Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Shazam! (2019)

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 04-04-2019, 08:24 PM:

CINEMA: Fridley Palms + IMAX, Waukee, IA
AUDITORIUM: 7, SEAT: Not sure
PRESENTATION: Fridley Recline-o-Vision with barely functioning butt warmers and Dolby Atmos in an otherwise standard stadium seating auditorium with wall decor so cheesy you'd think this was a 90's Regal build. Also, properly set screen masking (top/bottom)
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: Bright amber aisle lights, sound during trailers was a flat 3.1 so bad I thought I was in a Wehrenberg, but once the feature started, the Atmos kicked ass
RATING: Three stars (out of four)

I actually bought a ticket to the IMAX in advance through Fandango. Super Chic Ticket Taker in the All Black Suit Including His Tie says "Actually, we're having a problem with the IMAX which we hope to have resolved by (the start time). We'll keep you advised."

Me: "So the auditorium's not seating yet too?"

Super Chic Ticket Taker: "Right."

This explains the half dozen people sitting around the lobby, which I must say is a really nice space to sit around in.

Me: "Is it okay if I wander the building and take pictures while we're waiting?"

Super Chic Ticket Taker: "Sure!"

So those will be up on Cinematour soon.

FIVE MINUTES PAST START TIME: A woman appears and announces the IMAX is not happening at all. She apologizes, hands us passes (literally old school heavy stock tickets) and offers up a showing in a regular auditorium immediately, scuttling a showing of "Us", I think, that nobody bought tickets to. Some Guy walking down the auditorium corridor with me bemoaned "This happened when I came to Captain Marvel too!" Hey, at least we got an Atmos room.

THE PLOT: A 15 year-old gets superpowers. Wackiness ensues.

We start off with one hella confusing back story that didn't become clear to me until about an hour into the movie. Not sure if that was by design or I just missed the point. A good chunk of the movie is Shazam and his foster brother using his powers for...well...buying beer and buskering for tips. But eventually, the focus is on the bad guy and the importance of family.

I think all ages of the masses will eat his up, similar to the Jumanji crowd. It isn't quite as well done as that, but it's funny, touching, and in one particular scene, incredibly heartbreaking.

Posted by Geoff Jones (Member # 3668) on 04-06-2019, 10:26 AM:

I saw Shazam! at Harkins Northfield last night on the big Cine Capri screen. It's the second movie I've seen there since they supposedly installed a new 4k laser projector. At the first one (US), I couldn't really tell a difference, but this seemed brighter and more vibrant than I'm used to seeing on that screen. I saw some minor jagged edges on titles, so I expect Shazam! is a 2k DCP. Still, it was a solid presentation.

The movie is a blast, with a fun mix of humor and seriousness.

My biggest complaint was the lack of a memorable score.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-06-2019, 08:24 PM:

How was the Atmos mix? Does it stand out noticeably versus regular 5.1/7.1?

Posted by Geoff Jones (Member # 3668) on 04-10-2019, 09:28 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
How was the Atmos mix? Does it stand out noticeably versus regular 5.1/7.1?

I remember noticing some nice "surrounding" effects a few times. But there were also a few lines of dialog that I had a difficult time making out.

I tend to sit pretty close (I was on the 6th row), which may not be optimal seating for Atmos.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-19-2019, 03:16 PM:

We saw this movie in at the AMC theater at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World.

I thought it was awesome. I agree about the confusing backstory - it took me a while to figure out who was who, but at least I was successful in eventually doing that, which I can't say about almost all of the Marvel films I've watched.

I think the kid who played Freddy (Jack Dylan Glaser) should get the most praise here. He was a great foil and comic presence. He was a goofball but in an endearing way.

The guy who plays the major villain is named Mark Strong, and he was really good too. I spent most of the movie convinced that he was Stanley Tucci, and thinking "Wow, Stanley is really playing a different character here than he normally does."

It has the most satisfying ending (for me) of a superhero flick since the "shawarma" scene at the very end of the first Avengers movie.

The only complaint I had was that too many of the good laughs were revealed in the trailers. I sure wish they would quit doing that, because I enjoy watching trailers.

The AMC experience was fine, outside of the whole "reserved seats" nonsense which I still think should be abandoned on movies that aren't selling out. I don't mind it, except I hate trying to pick out seats in an auditorium I'm not familiar with. This being week 2 of the movie, there were probably a grand total of 12 people in our showing, which was a late afternoon matinee. Beyond that, picture and sound were great for a standard showing.

Anyway we came out of the movie wanting to see it again, which is very rare these days. I'll go 3.5 out of four stars.