"Lego DC: Shazam! - Magic and Monsters" Feature Talkback (Spoilers)

Yojimbo

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An all-new Lego adventure, Shazam joins the Justice League.

shazammagicandmonsters.jpg

Lego DC: Shazam! - Magic and Monsters
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation, DC Comics
Release Date: Digital - April 28, 2020; Home Video - June 16, 2020

Synopsis: 10-year-old Billy Batson shouts a single word and, with lightning bolts flashing, he transforms into Shazam!, a full-fledged adult Super Hero. It doesn’t take long for Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and the rest of the Justice League to take notice and invite the earnest do-gooder to join the team. But to become a member, Billy must reveal his true identity. While fighting off the evil Mr. Mind and Black Adam, Billy learns that he must trust others – and that nothing creates trust like helping those in need.

Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings franchise, The Goonies) leads a stellar cast as the voice of title character Shazam. Astin is joined by Troy Baker (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: Arkham Origins) as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Nolan North (Young Justice, Pretty Little Liars) as Superman/Clark Kent & Alfred, Grey Griffin (Scooby-Doo franchise, DC Super Hero Girls) as Wonder Woman & Lois Lane, Christina Milizia (Bunsen is a Beast) as Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, James Arnold Taylor (Star Wars: The Close Wars) as The Flash & Dummy, Imari Williams (Transformers: Rescue Bots) as Black Adam & Teth Adam, Fred Tatasciore (Batman Ninja) as Lobo & Oom, Ralph Garman (Family Guy) as the Wizard, Zach Callison (Steven Universe) as Billy Batson & Jimmy Olsen, Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad) as Jeepers, Dr. Sivana & Crocodile Man, Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect franchise) as Mary Batson & L.N. Ambassador, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as The Penguin & Perry White, Jonny Rees (The Lion Guard) as Mr. Mind, Erica Lindbeck (DC Super Hero Girls) as Greeter & Farmer, and Josh Keaton (The Spectacular Spider-Man) as Executive & Terrance.

Lego DC: Shazam! – Magic and Monsters is produced by Rick Morales (LEGO Scooby-Doo!: Haunted Hollywood) and directed by Matt Peters (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman – Rage of Atlantis) from a script by Jeremy Adams (Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans).

Special Features:
-Trailers for "Scoob!" and "Shazam" play before the home menu
-Teen Titan Go!'s "Little Elvis" and Unikitty!'s "Spoooooky Game" and "Pool Duel"
-Trailer for "LEGO DC: Batman: Family Matters

Comments and thoughts? Discuss the Lego DC: Shazam! - Magic and Monsters animated feature in this thread!

Related Threads:

-Lego DC Comics Shazam!: Magic and Monsters News & Discussion
-Lego DC Comics Batman: Family Matters Digital/Blu-ray/DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
-Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis Digital/Blu-ray/DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
-Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash Digital/Blu-ray/DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
-Lego DC Comics - Justice League: Gotham City Breakout Digital/Blu-ray/DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
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-Lego DC Comics - Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom! Feature Talkback (Spoilers)
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-Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered Animated Special Talkback (Spoilers)

Note: We appreciate and encourage discussion, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Please do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC!
 
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Yojimbo

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I'm curious if this is the last or one of the last ones, because I read a few days ago that LEGO signed an exclusive with Universal.
 

Pfeiffer-Pfan

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I'm curious if this is the last or one of the last ones, because I read a few days ago that LEGO signed an exclusive with Universal.

I thought the same. Unless WB just lost theatrical rights and can still continue with Lego games, DTV's, etc.
 

SweetShop209

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I'm pretty sure it only applies to theatrical movies. Stuff like games and DVD movies are still fair game. Plus, isn't Lego still doing projects for properties, like Marvel and Star Wars?

Edit: When I told Jeremy Adams how much I liked the movie, he said that it's his favorite one they've done so far. I'm definitely sure there's more. Also, it's pretty cool that this movie came out on National Superhero Day.

 
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Hawkgirl Smash

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Really hoping there'll be more. Just watched it last night, we love the LEGO DC films... I know they're aimed at kids, but I love the humor and lightheartedness. Just wish they had cast kids as the voice actors for Billy and the de-aged characters.
 

Yojimbo

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6/18: I liked this take on Shazam getting his start as a super hero and charming heroes, villains, and civilians alike with his pure heart and kindness. Shazam endears himself to most of the Justice League and they almost immediately want to make him a new member. Except Batman, who doesn't trust him. Shocker. lol. But Batman's suspicions are only confirmed when Shazam is hesitant to reciprocate and tell them his secret identity out of fear they will reject him upon learning he is just a child. And he has to learn the lesson of trust in order to stop Mr. Mind's secret benefactor, Black Adam – who turns out to be Shazam's predecessor gone bad. I also liked the contrast to Shazam and the League, Mr.Mind also keeps a secret from his society: a voice that's been guiding his plan.

And of course, as the skeptic, Batmanends up teamed up with Shazam and they come to an understanding with each other over a shared loss of parents at a young age and a yearning to belong – after some good old fashioning amateur driving jokes. When Kid Batman imitated Damian and Alfred was none the wiser... lmao. The contrast of Mr. Mind leading his team through fear or by force of mind control combined with Black Adam's manipulation of Mind lend themselves to the paramount lesson of trust and team work that Shazam learns throughout the movie. More so, the lesson is given form when it becomes the big solution to stopping Black Adam. Shazam turns himself back into Billy so that he can share his power among the Justice League and restore them to adulthood.

One gripe was the all too familiar 'Black Adam wants revenge on the Wizard for being jailed' plot and the happy ending Batman has for Billy. Still, turning the League into the Shazam Family was a pleasant twist amid a rather recognizable and well explored Black Adam and Shazam conflict. I loved that choice rather than them stretching the cast and story with the addition of traditional Shazam Family characters like Mary and Dudley, who have a small cameo at the end, or the New 52 line up we saw in the recent live action Shazam movie.

Also liked the strong ties and callbacks to the previous movie "Batman: Family Matters" even a flashback that bridges the two movies. There's even a cute nod to a Wayne Enterprises employee trying to salvage the Brother Eye debacle. I loved the jokes with Black Adam, the quick realization he isn't a new hero when he appears at the UN building or the citizens admitting they know he's an all powerful supervillain but they still boo him and throw rocks. Or Adam rolling down the window to complete his last hollow threat. There is one moment that gets surprisingly dark for this line of movies when The Wizard seemingly sacrifices himself so Shazam and the League can escape back to Earth and the Rock of Eternity is blown apart.

All in all, easy to relate to positive lesson about trust that builds on the LEGO DTV's recurring theme of family.

6/30: A crew member from Teen Titans Go! confirmed WB and LEGO have not renewed a pact to continue producing Lego movies...
 
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SweetShop209

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I would assume it's still for theatrical Lego movies given Jeremy Adams' tweet a few posts above where he said this movie was his favorite they've done so far.
 

Orangesilentplanet

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I enjoy these DC Lego films. They're fun. The latest one was good too, The only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that while Teen Titans Go Shazam crossover was included, they didn't include the Brave and the Bold crossover ones. Highly entertaining. The Justice League Dark and Superman: Red Son films should be this good.

three
 

Fone Bone

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LEGO DC Shazam!: Magic And Monsters

That was my favorite Lego DC cartoon. It's fitting it's the last one. And yes, I liked it more than The Lego Batman Movie. That was a dumb, loud noisy affair with unlikable characters that threw money at the screen and called it a script. Here, when Batman reveals his identity to Billy I got the feels. But not TOO heavy because Billy doesn't recognize Bruce Wayne as a kid and it's a fun joke instead.

A lot of fun jokes added to the pathos of the doomed Wizard. I love Perry suggesting the name "Captain Marble" and somebody else wisely saying it had already been taken, and the movie poking fun at the ridiculous in hindsight idea that Captain Marvel was never allowed to say "Shazam" without losing his powers.

They also dug into the D-list for some toyetic villains. Oom? Crocodile Man? Jeepers? Never heard of any of them.

My favorite moment for Black Adam probably wasn't considered a huge joke when the writers wrote it, but I found it hilarious. When Adam accidentally causes painful feedback screech when using a microphone for the first time, his first unerring instinct is to apologize to the crowd. I love how ingrained manners are to people, even people who would be scarier if they didn't observe them. If Adam were think strategically, he'd use that moment to make himself scarier. But the need to apologize for a social mistake is hardwired into most of us whether we want it to be or not. It was a very fun moment that I very much doubt the writers gave much thought to.

Superman's down-home corn-pone sayings got progressively stupider and worse written. They were the only thing in the movie I didn't like.

I love the movie poking at the fact that Diana doesn't have a disguise, and yet somehow the star does for the Wizard what Diana said it was supposed to do. They didn't actually have to pay that moment off so I'm tickled that they even bothered to do so.

This is the last Lego DC cartoon, at least until Warner and Lego decide to hammer out another contract, which is probably years away (if it ever happens). But it's my favorite of the Lego DC cartoons, and I like that I felt at the end that I would miss the continuity instead of being all "Good riddance," the way I was after how Justice League Dark: Apokalips War went down. They ended the continuity on a high note, if not a definitive one. I don't even know WHY the DCU movies felt the NEED to end that continuity definitively to begin with. As seen here, a nice last story makes a far better impression in hindsight. In real life, most people's stories don't end because the Universe is destroyed and then rebooted. For most people, meeting their sister Mary and Uncle Dudley is definite enough.

I really enjoyed this. ****1/2.
 

Orangesilentplanet

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LEGO DC Shazam!: Magic And Monsters

That was my favorite Lego DC cartoon. It's fitting it's the last one. And yes, I liked it more than The Lego Batman

This is the last Lego DC cartoon, at least until Warner and Lego decide to hammer out another contract, which is probably years away (if it ever happens). But it's my favorite of the Lego DC cartoons, and I like that I felt at the end that I would miss the continuity instead of being all "Good riddance," the way I was after how Justice League Dark: Apokalips War went down. They ended the continuity on a high note, if not a definitive one. I don't even know WHY the DCU movies felt the NEED to end that continuity definitively to begin with. As seen here, a nice last story makes a far better impression in hindsight. In real life, most people's stories don't end because the Universe is destroyed and then rebooted. For most people, meeting their sister Mary and Uncle Dudley is definite enough.

I really enjoyed this. ****1/2.

Bless you sir. With these Lego films, I feel that I can share these with kids. But with the regular animation DC series, they have become aggressively darker, and in no way should be shown to children. I enjoy these Lego films. Plenty of injokes for the adults, and I appreciate them.
--jthree
 

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