What we flagged
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Our take
Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam is a short animated origin. Orphan Billy gets the Captain Marvel power and fights beside Superman when Black Adam arrives. There is superhero punching, a shrieking creature sting, and mild swearing like hell, crap, and damn. A dad dying and a drunk-beer gag sit in the adult world around Billy. We put this at 10, with a parent, because a child hero is in real fights, even though the piece is brief and fairly clean.
Uplifting themes
Billy is asked to stand against pride, greed, and injustice, not just to punch. Sharing the fight with Superman models asking for help. The short is clearly about character as much as power Superman is patient and protective without stealing Billy’s moment. Billy tries to be worthy of the power. Adults around him are mixed, which makes the two heroes the ones to watch
Story (may spoil tone)
Chosen the world’s protector against the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man – pride, envy, greed, hatred, selfishness, laziness and injustice – young Billy Batson accepts his destiny as Captain Marvel. Battling alongside Superman against nefarious Black Adam, Billy soon discovers the challenge super heroes ultimately face: is it revenge or justice?
Details
Violence Billy as Captain Marvel and Superman trade hard hits with Black Adam in…
Billy as Captain Marvel and Superman trade hard hits with Black Adam in super-powered brawls. The short is built around that fight. Animation stays fairly clean, but the combat is the show, not a light scuffle
Language Hell, crap, and damn show up in adult cop-and-street talk around Billy.…
Hell, crap, and damn show up in adult cop-and-street talk around Billy. It is a handful of lines in a short. Swear-sensitive homes will still clock them
Drugs / alcohol A beer-buying gag and a “too drunk” line sit with the grown-ups on the…
A beer-buying gag and a “too drunk” line sit with the grown-ups on the street. Billy is not drinking. It is passing adult colour. Worth remembering when you pick a night for it
Frightening Black Adam is a genuine physical threat, and a creature shriek stings i…
Black Adam is a genuine physical threat, and a creature shriek stings in the mix. The short does not linger on horror. Younger kids may still find the villain’s power intimidating
Child peril / abuse Billy is a child who is thrown into a fight with a killer-level foe. He…
Billy is a child who is thrown into a fight with a killer-level foe. He is the hero, but the danger is real on screen. That child-in-combat beat is why this is not a tiny-kids short
Grief / bereavement A line that a father died last night sits in the world around Billy’s o…
A line that a father died last night sits in the world around Billy’s own orphan story. Loss is named, then the fight takes over. It adds a somber note to the origin
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- Billy is a kid handed god-level power. What should a child do with strength that big?
- Superman stands with him instead of taking over. When is it right to let a younger hero lead?
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Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam
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