‘LEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters’ VOD Review
Stars: Sean Astin, Troy Baker, Nolan North, Grey Griffin, Christina Milizia, James Arnold Taylor, Imari Williams, Fred Tatasciore, Ralph Garman, Zach Callison, Dee Bradley Baker, Jennifer Hale, Tom Kenny, Jonny Rees, Erica Lindbeck, Josh Keaton | Written by Jeremy Adams | Directed by Matt Peters
Running for almost as long as the DC traditional animated movies, the LEGO DC Super Heroes series – which was originally spun off from the cut scenes from the LEGO Batman games – is back for a new installment entitled LEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters which, for the first time, focuses on Shazam. In fact this is the first time one of the characters NOT in the traditional Justice League line-up is the lead of a LEGO animated movie. After all we’ve had Batman, Superman, The Flash and Aquaman, so it only makes sense for Shazam – the star of a successful DCEU live-action movie, to get his due in LEGO form.
As I’ve said before, and no doubt will say again, by now LEGO and DC’s animated movie are well into their stride, and both the filmmakers and the audience knows what what works and what doesn’t in this particular slice of the DC universe – and the audience, given the success of both the big-screen movies and DC’s TV line-up, are more than familiar with the characters – which means these films can have even more fun with the concept. They can, by now, also tie there films together in the same way the movies do – in fact this LEGO DC movie was teased in a credit sequence in 2019’s LEGO Batman: Family Matters.
LEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters sees Shazam come to the attention of the Justice League: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, etc. who invite the earnest do-gooder to join the team. But to become a member, Billy must reveal his true identity. While fighting off the evil Mr. Mind and Black Adam, Billy learns that he must trust others – and that nothing creates trust like helping those in need…
Along with Shazam, who’s making his first DC LEGO animated movie appearance, there are a variety of new characters here, both hero and villain – including the likes of female Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, Manbat, Mister Mind (who also made an appearance at the end of the live-action Shazam) and even a whole “Monster Society of Evil” (as seen in the old pre-Shazam, Captain Marvel comics), all wrapped up in the usual kid-friendly tale that these LEGO animated movies are known for. Yes, the more cynical edge of the Shazam movie is gone here, which means this may be a little too clean-cut for grown-ups, however the sense of wonderment that was always a mainstay of Billy Batson/Shazam is present and correct here, making this more loyal to the original comic than the movie ever was.
LEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters is available on Digital HD now from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film comes to Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on June 16th 2020.
