The most kid-friendly DC movie so far, “Shazam!” is very entertaining.

Directed by David F. Sandberg, “Shazam!” is an origin story. Not only of the title character, but also the villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), first seen as a little boy being mercilessly* bullied* by his older brother and father. You can’t blame him for taking advantage of the dark powers of the Seven Deadly Sins when he grows up.

As for Shazam, he’s really Billy Batson (Asher Angel of Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack”), who at the story’s beginning is separated from his mother at a carnival and then sent to a series of Philadelphia foster homes from which he continually runs away. He finally winds up with an extended clan filled with five foster children including disabled teen Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), who walks with the help of a crutch* and is obsessed with* all things superhero.

One day while riding the subway, Billy finds himself mysteriously translated to an otherworldly cave where he meets a wizard* (Djimon Hounsou) who has decided that Billy is the natural heir to the superpowers he can bequeath*. Just by saying the magic word, Billy becomes transformed into the brightly costumed adult character (Zachary Levi).

Upon returning home, Billy accidentally reveals his new abilities to Freddy. At first, the most useful thing they can think of to do with Billy’s alter ego* is buy some beer. But when they interrupt a convenience store robbery and Billy discovers that he cannot be hurt by bullets, he and Freddy decide to find out what his superpowers can do. The following part is the most amusing of the film.

Then, battles between Shazam and Dr. Sivana take up much of the film’s second half. By the time Billy’s new siblings have been transformed into superheroes themselves and the Seven Deadly Sins are fully revealed, audiences may have been bored.

All that said, the terrific performances and the emotional components involving Billy’s desperate desire to be reunited with his mother and his growing feelings for his newfound family win hearts, not to mention the broad comedy that appeals to young audiences.(SD-Agencies)