Kick-Ass (5 Stars)

Kick-Ass – A Bloody Love Letter to Comic-Book Culture

Tone, Premise, and Subversion

Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn and written by Vaughn and Jane Goldman, adapts the Mark Millar / John Romita Jr. comic in a way that both celebrates and satirizes superhero tropes. Rather than giving us gods or mutants, we get Dave Lizewski, an ordinary teenager obsessed with comics who decides, “Why don’t I become a real-life superhero?” That childlike, fanboy impulse is the film’s emotional core; Dave isn’t doing this because of a tragedy or responsibility, but because he’s enamoured with the fantasy.

This setup allows Vaughn to play both ways: he delivers gloriously over-the-top violence, but also underlines how absurd and dangerous it would actually be for a normal person to try to live in a comic book world. Critics have noted that the film doesn’t simply lift comic book characters into reality; it “rips out comic-book pages and pushes the real world inside the gleeful chaos” of pop-violence. 

Characters and Performances

Dave / Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson): He’s likable, naïve and badly out of his depth, but Johnson gives him enough sincerity that we root for him. Vaughn and Goldman don’t make him a parody; he’s a genuine wish-fulfilment figure, but one who pays a heavy price for his idealism. 

Hit-Girl / Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz): Arguably the show-stealer. Despite being an 11-year-old child, she’s a trained, ruthless killer, spouting profanity and executing her targets with lethal precision. Her performance is shocking, morally dissonant and deeply rooted in comic-book fantasy. She’s what happens when the pages come alive, but without editorial restraint.

Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage): A vigilante father with a clearly twisted philosophy, he’s reminiscent of Batman-ish figures, but not without his own emotional baggage. 

Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) & Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse): They provide the criminal opposition, with Red Mist’s turn especially resonating in the film’s blending of comic-style melodrama and real-world danger. 

Violence, Ethics and the “Comic-Book Fantasy”

One of Kick-Ass’s most provocative aspects is its use of violence. It’s graphic, gleeful and unapologetically cartoonish, but it’s also grounded in a world that, for the main characters, is very real. While the violence feels stylized, the characters’ emotional stakes remain believable. 

This tension between fantasy and realism is central to the film’s commentary on comic book culture. On one hand, it’s a cathartic expression of fan-power fantasy: costumes, vigilante justice, “saving the innocent.” On the other hand, it doesn’t shy away from the darker side: what if real people got hurt, or worse? Kick-Ass scratches the itch that a lot of comic fans have – the dream of being a hero – but it also warns that the dream comes with real risk.

The film also taps into the modern, Internet-inflected superhero culture. Dave’s early vigilante efforts go viral, and his fame spreads online. This reflects how, in the real world, superhero fantasies and cosplay are deeply intertwined with social media and celebrity.

Impact and Legacy

Kick-Ass hasn’t just remained a cult favourite; it also helped pave the way for more irreverent, R-rated takes on the superhero genre. Its willingness to lean into adolescent boredom, fanaticism and violence resonates with fans who grew up loving comics but also craving a more adult, subversive spin.

In some ways, Kick-Ass is a paradox: it’s a celebration of the fun of comic books, but also a critique of their fantasy escapism. By putting “real people” into these absurd situations, it highlights both the joy and the danger of wanting to be more than human.

Importance of Comic-Book Culture in Kick-Ass

1. Inspiration vs. Reality: Dave’s journey begins because of his love for comics. This is not just surface-level, it’s his framework for understanding heroism. The film explores what happens when “comic-book logic” is applied to the real world.

2. Satire and Celebration: The film simultaneously pays homage to superhero violence and mocks it. It leans into gore, exaggerated fights and “superhero theatrics,” but never loses sight that these are real stakes for real (non-superpowered) people.

3. Vigilantism and Fan Fantasy: Kick-Ass taps into the fantasy many comic-book fans harbour: putting on a costume, righting wrongs, being a hero. But it also raises ethical questions about vigilantism: what is gained, and what is lost.

4. Internet & Meme Culture: By making Dave’s exploits go viral, the film mirrors how modern “heroes” might arise not from secret lairs but from YouTube, social media and viral videos. It’s a reflection on how comic-book culture intersects with 21st-century pop culture.

5. Subverting Traditional Superhero Morality: Unlike classic superheroes who often have strict “no killing” codes, Kick-Ass’s protagonists do kill. Hit-Girl especially embodies a darker, more pragmatic (or nihilistic) interpretation of superhero justice. Despite her young age, she's the most deadly character in the movie; she kills 42 men, more than the kill count of Kick-Ass (4 kills) and Big Daddy (23 kills) combined. This subversion is part of what makes the film feel more “for grown-up comic fans.”

Conclusion

Kick-Ass is a bold, audacious film that wears its comic-book influences on its sleeve; but it isn’t just fan service. It interrogates the fantasy of heroism by placing it in a gritty, often brutal real world. Through its characters (especially Hit-Girl), it asks: what does it mean to live out comic-book violence? What do we sacrifice when we chase that dream?

The high kill counts underscore that this isn’t a sanitized, family-friendly superhero story. It’s violent, morally complicated and deeply rooted in the darker corners of comic-book imagination. For fans of comics and cinema alike, Kick-Ass remains a provocative, unsettling and strangely cathartic ride.

Success Rate:  + 1.4

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The Critic (4 Stars)

This is a film with a delayed release in Germany. It was made in 2023, and it's already available on disc in England.

"The Critic" takes place in London in 1934. The central character is Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen), a feared theatre critic. He's always in the audience on the opening night of every new play. He sits at his typewriter until late in the night, so that his review can appear in the Daily Chronicle the following morning. There's nothing wrong with a person stating his opinion about a play. I'm fast to criticise any film that I don't like. What's different about Jimmy Erskine is that he veers into personal insults.

In his private life Erskine is a homosexual. Before you say that there's nothing wrong with homosexuality, remember the year. It was considered a crime. Erskine takes part in drunken orgies and is arrested. His employer, Viscount Brooke, uses his influence to get him out of jail, but he fires Erskine the next day so that the scandal doesn't harm the newspaper's reputation. Erskine wants his job back. He wants to blackmail the viscount, so he arranges for the young actress Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) to seduce him in exchange for Erskine promising to write good reviews of all her future ways.

The 1930's were dark years, but the film brightens up the era with colourful characters. Ian McKellen shows off his acting skills in his portrayal of a bad guy with no redeeming features.

Grimsby (4½ Stars)

I didn't know what film to watch with my son Benjamin today. A friend of his suggested "The Spy and his Brother". I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Then he told me it starred Sacha Baron Cohen, and it clicked. That's the German title of the film "Grimsby". I don't like film titles being changed in other countries, but in this case I can understand it. To an English person, the word Grimsby immediately conjures up an ugly town in northern England. To a German it's just a weird word that would send him running to Google.

Yes, the film is about a spy and his brother. Sebastian (Mark Strong) is a talented spy who works for MI6. His brother Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) is an uncouth layabout with eleven children. They meet after being separated for 28 years. Nobby wants to hold on to his brother, but Sebastian considers him an annoyance. The two brothers couldn't be more different, and the two actors play their roles to emphasise the differences. Sacha Baron Cohen is an eccentric comedian, as in every role he plays, whereas Mark Strong plays his role with deadly earnest, not even smiling.

And the film stars Rebel Wilson as Nobby's wife!

Watching it again today, I really wanted to give the film five stars. I couldn't. I was disgusted by the elephant sex scenes. I had a secluded upbringing. I never saw anything like that, and now I'm too old to get used to it. A typical male elephant has a 36 inch penis when erect. The very thought makes me shudder, without having to witness it close up.

Success Rate:  - 1.4

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Kick-Ass (5 Stars)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is currently the favourite actor to become the next James Bond. That must mean he won't be picked, because the favourite actor never gets the role. The studios like to keep us in suspense. He was interviewed for the role over a year ago, but nothing has been revealed.

"Kick-Ass" is in 98th position in my top 100 list. Only 98th? Don't say "only". Every film in my top 100 is a work of genius. I don't know how many films I've seen in my life, before and after I started writing my blog. It must be thousands. So putting a film in 98th place is a great honour indeed. It's impossible to say how many full length films have been made since 1915, when "Birth of a Nation" was released. The consensus is that about 500,000 films have been made worldwide, but that's a very rough estimate. Accepting that estimate, "Kick-Ass" is in the top 0.02%.

It's a film that's grown on me. The first three times I watched it, I only gave it 4½ stars. My tastes have changed? Maybe. Looking back, I don't know why I didn't give it five stars from the beginning.

Size matters?

Not always. Mindy Macready might be a small girl with small guns, but she always finishes on top. You know what they say: the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Success Rate:  + 1.4

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Shazam: Fury of the Gods (5 Stars)

This is the sequel to "Shazam", made four years earlier in 2019. In the film itself two years have passed. That should have been the real world time difference. The sequel was scheduled to be released in 2021, but it was delayed by the Coronavirus pandemic. It's a shame that time is passing so fast in the film. Billy Baxton is now 17 years old, so by the time the third film is made we will have lost the irony of a child being a super-hero. In the comics his age was never explicitly stated, but he looked like he was 10 years old.

The girls are obvious, but I still have problems telling Billy's three brothers apart in their adult bodies. I've put these two photos side by side to help me in the future. The next time I watch a Shazam film I'll put this page on my phone so I can glimpse at it when the film is running.

I never read the Shazam comics when I was younger, not one, so I have no idea how accurate the depiction of the characters is. If you know more than me, please leave a comment below. All I can say is that cute little Darla transforms into a smoking hot big Darla. I couldn't remember seeing Meagan Good in the past, but after checking her filmography I realised I'd seen her in "Venom", and I was even impressed enough to include a screenshot of her.

The film is about the return of three Greek Goddesses to the Earth, Hespera, Kalypso and Anthea. They're the daughters of Atlas, and they want to turn the Earth into a new Olympus. There seems to be some cultural confusion, because they also plant the Biblical Tree of Life, but who cares? It's a good story.

Of the three Goddesses, Kalypso (Lucy Liu) is totally evil, while Anthea (Rachel Zegler) is good and wants to spare mankind. Hespera (Helen Mirren) is morally in between the two extremes, more pragmatic than the other two. Kalypso wants to kill everyone, but Hespera will let anyone live who doesn't oppose their rule.

Shazam and his family are the only ones standing in their way. In the two years since the first film they've gained a bad reputation in their home town of Philadelphia. They frequently go into action fighting crime, but they're so inept that they've been called the Philly Fiascos. What do you expect from children?

The film has one of the most memorable catchphrases ever:

"Taste the rainbow, motherfuckers!"

The film was a box office flop with a success rate of -0.8. I have no idea why. It's every bit as good as the first film.

Success Rate:  - 0.8

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Shazam (5 Stars)

I didn't mention in my pervious reviews of "Shazam" that John Glover appears in a small role as the father of the film's villain, Dr. Thaddeus Silvana. We see him in the opening scene in 1974 and in the present day, presumably 2019. He doesn't seem to have aged in the 45 years. That's appropriate. His age isn't stated in the film, but John was 73 when he made the film, and he looks much younger. He has good hair for his age, more grey streaks than he had 20 years ago in "Smallville", but still attractive enough to make me jealous. As a teenager I had beautiful long hair, which I foolishly (?) cut short when I started working after university. I had my first bald patch in my mid thirties, which grew steadily larger, until it was so big that I started to shave my head when I was 45. In retrospect, I should have paid a few thousand Euros for hair transplant. A friend of mine underwent the procedure, and his new hair looks very realistic. It's too late now.

I watched "Shazam" today because I bought the second Shazam film while I was on holiday in England. I want to prepare myself, because I missed it in the cinema while I was ill last year. If I remember correctly, I was already back home, but I was too unwell to go to the cinema. I missed at least two months of good films. Blu-ray discs are a reasonable alternative, but they don't live up to the experience of a cinema.

Success Rate:  + 2.6

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Shazam (5 Stars)

Netflix Thursday #25

Tonight I shouted "Shazam!" five times, but nothing happened. I didn't turn into a superhero. Then I remembered that it only works for someone who's pure of heart. Okay, I wouldn't call myself a bad guy, but the last time I checked Lust is one of the seven deadly sins, and Lust is one of the things that most motivates me. So no, I can't become a superhero.

Let's get to the film itself.

When I watched "Shazam" in the cinema four years ago I liked it, but I wasn't overly impressed. Recently I've seen the trailer for the second Shazam film in cinemas, and I find it hilarious. I don't remember that a trailer has ever made me laugh out loud. This has prompted me to watch the first film again, and guess what? I love it! The humour is so ridiculous, but it works.

Billy Batson is a 14-year-old boy who's granted magical super powers by an ancient magician. Billy isn't perfect either, but the magician is desperate to find a successor after being attacked by Thaddeus Silvana, an evil scientist who wants the power for himself.

Billy looks like an adult when he magically transforms into a hero, even though he still has the awkwardness of a teenager in the middle of his hormonal changes. Come to think of it, Billy visits a strip club twice in the film, so maybe there's still a chance for me. Let me shout "Shazam!" again.

As a new hero, Billy isn't in full control of his powers. He doesn't even know what his powers are. He has to work his way through a checklist of what he can and can't do.

Super strength – Yes.

Super speed – Yes.

Invulnerability – Yes.

Flight – Yes, although it needs practise.

Invisibility – No.

Probably the biggest surprise in the film is that the five children in his foster family also become superheroes.

They all turn into adults, so it's difficult to tell which one is which. The girls are obvious, but I can't recognise the boys. Unlike Billy, they immediately have full control of their powers, but he's still the team's leader.

Success Rate:  + 2.6

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Nocebo (4½ Stars)

This is the eighth film in the Stuttgart White Nights Festival.

A nocebo is the opposite of a placebo. To quote Wikipedia:

A placebo effect is the tendency of any medication or treatment, even an inert or ineffective one, to exhibit results simply because the recipient believes that it will work.

A nocebo effect is said to occur when negative expectations of the patient regarding a treatment cause the treatment to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would have.

Christine is a successful fashion designer who specialises in children's clothing. One day, while she's displaying a new collection, a sick dog approaches her. The dog shakes itself, and she's covered with ticks. As a result she develops a mysterious illness that makes her weak and have memory lapses. The doctors are unable to recognise the illness, but they suspect it's only psychological, so they give her a large cocktail of multi-coloured tablets to take every day.

Several months later a Philippine woman called Diana rings the doorbell and says that Christine has hired her as a housemaid. Christine can't remember speaking to her, but she accepts her into the house. In addition to fulfilling her normal duties, Diana has herbal remedies that cure Christine's illness. But all is not as it seems.

This is a very complex film. There are mysteries in the opening scenes that aren't explained until the end. There are frequent flashbacks to Diana's life in the Philippines. It's a film that needs to be watched more than once to be fully appreciated.

The Guard (4½ Stars)

Netflix Thursday #22

While clicking around Netflix I found this film which I already have on Blu-ray at home. It's worth watching again, so why not today?

It's the meeting of two worlds. A hard-nosed FBI agent is sent from America to Galway, a sleepy little town on the Irish coast, to wait for an illegal drugs shipment to arrive from America. It's $500,000 of cocaine. He has to team up with an Irish police sergeant who enjoys working in a quiet town and wants it to stay quiet.

There's only one good thing about racism: it's good to laugh at. When shown photos of the alleged drug dealers, all white, Sergeant Boyle exclaims, "I thought all drug dealers are black". When this statement is questioned, he adds "Or Mexicans". In a later scene he justifies being racist by saying that racism is part of the Irish culture. Yes, racists are stupid, and it's fun to laugh at them, whether it's in a film or in real life.

Yesterday I watched the first episode of "Wednesday" out of curiosity. It's good to see a new series created by Al Gough and Miles Millar. It's more than 20 years since they started "Smallville", but they still have creative talent. In addition, Tim Burton has directed four of the episodes. I wanted to write something about the first episode yesterday, but I didn't have time. My granddaughter Rose was sick, so I had to step in as babysitter for eight hours. I'll put off writing about "Wednesday" until I've caught up with my "Smallville" posts. When I return to Germany I'll be five weeks behind, and I want to catch up as quickly as possible. My posts about "Wednesday" will probably concentrate on presenting screenshots rather than writing full reviews. Probably. I'll make my mind up when I get to it. If I don't start writing about "Wednesday" by the end of the year, feel free to write an offensive comment to remind me of my promise.

Success Rate:  + 1.5

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Kick-Ass (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #98

This was a last minute addition to my top 100 films list, added the same day that I started my countdown. It was a tough decision. I didn't want to push the film in 100th position out of my list. I'm ashamed to name the film, because it's a classic that deserved to be included.

I've already watched "Kick-Ass" six times, according to my blog's flawless records, so today I did something different. I listened to the Director's Commentary, but in the Dancer Style (TM). That means I listened to the commentary with the film's subtitles turned on.

The commentary added a few things that were useful to help me understand the film better. Matthew Vaughn repeatedly complained about not having a big enough budget. He pointed out various scenes that he didn't consider were good enough. I suppose that an artist is his own worst critic, because I really didn't see anything wrong with them.

"Kick-Ass" was filmed in a mixture of Canada, America and England. In an early scene Aaron Johnson was walking along a New York Street, but the scene was actually filmed in Hamilton, Canada. When he turned the corner, the scene was really filmed in America. It must be difficult for actors to maintain the continuity with jumps like that.

In this scene Mark Strong was supposed to kick Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) in the face, but he refused. It was against his principles to be violent to a child. I don't understand that. In the same scene he punched her in the face twice. Everyone knows the punches weren't genuine, and the kick wouldn't have been genuine either, but he still refused to do it. Weird.

This is an excellent film. Is it better than the film I ejected from my list? I don't know. By the time I finish my countdown at the end of this year I'll probably be pulling out my hair in frustration at all the errors I've made.

Success Rate:  + 1.4

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1917 (5 Stars)

I don't often watch war films. War is a topic that doesn't interest me. On the contrary, it repulses me. I go to the cinema to immerse myself in fantasy worlds. War is something that's too realistic, something that took place in western Europe in the 20th Century and still happens in other parts of the world today. I only make an exception and watch war films if they're made by one of my favourite directors. Films like "Inglourious Basterds". Maybe that's not a real war film, because it tells a fantasy story in the context of a real war.

Normally I would have given "1917" a miss. I decided to see it in the cinema today for two reasons:

1. It's been nominated for the Best Film at the 2020 Academy Awards, and I've been told it has a good chance of winning.

2. I've read that the film has outstanding cinematography.

So I went to the cinema, I watched the film, and I enjoyed it greatly. You already know that from the title of this post. My rating says everything.

The film takes place in France in 1917. I've heard differing claims on whether the story is true, fictional or partially true. It doesn't really matter. Two young soldiers are told to deliver a message to the Devonshire Regiment. The Germans have withdrawn, and the regiment is planning to press their advantage and pursue them. Army intelligence has been received that it's a trap; the Germans have withdrawn to lure the British army into an ambush. If the Devonshire Regiment attacks it's expected that all 1600 men will be slaughtered.

The film is shot in a pseudo-single take, i.e. not a genuine single take like "Victoria", but a film like "Birdman" with a minimal number of long takes that have been carefully edited to give the appearance of a single take. I expect that the director's commentary on the Blu-ray release will tell us exactly how many takes were necessary.

The film shows the two young men running across deserted wastelands, encountering German stragglers and scattered British soldiers. It's a delight to watch. Whether or not "1917" wins the Best Film award, it definitely deserves to win the award for Best Cinematography. Most of all, I enjoyed the passive scenes where the young soldiers were running. The fight scenes were exciting, but less pleasant to me. Slightly less pleasant. I've still given the film my top rating.

The film is successful and will probably remain in the cinema for another few weeks. Please go to see it, even if you're someone like me who doesn't like war films.

Grimsby (4½ Stars)

Sadly, the scene shown above with Gabourey Sidibe and a herd of elephants was cut from the film. As far as I know, it was in the version that was shown to pre-release test audiences, but it was removed from the theatrical release, and even on the Blu-ray it's only included as one of the deleted scenes. I'd like to see it in the film, because it's a very emotional scene, but maybe that's the reason it was cut. The scene might not have been considered funny enough. Or maybe it was considered too offensive that Gabourey was yelling "I dream of Grimsby" while an elephant was taking a shit behind her.

Maybe this picture would look better as an animated GIF. That's a treat I can prepare for my readers the next time I watch "Grimsby".

Here's some elephant porn, in case any of my readers get off on things like that.

Today is the first time I've watched the film since seeing it in the cinema four years ago. I'd forgotten just how funny it is. I was sitting in my room laughing out loud. As I remember, in the cinema I felt disgusted by the scene where Mark Strong was being gang banged by elephants, but even that scene made me laugh today. And the answer is No, I'm not going to publish any pictures of it. You need to watch the scene for yourself. It's beyond good and evil.

The film's glamour is provided by Rebel Wilson. She's a woman with class. In an interview she said that Sacha Baron Cohen rang her personally to ask her to play his wife in the film. He said they would have to have sex first to see if they're compatible. That probably never happened, because Sacha's real life wife, Isla Fisher, also appears in the film. She has to watch him carefully when women like Rebel are involved. I'd be tempted as well.

"Back off, Isla, I'm gonna take your man!"

Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong are the perfect comedy double. Sacha is the funny man while Mark is the straight guy. I admit that Mark doesn't look so serious in this screenshot, but come on, it's football! Football fans can paint their faces and still remain serious!

There's a much publicised nude scene with Rebel Wilson – she runs naked across a football pitch – but don't get too excited. It's not her. A body double is used in the scene. So there's another woman with a body like Rebel Wilson? I want to meet her.

"Grimsby" unashamedly plagiarises other films, such as "Hardcore Henry" and "Kingsman", but that doesn't detract from the quality in the least. The action sequences serve as the perfect contrast to the comedy.

Here are a few more photos of Rebel Wilson to make my readers happy.

P. S. The last photo isn't Rebel Wilson.

When I see pictures like this I wish I'd become a film star. But then I remember that Sacha's wife is watching, so he has to remain calm and think about football. And if I were unlucky, I'd be gang banged by elephants as well. No, I'm glad I was never a film star.

Success Rate:  - 1.4

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Kingsman: The Golden Circle (4½ Stars)

I haven't read the comics on which the Kingsman films are based. Maybe I should. The films are so good. They're like the James Bond films, but so exaggerated that they're almost a parody. They also seem to borrow ideas from the "Man from UNCLE" television series.

A surprise guest star in this film is Elton John, playing himself. In a film with exaggeratedly evil megalomaniacs and over-the-top secret agents, all that's needed to round it off is an excessively extravagant pop star. Was this the first time that Elton John met Taron Egerton, who would go on to play him in "Rocketman"? It's possible. If this was the beginning of their friendship, it must have influenced the development of the musical.

It's a different sort of role for Halle Berry as the American secret service computer expert. She doesn't have any of her usual sex appeal. Instead, she has a nerdy appearance that's very appropriate for her role.

Mark Strong is just Mark Strong. He's good in every role he plays. Whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, he's the quintessential tough guy. Mess with him at your own peril!

They make a good pair, don't they?

I've read that several Kingsman films are planned, not just a third film in the series. There will also be a prequel and a spin-off film. That's good news for everyone who likes crazy action films.

Success Rate:  + 2.0

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Shazam (4 Stars)

When I moved to Germany from England in 2016 it meant a change in my viewing habits. In Stuttgart there's a much bigger selection of films available. In Birmingham the cinemas show mainly American and English films. Films from other countries are few and far between. In Stuttgart the same selection of American films is shown, less English films, but a huge selection of German and French films. The film festivals held three times a year also offer the opportunity to see films in other languages. Stuttgart is a relatively small city, less than a third of the size of Birmingham, but it offers a lot more film excitement.

The biggest problem with cinemas in Stuttgart is the prices. In Birmingham a cinema card which gives me access to as many films as I want to see costs £17.40 per month (20.20 Euros). In Stuttgart the typical film price is 7.80 Euros (weekday) and 9.80 Euros (weekend). I visit the cinema twice a week on average, and even though I avoid going on the weekend I'm spending up to 70 Euros a month on cinema tickets.

Now things have changed. The Cinemaxx cinema has dropped its prices to 5.99 Euros per film, regardless of the day. That's £5.15 per film. That should reduce my costs to 50 Euros a month, and more importantly, I can go to see films at the weekend more often. Okay, maybe 50 Euros is too optimistic, because there are some films that are only shown at the other more expensive cinemas. I'm hoping that the price reduction at Cinemaxx will force the other cinemas to follow suit.

Now let's move on to the film itself. Shazam is a superhero whose comics were published by Fawcett Comics from 1940 to 1953. Fawcett Comics went bankrupt in 1980, and the rights to Shazam were sold to DC Comics. Actually, the character was called Captain Marvel, but DC changed the name to Shazam because another company had copyrighted the name.

Captain Marvel was a popular wartime hero. He was a 14-year-old boy who could transform himself into an adult form by shouting the magic word "Shazam". Using his super powers he could beat up the Germans and the Japanese. God bless America!

The film takes place in the modern day. 80 years later, Billy Batson is still a 14-year-old boy. He's summoned to a secret cave by a wizard who's looking for someone with a pure heart to fight evil. Billy is hardly pure, but the wizard has been searching for so long that he's desperate and has to accept the second best.

Billy is a rebellious teenager who's been passed from one foster family to another. He doesn't intend to stay in his current family for long, but he makes friends with Freddy, one of the other boys in the family. Freddy is an expert on superheroes, and he helps Billy adapt to his new powers.

When I saw the trailer in the cinema last month I laughed. It looked so ridiculous that I couldn't take it seriously. On the other hand, it looked so bad that it might be good, so I had to check it out. I'm glad I did. Shazam is even less credible than other superheroes, and I couldn't stop laughing at his misadventures. It's true, the film builds up to a battle with his nemesis, someone who isn't pure, an embodiment of the seven deadly sins, but the important part of the film was seeing Billy acting awkwardly with his new powers. I don't think this is a film that can have a sequel. In the next film the initial awkwardness would be gone, so it would be boring.

I'm happy to see that DC still knows how to make good films. "Shazam" isn't up to Marvel's standards, but it's still very good.