Djimon Hounsou is the last surviving member of the Council of Wizards, who finds himself and his chosen successor Billy Batson (Zachary Levu and Asher Angel) are about to be challenged by three daughters of Atlas. This uneven story which is interesting when focused on the kids in the so called family of Shazam, falters with overwhelming use of special effects which destroy the city of Philadelphia.
Almost like the three witches in Macbeth the three daughters boil up trouble for the Shazam family of kids. Except one Anthea (Rachel Zegler) who mingles with the family through a relationship with ‘Freddy’ (Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody). It all boils down to who will be in control by capturing and repairing what was broken in the first film.
Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren are the two villains, each waning to be number one and only working together when it suits their own ambition. But in a story with god like villains with quality performers like Liu and Mirren they become the focus that makes or breaks the script.
The kids are enjoyable as they battle these new villains and the special effects are impressive, as they are, in nearly all action films today. What is missing is a thoughtful response and plan on the part of the hero’s rather than more splashes of light (power) that are aimed at the other side.
Citizens Ball Park in Philadelphia is a solid background for the tree that grows inside, and Hounsou gets to appear in three different costumes reflecting a moment in time, they are perhaps the most interesting ideas in the script, but are not enough to reach out over the noise, light and explosions of the special effects which quickly become the stars of the feature.