'Shazam!' Is a Hit on Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores

Thanks to films like Superman and Batman, movies based on DC Comics characters have always been [...]

Thanks to films like Superman and Batman, movies based on DC Comics characters have always been popular with moviegoers, though the expansion of the DC Extended Universe has seen Warner Bros. deliver stories featuring lesser-known characters. Since the DCEU was established with Man of Steel, fans grew accustomed to seeing a more somber and morose perspective of the universe, creating a stigma that all of the franchise's films would be equally grim. With Shazam not being a household name and with the film's marketing confirming a more lighthearted tone, fans were unsure what to expect with the new DCEU entry, but with the film now hitting theaters, Shazam! is earning strong numbers on Rotten Tomatoes from audiences.

Currently, the film has nearly 600 audience reviews and it sits at 90% positive reviews. Based on the site's metrics, this means that 90% of users rated the film a 3.5 out of 5 or higher. Fans aren't the only ones loving the movie, as nearly 200 critics have contributed their opinions of the film, with 93% giving it a positive rating.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that audiences seem to be enjoying the film, as all of the films in the DCEU have earned far more positive reactions from audiences than from critics. Even the films with the lowest critical scores, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, have been calculated to have 63% and 60% audience scores, respectively, despite only having 27% positive critical reviews.

In recent months, Rotten Tomatoes has made some drastic changes to user reviews due to thousands of trolls targeting movies that had yet to be released. Captain Marvel saw the brunt of the negativity, earning thousands of sexist comments to skew its audience anticipation score, making it one of the least anticipated films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These trolls then directed their anger towards Star Wars: Episode IX, despite the film not even having revealed its official title.

The site then updated its practices as to no longer allow comments about a film be posted ahead of its release, with the site also toying with practices in which a user would have to prove they saw a film in order to leave a comment about it. Even if the review was extremely negative, there would be at least a modicum of authenticity behind the remarks.

In addition to Shazam! earning positive scores on the site, it's also proving a hit at the box office, proving there's success in the DCEU leaning into a more whimsical and humorous tone. Shazam! is in theaters now.

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