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Much of the purely heroic element of the Shazam! score is owed to John Williams and his Superman music specifically (in fact, that classic theme is tracked appropriately into the film for a cameo scene), but the general spirit of his approach is more akin to the Williams imitations of the 1980's. Some of these fantasy knock-offs, whether by Robert Folk, Lee Holdridge, Bill Conti, or others, were quite solid. Throw in a touch of James Horner character drama for the familial element and Shazam! becomes the most traditionally-minded superhero score in quite some time. Most impressive, however, is how Wallfisch handles the constructs and their relationship with the narrative and each other. Listeners could easily be distracted by the glitzy hero themes and romantic interlude for drama, but the composer attempted to infuse his work with far more intelligence than the dominant end credits suite of main themes might suggest. The ambience is established by a 100-strong orchestral group and varied choir alternating between shameless tonal accessibility and the frightfully challenging environments Wallfisch had been better known for. The presence of electronics is not prevalent, and the one stylistic flash of deviating personality comes with the jazzy sidebar in "Subway Chase," which is ruined by seemingly manipulated performances. The score's only other regrettable moment comes in the overplay of humor caused by intentional distortion at 1:51 into "Run!" Otherwise, Shazam! is a compelling, organic romp with few extended sequences of dissonant horror, the "This is Power" killing scene being the major exception. The ensemble is well balanced in the mix, with deep choral shades supplying significant force to the more suspenseful passages. Some listeners may have little tolerance for the snare-ripping, brassy march format of the main theme performances complete with fluttering flutes and whimsical strings. But these sequences are actually few in quantity, much of the score dedicated to the robust development and interplay between the seven or so themes at work. Wallfisch provides the Shazam superhero with two themes, one a fanfare for his transformation and the other a straight identity of victorious action. The transformation theme, configured like a lightning bolt in its melodic structure, is the score's calling card, expressed immediately in the "SHAZAM!" suite and heard in especially its first four notes regularly throughout the rest of the score.

Aside from the ascending transformation fanfare in Shazam!, Wallfisch slowly develops the character's proper theme, waiting until the final act before allowing it to fly. You hear it at 1:00 and later in "Run!" before it gets cut off, and it solidifies in the final battle cues (especially so in "Fight Flight") before its complete unleashing in the end credits suite, where it is hinted first at 1:03 and then fully announced at 1:48. Of more importance to the score, arguably, is Wallfisch's family theme that follows the lead boy's search for family and eventually leads him back to his foster siblings. There is much Horner sensibility to be admired in this identity, the piano passages the dead-giveaway here. In the "SHAZAM!" suite, this theme is offered a flowing string presence at 2:15 as an interlude to the heroic material. In the score itself, it offers pure Horner violin, woodwind and piano warmth in "Compass" before building to an impressive, comparatively ominous crescendo highly reminiscent of the alluring parts of The Cure for Wellness. The theme poignantly closes out that portion of the plotline in the equally tender "You Might Need It More Than Me," the first 90 seconds of that cue remarkably effective in expressing cautious optimism. As the boy gains confidence in himself and his foster family steps up to aid him in his battle, the theme truly takes flight, existing at peace with the Shazam hero theme in the lovely "I Can Fly!" and mingling fleetingly with that identity in the conclusive "We've Got a Lair" and "I'm Home." Balancing these protagonist identities are two for the villains and two for the mystical element. The latter consists of motifs for the wizard and his Rock of Eternity realm. The wizard's theme is fairly typical to the fantasy genre, emulating the undulating string lines of James Newton Howard's The Last Airbender. It is announced at 0:37 into "The Consul of Wizards" and is reduced to a flute opening "Seeking Spell." It later occupies a supporting role in the latter half of "Seven Symbols" and opening half of "It's You Or No One." The Rock of Eternity motif, meanwhile, is an ascending idea vaguely similar to Jerry Goldsmith nobility. Its most obvious placements include the choral and snare burst at 4:11 into "It's You or No One" (followed by a touch of the wizard motif), a longer version at 1:45 into "All Hands on Deck," and the massively epic rendition at 3:26 into "Finale." These motifs are often placed against the villainous themes of Shazam! to the same extent that they do musical battle with the superhero's themes.

The two villain motifs in Shazam! are not as obvious as they need to be, but they suffice atmospherically even if few will recall their progressions after the fact. Wallfisch sufficiently expresses these themes with enough deep, choral flair and brooding brass layers to get the point across. The Sivana theme has a sadness about its origins, expressed in tortured drama at 1:10 and 1:42 into "The Consul of Wizards" while serving in much the same role at 3:20 into "It's You Or No One." By "Super Villain," however, the idea has twisted into its full bad-guy mode, and in that style it makes numerous appearances in the final battle cues. The personification of the Seven Deadly Sins in the story receives a nebulous theme more commonly associated with the chorus. It's hinted in between the Sivana theme performances in "The Consul of Wizards" and floats with eerie suspense at 0:33 into "Bus Rescue" before mingling extensively with the Sivana material in "This is Power" and "Play Time's Over." These ideas, along with the two for the fantasy element, are intellectually interesting but fail to really have a lasting impact on the listener. Casual observers may interpret these passages as containing anonymous but functional music that doesn't really extend the narratively substantively. Even the family theme is often underplayed dramatically, potentially exacerbating this feeling for those listeners. There are parts of the score that sound as though Wallfisch was attempting to emulate Horner's The Amazing Spider-Man, but his execution of that music is too restrained to achieve the same outward emotional punch. Still, the mass of Shazam! is tonally pleasing, and there should be enough outright expositions of symphonic and choral glory for even these folks to enjoy the work. The "SHAZAM!" suite and associated major hero, transformation, and family theme performances in the final third of the score are nothing less than remarkable for a DC Extended Universe entry at this point in time. The end credits suite itself is as rousing a tribute to purely optimistic heroism of the 1980's than one will encounter in the industry today, and it would be interesting to hear Wallfisch extend that personality into the inevitable sequel for Shazam! now that the origins story (and the necessary withholding of heroic identity until the proper time) is finished. In the general superhero genre, this score is as refreshing as Christophe Beck's music for Ant-Man in the Marvel Universe. Kudos to Wallfisch for reminding us all of the genre's inspiring potential. Only a lack of clear enunciation for the secondary themes in Shazam! grounds its lofty aspirations.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Benjamin Wallfisch reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.46 (in 13 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.2 (in 3,361 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 73:13