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Show ' OPINION .::1:Y;.41., Iz ' T nt,' nmr,aw-genr,,,,,,,...,- ' 1; f:X',1111' -- ,..1 , -- - it - I '. i'' .,,- -, N , , ' j ' '''' 1 , -- ,,, 1 i I t , !Ns. 1 - 1 , ) 'I:10 'ill ' 4,1 ! i t , , 1 . 1 1 r I 'I , Li i, n 1 , 1 ,,, ,t i ballit I MN& 4 t V 1, A ; ...',,,.,, I C) y ' 1 ' ill I 1 , , 1 pow uy I to, I I' 1 k 1 1 i'll, . 1 4 11 f',4" moatonolangoaModeANOOM filitaa.bekaigniko i The central plot of "Shazam!" is about a teenage boy who's grown up without a family struggling to find his place within a new foster family. The film manages to balance real world drama with just enough humor to be a riot worthy of any comedy, but does not come off as too humorous. The laughs come mainly after Billy Batson becomes the chosen champion of Shazam, the last of seven wizards tasked with protecting humanity from the seven deadly sins. Billy does this by placing his hand on the wizard's staff and uttering his name, Shazam. From that point, Billy only needs to say "Shazam!" to be instantly transformed into the champion. ,, cs4 t ' x .1 , t ?, k ' ,;.... :.,... BY -,- , ' '' ' -- ", , 7; .z . . ..,..-,..., ... -- JONN HOLLAND trippyjedi "Shazam!" is an exciting romp of a superhero film that adds a needed spark of magic to the DC cinematic universe. If I'm being realistic, all the films from DC over the last decade or So have been dark. Even t'Aquaman," with its wit and epic battles, was a more dark and foreboding film than a bright and hopeful one. There are hilarious moments woven throughout the film as Billy discovers his abilities and grows accustomed to his new powers. A scene I found particularly funny is when Billy and his foster brother Freddy are in a convenience store as it is about to be robbed. Billy as Shazam takes the opportunity to stop the two robbers. Both robbers are armed with guns and one of them shoots Shazam. This is when we discover that being bulletproof is one of his powers. Freddy points out that they can't be sure if Shazam's suit is bullet proof or if Billy with his powers is bulletproof. So, Billy tells the would-b- e thieves to shoot him in the face. Hilariously, the bullets bounce off his face as though they were pennies being thrown at him., Comedy sequences aside, "Shazam!" also has a supervillain named Thaddeus. He was summoned by the wizard 46 years prior and given the same opportunity as Billy, except he was found unworthy. Thaddeus spends most of his life searching for the power he had once been within reach of. He finally finds power in the form of a glowing ball called "The Eye," which encapsulates the seven deadly sins. The film succeeds in bringing to life the goofiness and excitement of both the "Shazam!" comics and cartoon. However, what I enjoyed most was the film's message: family is important and can be our greatest power when we feel unsure about life i , or find ourselves in situations beyond our own power. By the end of the ;,,k64 KO 1.111;441, I film, Billy realizes this with epic results, but I won't ruin the surprise; you'll need to see the film. I also enjoyed the excellent visual effects. The seven deadly sins look scary enough that I wouldn't want to run Into any of them in broad daylight. Most of the cinematography was standard and simple, but that works for this kind of film as it adds ; to the film's brighter tone. If you are interested in a superhero film that is all heart and less tragic than DC's previous films, then "Shazam!" is the perfect film to see. Take your friends, or take your family. It'll put plenty of shazam in your evening. g :1 '1 I 01 ' RELEASE DATE: APRIL 5, 2019 DIRECTOR: David Sandberg PRODUCERS: Peter Safran and Henry Gayden BUDGET: 100 million PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Warner Bros. New Line Cinema Seven Bucks The Safran Company DC Films CAST: Zachary Levi Mark Strong ; Asher Angel . Jack Dylan Grazer Djimon Hounsou , t I .,, its readers. Dixie Sun News does not edit comments. However, an editor will not post any comments that are libelous or vulgar. 1 ; : t 4 j .,: N, t '',,,1. ,i9t''''' ,,, 4, . Altdomak, ) i j i BY HANNAH DISMUKE , , , well-writte- lively discus- ..... , It ; courages a . , , ti4 sion on its website among ; Film diversity includes disabilities Send letters to the editor to DixieSundixie. edu. Letters to the editor are accepted and may be published in the newspaper andor dixiesunnews. corn. The guidelines for letters are as follows: Submissions should be no longer than 250 words and must be Writers must include name, phone number and email address. Students should also include year in school, hometown and major. Letters are subject to editing for length, style and grammar. Letters consisting of inaccurate, libelous or highly offensive content will not be published. Letters should be submitted to dixiesundixle.edu in the body of the email, not an attachment. Letters become property of Dixie Sun News and may be published in any format. Dixie Sun News en- i - , ! Ii : II I t t . . i -- , 1 i k , ' , . - 4 - I , , t......,, :,,,;1 ' A ( i 4 'r,', , (pi r Jj ,,,,,,, , i.14. ,,,, 1 1 i I ,,, .,., I vj I ! ., DismukeHannah 4,, , ,,t, 0,,t- .v, , t I t., i - . 1 ....., . When I watch able-bodi- , actors playing roles portraying someone with a disability, I think to myself, "How do they know what it is truly like?" million Americans Fifty-si- x Eve with disabilities, and yet this is a topic scarcely mentioned in the media. Film and television have the unprecedented power to shape and manipulate the viewer's mind, give us an artificial perspecfive on a topic, and can create stereotypes. That being said, Hollywood should strive to be more inclusive and offer representation to those from all areas of life, regardless of gender, age, ability and more. Too often I see actors cast in roles portraying a character with a disability, therefore shaping it as abnormal. This can be fuel to the fire of an even deeper misunderstanding on what it is like to live with a condition. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative studied the top 100 films from 2017, and found that only 2.5 percent of the characters had disabilities. How many of these characters were played able-bodi- .. ed ed ,' .. . ; ' ,j :::: 2,' - :, . - ' ,e1. ,.. , . , - - . ' , , "i 4 '"l'.' ; ., -- - .' , , -:- - . , ; - .1 . , ti - ,,,,,7 1 , , , - p i, ,it f i ..;- I :- , 1 , I ' ' 2 i t ..: , ti I : , 1 ' - '' Li C ,, , , ,' , .,, I . , , ;' '' itt , 1 ' 5 Ii ' t'' ''' '';''' .. . ') .' '' '' '.. -- ' ' , ,t,..,,, ,p'.....b...,,..0-- ' ;., ' -.- ,,,, ,,,.,:., :,,,'' ' ',...7. ' -' I ''''.',7,...-..-- .. ''...; - ,, 0.04.1,16NSionalbIllehl Actor Christopher Reeve speaks at a 2003 MIT conference. Reeve is mostly notably known for playing the comic book hero accident until his death at 52 years old. bound after a horse-ridin- g Superman in 1978, but he remained wheel-chai- r by actors that actually know what a disability is like, rather than just acting it out? d actors are cast to portray disabilities hi main and supporting roles, and even as extras in the background. Each year, these actors receive nominations or are awarded for playing characters with disabilities. Disabled actors do not get a fair chance to represent who they are, even if the role is unrelated to any disability. Able-bodie- There have been shows that shed light on disabilities, such as the sitcom "Speechless" on ABC. It follows the DiMeos, a lively family brought to- gether through J.J., the oldest son who has cerebral palsy. The actor who plays JJ. is Micah Fowler, who was born with cerebral palsy. As I watched the show for the first time, I could not take the smile off my face. Seeing such an incredible actor represent himself and not live within any limitations gives me hope. It helped me realize that disability is not a weakness or something that needs to be cured. From personal experience, disability has and will continue to be the greatest gift. Living with cerebral palsy has given me a unique perspective on life and many opportunities to better understand myself and others who face similar situations, which is why I con , nect so strongly to Fowler's character. "Speechless" is an excellent example of representation and inclusion within Hollywood and the media. Actor or not, those who live with disabilities have faced and will continue to face pain, misunderstanding and exclusion, but can also experience acceptance and love. Hollywood has the power to make disabilities the new normal. I |