Shazam appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. As expected, the movie came with good visuals.
Overall sharpness seemed strong. Nary a hint of softness impacted the image, so it remained tight and concise. I saw no shimmering or jaggies, and both edge haloes and print flaws remained absent.
Like every other modern action movie, Shazam opted for an orange and teal orientation. Occasionally the image threw out nice reds and purples as well, and the 4K UHD depicted them in an appropriate manner. The disc’s HDR added vivacity and impact to the tones.
Blacks showed good depth, and shadows offered appealing clarity and smoothness. The HDR brought added power to whites and contrast. In the end, the movie provided pleasing visuals.
In addition, Shazam brought us a stellar Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the soundscape opened up best when it indulged in its many battle sequences.
These used the various channels in a vivid, immersive manner that placed the elements in logical spots and meshed together well. The track gave us a strong sense of place and action.
Audio quality also pleased. Speech remained natural and distinctive, while music was full and rich.
Effects came across as accurate and dynamic, with tight low-end. I liked this mix quite a lot.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the Blu-ray version? Both offered the same Atmos audio, so no changes occurred there.
Visuals demonstrated a pretty typical tick up, as the 4K UHD showed improved accuracy, colors and contrast. This didn’t become a tremendous upgrade, but the 4K UHD proved more satisfying.
Extras appear on the included Blu-ray disc, and we open with a motion comic called “Superhero Hooky”. It runs four minutes, five seconds and mixes voiceover acting along with partly animated comic book panels. It’s a fun little expansion of characters and themes.
Some featurettes follow, and The Magical World of Shazam fills 27 minutes, nine seconds with comments from director David F. Sandberg, producer Peter Safran, writer Henry Gayden, director of photography Maxime Alexandre, visual effects producer Cari Thomas, costume designer Leah Butler, production designer Jennifer Spence, stunt coordinator Kyle Gardiner, special effects supervisor Cameron Waldbauer, visual effects supervisor Mike Wassel, key scenic artist Cameron S. Brooke, and actors Zachary Levi, Djimon Hounsou, Asher Angel and Mark Strong.
“World” looks at how Sandberg came to the project, previs and planning, cast and performances, costumes, sets and locations, stunts and various effects. “World” offers a pretty terrific overview, especially via all the behind the scenes material we get.
With Super Fun Zac, we locate a three-minute, 19-second reel that features Safran, Strong, Levi, and actors Faith Herman, Jovan Armand, Ian Chen, Martz Milans, Cooper Andrews, Michelle Borth, DJ Cotrona, and Jack Dylan Grazer.
Essentially this shows us that Levi didn’t need to act to resemble a teen, as apparently that’s the way he always behaves. It’s a lot of praise for Levi, but some good shots from the set compensate.
Next comes Who Is Shazam?, a five-minute, 42-second piece with Levi, Sandberg, Safran, Strong and executive producer Geoff Johns. The show offers a look at the comics and the series’ history. It becomes a glossy overview but it gives us the basics.
A Carnival Scene Study spans 10 minutes, 23 seconds and involves Gayden, Sandberg, Safran, Gardiner, Alexandre, Strong, Wassel, Thomas, Spence, Levi, Angel, and Waldbauer. As expected, this featurette breaks down various elements of the movie’s climactic sequence. It does so in a fairly satisfying manner.
For the last featurette, Shazamily Values fills six minutes, six seconds with notes from Levi, Angel, Herman, Andrews, Milans, Grazer, Armand, Cotrona, Chen, and actors Grace Fulton, Meagan Good, Ross Butler, Adam Brody and Michelle Borth.
“Values” examines the foster kids and their superhero versions. Expect fluffy notes that occasionally offer useful material.
16 Deleted and Alternate Scenes occupy a total of 37 minutes, 27 seconds. The biggest changes come from more exposition at the open as well as a wholly different introduction to Sivana and his family.
Most of the alterations remain fairly superficial, and the fresh scenes tend to be minor. Still, they’re enjoyable to see.
We can view the scenes with optional Director’s Introductions. Across the segments, Sandberg tells us brief notes about why he cuts the sequences. These offer a little value but tend to be too short.
We end with a three-minute, 16-second Gag Reel. It mostly consists of goofs and silliness, but some alternate lines add a little spark to it.
The disc opens with ads for Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. No trailer for Shazam appears here.
Silly and erratic, Shazam never finds a good path for itself. While the movie occasionally shows signs of life, it lacks consistency and can’t determine where it wants to go. The 4K UHD boasts excellent picture and audio along with a decent set of supplements. Despite the potential for fun, the film sputters.
To rate this film, visit the original review of SHAZAM