VERDICT
HOME CINEMA CHOICE SEPTEMBER 2019
'Don't keep touching it,
I'll run out of batteries!'
Wham, bam, Shazam!
This DC body-swap superhero fl ick keeps things small-scale but ups the fun-factor
Originally known as Captain Marvel before DC
changed the name for obvious reasons, the Shazam
comics tell the story of a kid who transforms into a
super-powered adult when he says the magic word.
This fi lm adaptation essentially plays like a
superhero version of the Tom Hanks fl ick Big, and
keeps the action smallscale after the epic battles
of Aquaman. It also retains that fi lm’s lighter touch,
making this enjoyable romp the perfect antidote to
the doom and gloom of the ‘Snyderverse’.
An excellent cast is headed up by Asher Angel
as Billy Batson, and Zachary Levi as his grown-up
alter-ego. The always reliable Mark Strong is on
villain duties, and there’s even a cameo by the Man
of Steel (from the chest down at least). Fast-paced
and funny, and one of the best DC fi lms to date.
Picture: The 4K disc off ers a cracking image that
retains the fi lm’s 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio.
The fi lm was shot at a resolution of 3.4K, but
appears to have been fi nished using a 2K DI.
While not a vast improvement in detail
compared to the accompanying
1080p BD, close-ups, costumes
and street scenes all appear more
defi ned. And as you’d expect from
a modern production, the image
is clean and free of artefacts.
Where this Ultra HD platter
is clearly superior to its Full HD
counterpart is in terms of« Shazam! contrast and colour, thanks to an excellent Dolby
Vision grade. Blacks are rendered with inky depths
but remain free of crush, resulting in detailed
shadows. Specular highlights are equally impressive,
especially when Shazam shoots lightning from his
hands. However, it’s the colours that really pop,
particularly the hero's red and yellow costume.
Audio: The 4K and 1080p discs boast the same
heroic Dolby Atmos soundtrack that puts the
exclamation mark into Shazam!, cleverly weighting
the eff ects to give greater impact whenever he's
onscreen. So early scenes have a relatively subdued
mix, with nice atmospherics, a balanced score and
clear dialogue. But whenever our hero transforms, the
sound design is dialled up to eleven. All the channels
are actively engaged, including the overheads, and
the resulting hemisphere of sound immerses you in
set-pieces like the bus accident. The LFE track
is liberally employed to give the action more
slam, but it’s also used to excellent comic
eff ect as Billy and his brother test the limits
of Shazam’s powers. It's a great example
of sound design making sense within the
narrative structure.
Extras: All extras are included on the
1080p Blu-ray, and it’s a decent haul.
Five featurettes run over 50 minutes in
total and cover the production in some
detail. There’s also a gag reel, a fun
motion comic, and nearly 40 minutes
of deleted/alternate scenes with
optional director's intros. SWShazam!
« Warner Bros.
« Ultra HD Blu-ray & All-region
BD « £25
WE SAY: This DC fl ick looks and
sounds super thanks to electrifying
HDR and kick-ass Atmos.Movie:
Picture:
Audio:
Extras:
OVERALL:4K
ULTRA
HD