Is Shazam! Fury of the Gods safe for kids? Is Shazam! Fury of the Gods OK for children? Read the Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide and mom review of the all-new Shazam 2 DC Super Hero film sequel from Warner Bros., starring Zachary Levi. No spoilers! #ShazamFuryoftheGods May contain commissioned links.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide
Does lightning strike twice for DC?
Of all of the DC super hero films, I have to admit that Shazam is probably my favorite. But knowing DC’s history of ruining solid films (cough, cough Wonder Woman 1984), I certainly had my doubts that Shazam! Fury of the Gods would pull through as a strong DC sequel.
But can this diamond in the rough super hero save the DC Universe from itself? In this Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, I’m breaking down the visuals, the story, a full PG-13 age rating explanation for violence, adult themes and language, and what kids’ age recommendation is suggested to watch in this new 2023 Shazam Fury of the God parents guide to the new DC super hero Shazam 2 sequel film. A no-spoiler parent review of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, does Zachary Levi Sham-WOW us once again? Or is it time to hang up the cape?
The Visuals
Holy CGI, Batman! From gods to monsters to downtown Philadelphia, Shazam! Fury of the Gods really steps up the CGI technology for this Shazam sequel. But as big and bad as the visuals are for Shazam 2, it’s almost to the movie’s detriment. Bigger is not always better as CGI monsters and landscapes overshadow the story – with no real purpose other than “hey, DC can make creepy, cool looking monsters.”
Photosensitivity Warning. With strong CGI and a super hero who can conjure lightning – yeah, you’d better believe that there are multiple scenes of flashing lights, along scenes in darkness that could be triggering for viewers with seizure sensitivity.
The Story
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” stars returning cast members Zachary Levi (“Thor: Ragnarok”) as Shazam; Asher Angel (“Andi Mack”) as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer (“It Chapter Two”) as Freddy Freeman; Adam Brody (“Promising Young Woman”) as Super Hero Freddy; Ross Butler (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as Super Hero Eugene; Meagan Good (“Day Shift”) as Super Hero Darla; D.J. Cotrona (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”) as Super Hero Pedro; Grace Caroline Currey (“Annabelle: Creation”) as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary; Faithe Herman (“This Is Us”) as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen (“A Dog’s Journey”) as Eugene Choi; Jovan Armand (“Second Chances”) as Pedro Pena; Marta Milans (“White Lines”) as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews (“The Walking Dead”) as Victor Vasquez; with Djimon Hounsou (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Wizard.
Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”), with Lucy Liu (“Kung Fu Panda” franchise) and Helen Mirren (“The Hundred-Foot Journey”).
A sequel to the 2019 Shazam film, Billy and his family take on a new set of villains as Shazam! Fury of the Gods builds upon the DC mythology. Billy grapples with growing up, along with being a super hero leader, foster kid trauma, and family acceptance. And honestly, this is where the story loses it’s magic.
Light on the jokes, the teenage tropes and the lighthearted DC super hero fun that Zachary Levi brought in 2019, Shazam! Fury of the Gods felt a little too long, a little too “sequel-ly,” a little too product placement ad, a little too DC Universe expected. Somewhere between flawed one-note villains, heavy CGI monsters, disjointed action sequences, and unrealistic character relatability, Shazam has lost that lovin’ feelin’. Not quite the same sentiment that I had for the first Shazam.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods PG-13 Rating Explained
Is Shazam! Fury of the Gods safe for kids? For me, the 2019 Shazam film was a little too vulgar, a little too foul, a little too scary and graphic for a DC super hero film. Should we expect even more from Shazam 2? It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). And as we know, not all movie and TV age ratings are the same.
As a parent, it’s been rather heartbreaking to witness how ratings have shifted over the years with a G-rating no longer an option. PG ratings now oscillating between Turning Red intense to Christopher Robin calm, and even PG-13/TV-14 age ratings teetering on the edge of R or MA ratings (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Werewolf by Night, I see you!), there’s a wide range between the age of 0-13 years old for parents to consider. Having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or show is kid friendly – and safe for the whole family to watch together.
Why is Shazam! Fury of the Gods rated PG-13? In this Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, this 2023 Shazam 2 sequel film is rated PG-13 for “sequences of action, language, violence.” With film and TV ratings also unpredictable these days, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or television show like Shazam 2 is kid friendly. Is Shazam! Fury of the Gods too scary for kids? Let’s breakdown that PG-13 age rating in this Shazam! Fury of the Gods parents guide.
Violence/Suspense. Overall, I would say that Shazam! Fury of the Gods toned down the violence and suspense for this sequel when compared to the original. Nothing quite as intense as the board room scene, but one scene with a graphic impaling. Mild blood and gore, use of weapons, possessed-looking people, scary monsters, fight sequences, death and implied death, and torture also present.
Adult Themes. Also happy to see that the sexual innuendo is also calmed down for this sequel. Adult themes for Shazam! Fury of the Gods include discussion of mental health, foster child trauma, bullying, potty humor (nothing shown), one reference to “vaping on TikTok,” and one scene of implied hangover (no alcohol consumed).
FYI, the MPAA did not disclose ANY sexual content in their rating – yet here we are. Sexual content in Shazam! Fury of the Gods includes one reference to “chlamydia,” one reference to being “gay,” shirtless man pic in magazine, one reference to “pimping,” hugging, holding hands, and one kiss. Again, overall Shazam 2 has LESS adult themes than the original film.
Language. Overall, Shazam 2 is about the same level of foul language – maybe slightly less vulgar that the original Shazam. Curse words/swear words include 1 “d!cks,” 3 “@ss,” 1 “@sshole,” 4 “sh!t,” 2 “g-d damn,” 5 “H-E-double-hockey sticks,” 1 “mother f—” (cut off), and 1 “holy sh–” (cut off).
Other mild insults and bad language phrases include “suck balls,” “sucks,” “idiot,” “screw it,” “shut up,” “freak out,” “geeze,” “fart,” “Oh my g-d,” “g-d darn,” “oh my gosh,” and “holy moly.”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie Age Rating for Kids
At a runtime of 2 hours 10 minutes, Shazam 2 is a little on the lengthy side for a DC super hero film. Throw in a fractured story, heavy mythology back story, heavy dialogue, less humor, less action, and one-note villains, this is not a WOW Shazam sequel for kids.
But kids who loved the first Shazam movie will be entertained – but not at the same level as the first film. Overall Shazam! Fury of the Gods is MORE kid friendly than the original 2019 Shazam film, with less innuendo, less bad language and less graphic violence.
Shazam 2 is comparable to Black Adam and the original 2019 Shazam film.
The 2023 DC Super Hero sequel film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is rated PG-13 for “sequences of action, language, violence” by the MPAA.
Yes, 2 end credit scenes! Stay in your seats DC Universe fans, because Shazam 2 has one mid credit scene and 1 end credit scene that your family will want to stick around for.
Based on my Shazam! Fury of the Gods parents guide and mom review above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend Shazam! Fury of the Gods to kids younger than the age of 11-12 years old.
Considering the full PG-13 rating breakdown above, this parent movie reviewer would not recommend Shazam! Fury of the Gods to kids younger than the age of 11-12 years old. This Shazam! Fury of the Gods PG-13 rating is pretty spot on and easily comparable to the 2019 Shazam movie and Black Adam.
Overall, I would say that Shazam! Fury of the Gods is more kid friendly than the original – with less language, less violence, and less adult themes when compared to the original. I still recommend parents to prescreen Shazam 2 for multiple adult innuendos, language, and graphic super hero violence.
The Overall
It was better than what I was expecting for a Shazam sequel. But honestly, that’s not saying much. Does lightning strike twice for Shazam! Fury of the Gods? Well, not exactly. But I could certainly “taste the sequel.”
Big plot holes, flawed villains, unrealistic continuity, disjointed action, and a detachment from the original, unique, sarcastic but funny Billy we fell in love with, Shazam! Fury of the Gods doesn’t quite connect the dots for me. An overall decent, watchable sequel (especially when compared to certain DC Universe failures), but Shazam lost some of his magic.
Follow Shazam! Fury of the Gods on social media:
- Website: https://www.dc.com/shazam
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShazamMovie/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShazamMovie
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ShazamMovie/
- #ShazamFuryoftheGods
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Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the all-new 2023 DC Super Hero sequel film is flying into theaters starting Friday March 17, 2023. Will your family be watching?
I was invited to screen the 2023 Shazam 2 sequel film in exchange for this Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide. All photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!
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