-minute collection of unused footage is provided here which provides some entertaining moments, but, as Sandberg says in the intro, the movie is already quite long so it makes sense that not all of this could stay in. Worth a watch for fans!
Final Thoughts
Shazam! Fury of the Gods feels like a film overshadowed by the circumstances of its release. The DCEU is taking its last breaths as we know it, the finger-pointing about the film’s box office failures have been in full force, and the lead performer practically imploded on social media. This is disappointing, as the film itself is actually pretty good. Not fantastic, but better than many superhero films in the past few years. The character probably did not have to go as large-scale as this particular story made him go, as he functions much better in an intimate capacity, but the plot is engaging and the characters keep you entertained. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a top-tier A/V presentation and a great selection of special features. If this is his last outing in this form, we will miss him, but we are glad to have gotten two solid movies out of him. Recommended
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on May 23, 2023. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.