Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a superhero action-comedy film that continues the story of Billy Batson and his foster siblings, who possess the power to transform into adult superheroes by uttering the magic word "Shazam!". In this installment, the Shazam family faces a formidable new threat in the form of the Daughters of Atlas, vengeful Greek goddesses seeking to reclaim their stolen powers and unleash mythical creatures upon the world. The film blends thrilling action sequences with humor and explores themes of family bonds, self-worth, and responsibility. It is rated PG-13, indicating that some content may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers, primarily due to intense action violence and some mature language.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe movie features frequent, intense, and at times graphic action violence. This includes large-scale destruction, battles between powerful beings and mythical creatures, and specific scenes depicting injury and death. The violence is integral to the superhero genre and the film's central conflict.
Characters are frequently seen being punched, kicked, thrown into walls, impaled, and turned to stone or vaporized. For example, the Daughters of Atlas turn people to stone in a museum, and a character's chest is pierced by a dragon's claw. A man is compelled by magic to jump off a roof to his death.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighThe film's plot is heavily reliant on a polytheistic Greek mythological worldview, featuring goddesses, magical powers, mythical creatures, and a magical staff. These elements are central to the story's conflict and the characters' abilities, presenting a worldview that conflicts with monotheistic Christian beliefs.
The primary antagonists are the Daughters of Atlas, who are goddesses from Greek mythology, wielding supernatural powers to inflict harm and destruction. They use a powerful magical staff to execute their plans, which includes turning people to stone and growing a giant tree that spawns monsters. A wizard is forced to mend the magical staff, highlighting the active use of magical artifacts and spells.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie contains several frightening and intense sequences, including scenes of mass destruction, monstrous creatures, and characters in extreme peril or facing death. These elements can be unsettling for younger or sensitive viewers.
Intense scenes include a bridge collapsing with motorists falling into the water, causing distress and potential trauma. Scary mythical creatures emerge from tree roots and attack city residents, and people are turned to stone by the antagonists. A character under a magical influence is shown with black eyes and a creepy face, and a man is forced by magic to commit suicide by jumping off a roof.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe film centers its narrative around Greek mythology, presenting a polytheistic worldview where multiple gods possess supernatural powers and are central to the world's functioning and conflict. This approach is noted by Christian review sites as directly conflicting with the monotheistic principles of Christianity and as a shift from some of the positive redemptive content in the first *Shazam!* movie.
The entire plot revolves around the Daughters of Atlas, powerful Greek goddesses who act as the main antagonists, seeking to regain their powers and control. Movieguide states the film "promotes false Greek mythological notions of gods with supernatural powers" and "never acknowledges the One True God of Civilization's biblical heritage," contrasting it with the first film's overt Christian references. Plugged In notes the sequel "raises those issues a few rungs higher on the content ladder" with its "deep dive into pagan belief."
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe film explicitly confirms that Pedro Peña, one of Billy's foster brothers, is gay. This is a more direct portrayal than previous hints, and his foster family is shown to be accepting of this revelation. While not central to the main plot, it is a clear element of character identity.
The movie's writers, Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, confirmed that Pedro Peña is gay, noting this was made "a lot more forthright" in *Fury of the Gods* after subtle hints in the first film. There is a scene where Pedro comes out to his foster family, who are depicted as understanding and accepting of his homosexuality.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumSexual content is mild, primarily consisting of light flirtation and a brief kiss between teenage characters. There is some suggestive dialogue and innuendo, and a brief depiction of a nude marble statue.
Freddy shares a kiss with Anthea, who is later revealed to be 6,000 years old, prompting a comment from their foster father about its inappropriateness. The dialogue includes mild suggestive phrases such as "suck balls" and the word "dicks", and one character mentions "chlamydia." A marble statue of a nude man with briefly visible genitals is shown in a European museum.
Profanity
MediumThe film contains a moderate amount of profanity and crude language, including several instances of mild to moderate curse words and multiple uses of God's name in vain. A partially uttered F-word is also present.
Movieguide reports 23 obscenities and light profanities, with God's name used in vain 13 times, including three instances of "g-dd–n." Other coarse language includes approximately five uses of the "s-word," one use of "d-ck," and a handful of instances of "a--" and "h--." There is also a scene where a "motherf-" is uttered but cut off or muffled.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film depicts instances of typical teenage disrespect and rebellion among the foster siblings, as well as bullying. While it is not a central theme, these behaviors are present and contribute to some character interactions.
Freddy Freeman is subjected to bullying by other teenagers, with teachers seemingly ignoring the incidents. The foster siblings, particularly Freddy, sometimes struggle to follow Billy's rules regarding their superhero responsibilities, demonstrating minor acts of defiance.
Substance Use
LowSubstance use is minimal and only implied in one instance, with no direct depiction of alcohol or drug consumption. There is a brief, casual reference to modern social media trends involving substances.
Mary, one of the foster siblings, is shown wearing dark glasses and is noted as suffering from a 'good night out,' implying a hangover, but no actual drinking is depicted on screen. There is also one brief reference to "vaping on TikTok" in dialogue.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
A Christian parent's guide would recommend this movie for ages 13 and older. The film is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of action and violence, and language. Parent reviews highlight intense battle scenes, frightening mythical creatures, and thematic elements involving Greek mythology that may be too complex or disturbing for younger viewers.
Additional Notes
The movie promotes positive messages about the importance of family, teamwork, self-sacrifice, and believing in one's own worth, even in the face of perceived disabilities. It contains product placement for various brands including Skittles, TikTok, and Uber. There are two post-credit scenes for viewers who wish to stay until the very end.
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