Rocksteady extends its Batman Arkham universe with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, pitting players, in the roles of DC’s comic book villains, against its legendary heroes.

Taking a group of character-controlled B-list DC characters and putting them up against the top-tier members of the Justice League is either arse-backwards or a very ballsy move on Rocksteady’s part. To be fair, it’s the same sort of bravado that blew up in Warner’s face with the first Suicide Squad movie but paid dividends the second time around.

The game starts with the motley crew of Joker’s ex-girlfriend Harley Quinn, the assassin Deadshot, Australian Captain Boomerang and the walking fish King Shark getting recruited into Amanda Waller’s Task Force X. They have a special mission. The extra-terrestrial villain, Brainiac has taken over Metropolis, killing millions. The Justice League have also fallen to Brainiac and now do his bidding. As you can guess, it’s up to the Suicide Squad to kill the Justice League.

Unlike the Batman Arkham games that preceded it, Suicide Squad isn’t just a single-player narrative adventure game, instead, it’s a co-op live service game. You can still play it solo, but the intent is that the game is played with others with new content continuously pumped at players. Like Fortnite, Sea of Thieves and other successful games that utilise this format, premium content and battle passes create an ongoing revenue flow for the publisher. Players can still, however, continue to play the game for free without the extras.

It’s been a very lucrative genre for some publishers, but an absolute disaster for others, The Avengers and that mother-of-all-failures, Anthem, for example. It’s still too early to call for Suicide Squad, but the game’s story and very well realised game world give it an advantage.

The writing is faultless, the way the members of the Suicide Squad are portrayed is spot on. King Shark is a fish out of water, Captain Boomerang is a self-serving prick, Harley Quinn is suitably maniacal and Deadshot is conflicted. They are all under the command of Amanda Waller, played equally psychotically by Jedi Survivor’s Debra Wilson. The game draws on James Gunn’s slightly madcap take on the gang, allowing the game to deliver some laugh-out-loud moments.

The gameplay is mission-based, with players traversing the vast city of Metropolis. The city is meticulously detailed, offering some vertical gameplay. All over the city, Brainiac’s legion of monsters are all vying for a fight, it’s almost impossible to get to a destination without a skirmish on the way.

Locomotion is a big part of the game, with each character having a unique way of getting about. Harley Quinn has Batman’s grapple, aimed by a drone to give her abilities akin to Spider-man’s web-swinging. Captain Boomerang uses a device based on The Flash’s powers to travel almost instantly to a destination, King Shark can jump and Deadshot has a jetpack.

The character’s inspired abilities make combat entertaining and sometimes exhilarating. Timed attacks and breaking shields using weapon combos mix things up. The game has a looter-shooter element like the Borderlands games, meaning that you are always swapping out your equipment to gain an advantage.

The fetch quests are punctuated by confrontations with members of the Justice League, propelling the story. Unfortunately, it is the story that carries the game, particularly a worry as it is the gameplay that live service games rely on for continued success.

As well as the story, game visuals are the other standout. As with all the Batman Arkham games, Kill the Justice League looks amazing. The characters all look superb, maintaining the aesthetics of the series and giving the comic-book setting a real-world feel. The return of characters and villains from the previous games and some new ones from the DC comics, reimagined for this new game, add a bit of fan service. Metropolis swaps the gothic look of Gotham City for a futuristic cityscape, albeit one that has suffered at the hands of Brainiac’s invasion.

I still can’t get over feeling that this game has been forced on me, that the suits at Warners knew this was a game we didn’t want. We wanted a Justice League game, but we were not going to get it.

I’m not saying that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a bad game- it is not at all. The story, the characters, the setting, and the combat all mesh nicely into a game that’s fun to play with friends or solo. But I still feel it’s a wasted opportunity and worry about the game’s longevity as a live service game.

At best, the game is an interesting and entertaining take on the DC universe. At worst Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a game that draws upon a failed movie and its much better sequel, relying on the goodwill of the Arkham games whilst irreverently mining the legacy of DC’s iconic heroes.

The post Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Life incarcerated or life on the line, for the DC super villains, placing their life in danger for a reduced sentence seems to be the best option.

Warner Bros has just released Suicide Squad 2 (aka The Suicide Squad). An anti-superhero sequel that sees baddies do good things. But not by choice.

They are implanted with an explosive device that can be triggered at anytime by their enforcer, the steely cold s Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) who is the director of A.R.G.U.S. in charge of the Task Force X program.

Suicide Squad 2 sees a new Squad assembled together with Weasel, Captain Boomerang, T.D.K, Savant, Javelin and lead by Col. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman).

But should things go awry there’s a back up that also includes Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) along with Peacemaker (John Cena), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Rat Catcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) and Bloodsport (Idris Elba).

There’s unrest on the South American island of Corto Maltese where a military Dictator Mateo Suárez (Joaquín Cosío) has taken rule of the nation, murdering the prior ruling family dynasty.

This new Governance is fiercely anti-America and this has the US authorities worried and the only way to infiltrate this new regime is to locate The Thinker (Peter Capaldi) and team up with local rebel fighters.

But there’s more going on on this island with an extraterrestrial twist.

The humor, action is resumed, if not ramped up in this sequel, mixed with blood and gore.

I still love the first Suicide Squad film (2016) and traditionally sequels don’t quite live up to their predecessor. Suicide Squad 2 bucks that trend and has the jump on the first film.

Loved. Go see it.

The post Suicide Squad 2 (Warner Bros. – 2021) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Todd McFarlane, one of the most iconic comic book artists of the late 20th century, has unveiled a brand-new DC Multiverse Batman action figure designed, created and produced by McFarlane and his award-winning McFarlane Toys company.

This new Batman action figure is inspired from the mind of Todd McFarlane.  McFarlane has created a new never-before-seen before version of Batman’s costume.  It features a Black Cape and Cowl, comes with two swords, a base, and includes a collectible art card with Todd McFarlane’s Batman artwork on front and character biography on the back.  The incredibly detailed 7-inch scale figure is designed with McFarlane Toys’ signature “Ultra Articulation” with up to 22 moving parts for a full range of posing and play.

In the 1980s, Todd McFarlane began drawing Batman professionally, working on the classic storyline “Batman: Year Two” in Detective Comics, and creating iconic artwork, including his dynamic cover for Batman #423. Todd went on to become a titan of the comic book industry but has always had an affinity for Batman.

“Batman has always been my favorite character- excluding Spawn,” said McFarlane, creative force and CEO of McFarlane Toys. “I’ve always liked the fact that Batman has no superpowers. When it comes down to it, he’s just a dude in a costume trying to combat evil. Conceivably, if Batman were in a huge battle in space, without any of his gadgets and tech, he could potentially die, unlike Superman. I’ve always had an affinity for Batman, and it’s an honor to design a brand new version of a Batman figure for all fans and collectors.”

McFarlane Toys is also bringing collectors and fans a brand-new collector program. With the launch of the new Batman figure by Todd McFarlane, McFarlane Toys has announced its new McFarlane Gold Label Collection Series that will feature characters from your favorite pop-culture and entertainment brands.

All figures released in the McFarlane Gold Label Collection will be highly limited and showcased in limited- edition packaging with a McFarlane Toys Gold Label Collection printed in foil. Look for more McFarlane Toys Collector Series announcement coming soon.

The McFarlane Gold Label Collection Batman by Todd McFarlane figure will be available for pre-order in mid-Oct at Walmart.com.  The figure is exclusive to Walmart but will be available at select international specialty retailers. The retailer release date is January 2021.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and it’s contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post Todd McFarlane Designs Brand New Batman Action Figure appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s open season on Harley Quinn as she breaks away from The Joker and begins a path of chaos on her own.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ release of Birds of Prey based on DC characters follows Harley (Margot Robbie) as she progressively sets out on her own to make her own brand of fear as a super villain. The once girlfriend and sub of The Joker breaks her ties to the maniacal clown, but as word gets out around Gotham she also loses the protection that the affiliation once offered.

Finding herself on the vengeful end of nearly every no-gooder and super villain in the dark city, Harley trips and stumbles many times as she aims build her own reputation.

It’s not too long before she comes to the attention of Roman Sionis aka Black Mask (Ewen McGregor) a mafia-like lord who pretty much owns Gotham.

With a penchant for peeling off faces, Harley is next on his list.

But the always quick witted Quinn offers a deal. If she can get his stolen diamond back Roman will allow her to live… Not entirely convinced on her potential do what she claims she will Roman at the same time offers out a bounty on Harley and the diamond’s retrieval.

Introduce Cassandra Cain, a pocket pinching teenager (Ella Jay Basco), Renee Montoya a former Detective (Rosie Perez), a singing siren Dinah Lance aka Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a crossbow / martial arts expert hell bent on her own path of revenge against Roman and a pet hyena called Bruce – Harley has her crew, the Birds of Prey.

As expected the film is one fiercely funny ride of Harley humour coupled with high action sequences.

Birds of Prey does an exceptional job of keeping the character Harley Quinn in to her own. There were a couple of times where I thought the film was alluding to Harley being a good guy – but no, it was a means to an end, and Harley, a mercenary is neither good or bad – she is her own brand of destruction.

A fully enjoyable film I’d see again and again.

The post Birds of Prey (Warner Bros. – 2020) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Faster than a speeding bullet, Xmas 2019 is going to be here before you can say ‘holy cow, Batman’.

Factory Entertainment have both licensed metal diecast DC Kuzos and revolutionary licensed pop vinyl figures called REVO’s which are the right size to fit into any Santa Stocking.

STG received a couple of REVO’s and DC Kuzos to give them the once over.

DC Kuzos – Batarang and Wonder Woman Sword and Shield Steel Collectible

First up, the DC Kuzos are a highly collectible metal mini weapon from the DC Universe.

From Batman’s Batarang, Wonder woman’s Shield and Sword, covering the entire franchise in miniature finely cut and crafted detail.

Perfectly ideal for the DC mad kinds, or man-child’s in the household – Factory Entertainment also have a glass display cabinet where you can show off your DC Kuzos to the inevitably envious friends.

DC Kuzos – Aquaman Steel Collectible

We all know of Pop Vinyl figures. They have exploded and are everywhere in local comic stores through to your Video Gaming retailers.

But what the Pop Vinyls we see everywhere don’t do – the REVOs definitely do.

Smaller yet more functional each REVO is detailed to the particular character or franchise that their license is derived from.

Covering DC Comics through to infamous and iconic classic films the REVO vinyl figures have an oval base that gives them a bit of motion – for example if you are to display in your car – the REVO figure will sit flat and rock around as you drive.

Spin them, flick them around or just have them sit stationary on your collectors shelf.

If you are a serious collector of either DC Comic memorabilia or Pop Vinyl figures, or you know someone who is near and dear to you who is – then Factory Entertainment has you sorted.

The post Factory Entertainment’s DC Kuzos & REVOs – Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

This has to be one of the most impressive statues I have ever seen.

The Kryptonian destroyer is most famous for killing Superman in the death of Superman Graphic Novel, he stands a monstrous 69cms tall. 

Sideshow’s Doomsday Maquette, will spell certain doom to the heroes of the DC universe. Has the Justice League finally met their match? 

Doomsday stands astride a rubble environment base littered with relics from the valiant heroes who have fallen in his wake. Wonder Woman’s sword, Aquaman’s trident, and Batman’s cowl all serve as trophies at Doomsday’s feet while a number of Batarangs are embedded into his chest and shoulders. In his right hand he clutches the fabric tatters of Superman’s cape, which includes internal wiring for posing and can be removed from the figure.

On his left hand, the villain has forced an inert Green Lantern ring onto his finger in a brutal display of force.

Doom is most definitely coming for the heroes of the DC Universe… you can grab yours HERE.

The post Doomsday Statue Overview appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

DC’s Shazam! has hit theatres. And I’ve heard good things. The big screen adventures of young Billy Batson and his adult alter-ego, Captain Marvel…I mean Shazam, seems to be a welcome addition to DC’s cinematic stable.

The legacy of the movie’s hero, however, is one of the most fascinating bits of comic-book history.

Originally published by Fawcett Comics, Captain Marvel followed the adventures of Billy Batson, who by shouting Shazam! (derived from the legendary beings that granted Captain Marvel’s abilities: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury). Captain Marvel was soon joined by Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. to complete the Marvel Family.

Captain Marvel was a contemporary of Superman, and, at one time written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the same duo responsible for Captain America. Even though more popular that the last son of Krypton, it wasn’t a super-villain that defeated Captain Marvel, it was DC Comics (then called Detective Comics).

DC claimed that Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman. This may seem odd today with thousands of caped super-heroes, but back then the similarities were very real. Fawcett settled, paying DC (who by this time were now National Comic Publications) the sum of $400,000. Fawcett also agreed to cease publication of Captain Marvel’s adventures.

Meanwhile, across the pond in England, L. Miller and Son had been reprinting Fawcett’s line of Captain Marvel comics, including the rest of the Marvel Family. With the lack of original Captain Marvel stories after the DC lawsuit, the British publisher hired Mick Anglo to continue the stories.

Captain Marvel was renamed Marvelman and the name of his youthful alter-ego changed from Billy Batson to Micky Moran. Captain Marvel Jr. became Young Marvelman and Mary Marvel was gender-switched into Kid Marvelman. Instead of shouting SHAZAM, Marvelman shouted Kimota (atomic backwards). The UK’s Marvelman ceased publication in 1963.

A decade later, back in the US, DC Comics, in an ironic turn, licenced Captain Marvel from Fawcett and added the veteran character to their line-up. In a poetic twist, Marvel Comics objected to DC using the Captain Marvel name. This forced DC to remove Captain Marvel from the title, with the book published as Shazam! The World’s Mightiest Mortal.

In 1967, Marvel comics published their own Captain Marvel, the Kree warrior Mar-Vell. Mar-Vell died of inoperable cancer in Marvel Comic’s first large-format graphic novel “The Death of Captain Marvel”. Mar-Vell is one of the few comic-book characters to stay dead.

Of course, others would take up that mantel of Marvel’s Captain Marvel, most notably Carol Danvers – the incarnation of Captain Marvel adapted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Interestingly, in the comics, Carol Danvers, as Ms. Marvel, got her powers stolen from her by Rogue, later of the X-Men.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics would continue to publish their respective Captain Marvel comics.

Back in England, in 1982, the legacy of the original Captain Marvel was going to take its biggest twist. Dez Skinn, the former editor-in-chief of Marvel UK, founded his own publishing company, Quality Communication and started publishing the award-winning anthology comic magazine, Warrior. As well as Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, Warrior also featured a rebooted Marvelman.

Just how Dez Skinn obtained the rights to Marvelman is the subject of controversy. L. Miller and Son had gone out of business decades before. Whilst Skinn maintained he purchased the rights from the British receiver’s office, in reality he probably did no such thing. But more on that later.

Legendary Comic book writer Alan Moore was keen to continue the adventures of Marvelman. In typical edgy 1980s fashion, the Marvelman revival began with an overweight, middle-aged Micky Moran who, as the result of an explosion years before, had totally forgotten about his super-hero alter-ego. Save for a dream of flying.

Warrior folded after 26 issues, leaving the Marvelman story unfinished. Whilst its stablemate, V for Vendetta, would eventually be reprinted and completed by DC Comics, Marvelman ended up with Pacific Comics, who folded a few months later, and was subsequently picked up by Eclipse Comics.

Eclipse Comics reprinted the original black and white Marvelman stories from Warrior in a more conventional American comic. To avoid legal issues with Marvel Comics, Marvelman became Miracleman. From issue 7 of Miracleman, Eclipse began to publish new material written by Alan Moore and drawn by Chuck Austen.

Artists Rick Veitch and John Totleben would join Alan Moore on the title following Austen’s departure. The trio would later go on to do great things together with DC’s Swamp Thing.

The rights to Miracleman were split between the publisher and the creative team.

From issue 17, Neil Gaiman, writer of American Gods, and co-author of Good Omens, took over from Alan Moore with Mark Buckingham handling the art. In 1994, seven issues into Neil Gaiman’s run, Eclipse went under.

Todd McFarlane, co-founder of the ground-breaking creator-own publisher, Image Comics, brought the Eclipse back-catalogue for $25,000. This supposably included Miracleman, something that Neil Gaiman, citing the original Eclipse publisher/creator right split, disagreed with.

For over a decade the rights to Miracleman were subject to a legal tug-of-war between McFarlane and Gaiman. It was another twist to the Captain Marvel legacy, out of the blue, that would settle the argument.

Whilst comicbook legends Todd McFarlane and Neil Gaiman fought over Miracleman in the courts, Marvel Comics flew over to England to talk to Mick Anglo, the “creator” of Marvelman / Miracleman. It seemed that Dez Skinn hadn’t sorted out the right issues surrounding the character back in the 1980s. Some say that he never even bothered trying to secure them, believing no one would care.

The sad truth of the matter is that for all the controversy and fighting over Miracleman, no one had contacted the man responsible for the character, nor have he received a cent from the revival.

Marvel Comics, in one final twist to the story, purchased the rights to Miracleman from Mick Anglo in 2009. To date, along with several reprints of the original 50s and 60s Marvelman comics, all the revived Miracleman stories have been republished by Marvel Comics. Later this year Marvel are rumoured to continuing the publication of Miracleman allowing Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham to conclude the story they left nearly twenty-five years ago.

In 2011 DC Comics officially renamed Captain Marvel, Shazam – putting to bed decades of litigation and controversy – leaving us, today, with three very different iterations of Captain Marvel.

The post The Shazam Legacy appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Now released worldwide, the blockbuster DC Dcomics, DC Films’ comedic action ride sees Zachary Levi take on the role of one of the most unlikely superhero’s, Shazam!

Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures, STG has a chat with the films Director; David F Sandberg, usually known for horror movies.

QUESTION: With Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, you’ve established yourself in the horror genre. What drew you to making a superhero movie, and specifically the origin story of Shazam?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Well, it was specifically the origin of Shazam—it’s the perfect superhero story. In this story, you have a little kid who gets the chance to be an adult superhero. And that was the perfect concept for it, because it’s the ultimate wish fulfillment with the joy of him discovering his powers.

QUESTION: Is it the kind of story that you, as a kid, would have loved?

DAVID SANDBERG: Absolutely. I was a big comic book fan as a kid, and I wanted to be Superman, and this is a kid that gets to pretty much be Superman.

David F. Sandberg

QUESTION: So how do you approach this genre, the superhero genre, differently from horror?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: It was a bit of a change. But I like all kinds of movies and I’m certainly familiar with other genres. For example, there’s a lot of humor in this movie, though I’ve tried to incorporate humor into my previous movies as well. It was also a great experience to be part of a movie like this on a bigger scale.

QUESTION: What do you think makes Shazam so compelling as a Super Hero?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Everyone can identify with the dream of being a superhero. But it’s also that Billy is a foster kid, and you feel very sympathetic towards him. He’s looking for his mom that he believes is still out there, still alive, when everyone else thinks he’s been abandoned. And he’s just trying to find hope and trying to find his family.

QUESTION: What do you think becoming Shazam does for Billy as a kid who, in the beginning, doesn’t have any connection to anyone?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: He learns to grow up and discovers what is really important in life, and ultimately realizes that family isn’t always about blood ties. Family can be rooted in more important things.

QUESTION: And does it give him a connection to another kid, Freddy?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Yes, Freddy, who absolutely loves superheroes. And that’s also great, because it would typically be expected in a standard narrative that the superhero expert would end up with the superhero capabilities. However, that is not the case in this story. But Freddy still enjoys the fact that he can be friends with a superhero. The boys together get to discover Billy’s powers.

QUESTION: Through that, does Billy open himself up to a friend for the first time?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Yes, and then the other kids eventually become his family, too.

QUESTION: Why is Zac perfect as Shazam?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Because Zac just feels like a big kid! [Laughs] We had quite an extensive search to find the right person for this role, and it was very important that everyone came in to audition. This is an interesting role as we expected a grown man to play as a kid. What I think a lot of people get wrong when they play kids is that they just act to lower the IQ. What Zac does is different – he plays more curious and more enthusiastic.

QUESTION: How did you work with Zac and Asher, who are essentially playing the same character, to create some continuity in their performances?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Zac and Asher already look similar, however we tried to find little commonalities they could share across their performances. It was actually kind of challenging because when we first meet Billy, he’s not the happiest person, and then when he becomes Shazam, he’s very happy. He’s dynamic. So, we had to try to find those little moments where we can actually bridge that gap.

QUESTION: How did you start off with Asher to create the Billy character, to give him the sort of sense of the background that the character has, because it is a serious situation for him in the beginning?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: It came pretty naturally to him; he nailed the more emotional beats right away.

QUESTION: It’s unusual to start a character arc with one actor, and you finish it with a different one.

DAVID F. SANDBERG: It is unusual, but it really works here. There is that worry that if audiences identify with one actor, will they then feel a disconnect when it’s a different actor? However, I don’t think that was ever an issue in this movie. It actually feels cohesive – like, no, it’s just Shazam.

QUESTION: Can you talk a little bit about some of the foster kids?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: We have a very diverse group of kids, which is really fun. We have little Darla, who’s the fast-talking, energetic little kid, and then the opposite, which is Pedro, who is more quiet and shy. Mary, who’s the brains of the family, and then Eugene, who’s a videogame fanatic. They’re typical kids who reflect society today, but more importantly they just make up a very great group of friends for Billy. The actors in these roles are great.

QUESTION: What about Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana—can you talk about working with him?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Yeah, I love that we could get Mark for this role, because he’s such a great actor. He always came prepared, which really shows in the finished product. He showed up every day, and he just nailed it on the first take every time. And it feels like he really enjoys being a bad guy.

QUESTION: And what about Djimon Hounsou as your wizard?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: He’s great. He’s such a powerful presence, which is great as the Wizard is literally very powerful.

QUESTION: Was it fun dreaming up ways to shoot the story?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Absolutely. It was fun just to go bigger. It’s great, because on a movie like this you can dream up almost anything, and it can become reality.

QUESTION: It’s not just the actors who have to use their imagination when you’re dealing with green screen, it’s everyone—you all have to imagine it?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: Yes, especially when it’s a completely CGI environment. Even just placing the cameras when you only have an actor in the space means the rest is up to imagination. So, I’d come up with cool stuff and then put my trust into our VFX team to create the world in the editing process. But fortunately, most of the production took place on real locations, or sets that we built. So, it was mostly just the flying sequences that took place on blue screen.

QUESTION: What were some of your more practical sets? 

DAVID F. SANDBERG: We did massive practical builds, like The Rock of Eternity, a carnival, the foster home and even a toy store in a mall. And our story takes place in Philadelphia, which is a fun city to replicate. I think it all comes together in a different way from other DC films.

QUESTION: There are a lot of stunts in a superhero movie, correct?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: There’s definitely some flying around. I actually tested it out myself as well. I went flying. I wanted to experience what we were putting our actors through.

QUESTION: What do you want audiences to get out of this experience of sitting in the theater watching this movie?

DAVID F. SANDBERG: It’s a really fun experience in every way, and not just because of the humor. It’s just a fun kind of old-school movie experience. My goal was for the film to have an `80s movie vibe, like The Goonies or Back to the Future. And I think we got pretty close to that, because even some people who have seen the trailer have been like, “Oh, it feels a little bit like a John Hughes movie or something.” For me, that’s a success!!

QUESTION: Thanks David for chatting with us here at STG, Shazam! is now at cinemas worldwide.

The post Interview w. David F Sandberg – Director of Shazam! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Shazam! is about to ignite movie theatre screens globally.

The DC Comic’s character sees a teenage boy get to grips with new found powers that turns him in to the adult sized, cape wearing, lightning blasting super hero, who at heart just wants a family.

Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures, STG has a sit down and chat with Zachary Levi, the actor who plays and stars in the DC Films’ Shazam.

Zachary Levi

QUESTION: You’re a self-professed nerd, so what’s this journey, playing Shazam, been like for you?

ZACHARY LEVY: The wish fulfillment that the movie is about is the same wish fulfillment that’s been in my own life. It’s so incredible. It’s so incredible to have loved superheroes and comics and videogames and all that stuff for so long, always dreaming like, “Oh, you know, maybe I’ll get a shot at playing a bona fide superhero one day.” And then being 37 and being like, “I don’t know. Maybe I missed my shot.” And now getting to do that. There were a couple of roles over the years that I wished I auditioned for, or that I came close to and I didn’t get. Then having gotten this role and having played this 14-year-old inside? I wouldn’t change it for anything. I feel like it was destined to be, because I’m just kind of a big man-child [Laughs] in a lot of ways. So, it worked out perfectly for me, and yeah, it’s just been very dreamy.

QUESTION: What are the attributes of Shazam that inspire you?

ZACHARY LEVY: His heart. Ultimately the Wizard chooses Billy Batson to be Earth’s mightiest mortal, Shazam, because of his heart, because of the strength and purity and depth of his heart, traits that even Billy doesn’t know he has. I love characters like that. I think we need more of them. I think that we need to be inspiring people to be more selfless and more thoughtful of their fellow man. And I just really love being able to bring those types of characters to life. I try to walk as upright as I can in life and try to do as much good in life as I can, and so I love that about him. But also, that he’s 14 and just gets to be kind of silly and young at heart. And then of course all of the actual superhero stuff, like super strength, and super speed, and flying and shooting electricity out of my hands!

QUESTION: He has a lot of cool powers.

ZACHARY LEVY: Yeah, he’s stacked! There are so many really fun things that—when you’re making the movie—require a lot of visual effects, which are done later. But just to imagine it, just in the moment when I was doing it, it was a lot of fun.

QUESTION: One of the things that’s unusual about this film is that there are two actors playing one character. How did you work that out with Asher Angel, who plays Billy, and your director David F. Sandberg?

ZACHARY LEVY: It was mostly with David because Asher was still shooting his television show when we were starting production on the movie. So, Ash and I got a couple of days of some meetings, having a meal, getting to know each other, and some rehearsals with David. And then he had to go and was shooting the show and I was making the movie, and then we were never really on set together. So then you’re trusting your director to be the connective tissue, to make sure it’s all there. But that’s what you’re doing with the director any time, because they’re the ones seeing all the pieces. We’re just there to provide what our services are at any given point. And Asher is such a great kid. So was Jack. I was so grateful to go and work with genuinely good, talented kids who’ve got good families, too. That was really a treat.

QUESTION: Jack Dylan Grazer plays Freddy who is really the perfect sidekick and the only way your character is going to learn about being Shazam.

ZACHARY LEVY: Oh, yeah, he’s like, you know, my little Yoda almost. He’s the real superhero aficionado, so he’s the one who knows about all of them and their powers. He has studied them. He’s enthralled with it all, whereas Billy’s sole purpose and drive in life is find my parents, find my parents, find my parents, and just surviving on the streets. He’s not tracking the superhero world as much as Freddy is, so to have that coach, that guy in my corner, teaching me the ropes and telling me about all the various things that these superheroes can do, or testing out different powers… I mean, there’s so much comedy in all of it and so much fun in all of that stuff. It was one of my favorite parts of doing the movie.

QUESTION: And Freddy is his first real friend, isn’t he?

ZACHARY LEVY: Yeah, basically, because Billy’s been kicking around in and out of foster care in different homes, running away and on the street. And this is the first family that he’s really kind of sticking around in a little bit and finding somebody who’s of the same age and a peer, and that they can bond over this thing, for sure.

QUESTION: Every superhero has to look like that they can kick anyone’s butt, so what was your training regimen like to look the part and to do all the stunts, too?

ZACHARY LEVY: I’m really grateful that nobody at Warner Bros., DC, New Line said you’ve got to be in a certain shape to do this, as far as physical appearance. But they did say they wanted to make sure that I could physically do all the things that they were going to need me to do, to which I was like, “Yeah, yeah, me too.” But beyond that, I also wanted to look as much the part as I could for just my own confidence and my own kind of journey as a man, and as an actor filling the shoes of this character. I wanted to go and have a transformation. So, I’ve been in the gym basically six days a week for certainly the last year, maybe even a little bit longer, 14 months or so, eating thousands and thousands of calories a day. That’s actually the hardest part of it. The gym I’m addicted to and I love, and I can’t wait to get to the gym every day. I just feel, even from a mental health perspective, it’s so healthy for you. I’m stronger and healthier than I’ve ever been in my life, lifting more and more, and getting more and more definition in my body. Going to the gym literally releases so many healthy endorphins and makes your head and your heart feel so much better. The entire transformation has been really, really awesome, and I keep going. I probably weigh about 220 pounds now, and I was 200 pounds when I started, so I put on about 20 pounds. Somehow, in the back of my mind, I always believed that I was going to get a job one day and they were going to pay me to get into the best shape of my life!

QUESTION: Shazam is not only the name of the character and the title of the film, but it’s the magic word that makes that transformation happen. If you could say a magic word in your real life, what would you want to happen?

ZACHARY LEVY: Oh gosh. I always take these questions way too seriously. But literally, if I could say a magic word and anything could happen, I would say a magic word and we would legitimately be at peace as human beings and we would feel love and empathy for one another all the way around the world. We would be free of our fears and our insecurities and not be dealing with the anger and the hate that comes from the fears that we deal with. I think that’s why we have all the problems that we have in the world right now, there’s just a lot of fear. And that fear is used by certain people to wield power, and even that is coming out of their own insecurities and fears. So, if I could snap my fingers or say a word, I would erase all of that.

QUESTION: That actually plays into the film’s storyline, with the Seven Deadly Sins and the villainous Dr. Sivana and what he wants.

ZACHARY LEVY: Oh, yeah. The depth of the themes in this movie were one of the things that I loved the most about it. As a spiritual person, getting to play a hero with a pure heart who is tasked with defeating sin is like, “Let’s do it! Let’s go take down Sloth and Greed and Envy and Pride and all of these things that are screwing with our heads and our hearts.” And what if we did that? What if we could do that? In a movie context, it’s great to be able to tell stories like that, but I want to be able to use this and the platform that comes with this movie to genuinely talk about that and to keep building empathy with people. If nothing else, I hope my life’s work is building bridges and building empathy and having people love more, because it’s pertinent and applicable all through time. It’s the human condition.

QUESTION: You have a unique connection to the people who love movies like this, because you are one of them. So, when you’re sitting in the audience with the fanboys, what do you want them to experience as they watch this movie? As the person who’s playing Shazam, but also as the guy who knows what fans want when they come to these movies?

ZACHARY LEVY: It’s pretty simple. I want them, and everyone, to walk away from this movie feeling joy. I want them to walk away from this movie going, “That was so fun and well-executed, and just a good—nay, not good, great—movie.” But from a very specific fanboy perspective, I want all those fanboys and fangirls to have felt considered and thought of and respected in how we tackle the source material and how we honour that source material. It’s a difficult thing to do, and I’ve had some social media conversations with some folks about some of this stuff. The character has been around for a really long time and it’s gone through many different iterations. You’ve got old-school fans of a somewhat different character than what Shazam is now. The original Billy would say “Shazam!” and literally turn into a man—he wasn’t a kid inside anymore. The wisdom of Solomon overtook all of that and he spoke like a man and he walked like a man and he was a man.

Now, to me it’s a much more interesting and dynamic character when he’s still a kid inside, and certainly a lot of fun to play. So, trying to get all of those different fans from many different generations all to be able to see what we’ve given them and say, “You know what? For all intents and purposes, they hit as many notes as they could for us, because they cared about us and they cared about the canon.” As a fan of a lot of different IPs or universes, when I go to a movie and I feel like they have just not cared at all about what the source was, I feel disrespected. So, I really hope that all the fanboys and fangirls will walk away from this going, “They busted their butts to try and make this as true to the heart of the character that we all liked and fell in love with.” Because we did.

****

Thanks Zachary for chatting to us, we have seen and loved the film. Shazam! releases worldwide at Cinemas on the 4th of April, 2019.

The post Shazam! Interview w. Zachary Levi appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From boy to superhero, to boy again. Shazam!

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a foster kid, a rebellious teenager who has run away from countless foster homes in search of his mother who abandoned him when he was a toddler at a Carnival.

He finds himself in a last ditch attempt by Social Services to place him in a home that is shared with an eclectic mix of kids and loving foster parents who were once runaways themselves.

But the teenage Billy has no idea what’s in store for him as he continues his attempts to locate his missing parents.

But this is not where the story begins. Years ago, another child; Thaddeus Sivana, who had a wealthy but cold and uncaring family, is warped in to a mystical realm where he must prove his worthiness before an aging Wizard.

The Wizard, called Shazam is growing weak with age. His powers need to be transferred to another, who is pure of heart, the keeper of the imprisoned Seven Deadly Sins. Unfortunately for the Wizard, the young Thaddeus has darkness within his being, he and many, many other kids over the years fail the test, and so Shazam continues on his quest to find his successor.

In steps Billy, the last hope and the eventual chosen one as the Wizard, Shazam, can no longer hold out and continue his guardianship of the Seven Deadly Sins. Shazam’s powers transfer to Billy and for a good portion of the film we see him and his foster brother, the disabled Freddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) get to grips of Billy’s new found powers.

Speaking the Wizards name, Shazam, makes Billy transform instantly from a teenage boy to an adult sized caped crusader (Zachary Levi). Speak his name again and boom, back to his normal self.

Every superhero needs a super villain, of course. The boy from years back, Thaddeus, who is now an adult (Mark Strong), returns to the Wizards realm, where the frees the Seven Deadly Sins, which possess him and give him other worldly dark powers.

Shazam! by Warner Bros. is a laugh out loud adaption from the DC Comic series. It does not take itself too seriously and opens up the more supernatural side of the DC world.

Absolutely one of the best DC films since 2017’s Wonder Woman.

Shazam! is not only a character that every kid and kid-at-heart can relate to, it’s cheesy humour and deep emotional overtones of the film resonate with the entire audience.

A definite must see. Personally, I loved it.

The post Shazam! (Warner Bros. Pictures – 2019) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.