Best Shazam
Shop for shazam at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Best: The cast is fantastic Across the board, the stars of Shazam! Deliver, and then some. Zachary Levi, as the superheroic adult form of young Billy, maintains a level of boyish wonder while using.
For over a decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated the box office and pop culture as a whole. And this year is shaping up to be no different, with the one-two punch of Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame poised to further cement's Marvel's position as the world's biggest entertainment brand.
But sandwiched in between those mega-blockbusters is another superhero film from DC, who rather surprisingly became the superhero movie underdogs in the years following Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Yes, it's Shazam!, and perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the fact that it's... actually kind of awesome. How awesome? Well, here's a spoiler-filled look at the five best and five worst things about Shazam!
Best: It's fun and funny
The films of the DC Extended Universe have a well-earned reputation for being dark, grim, gritty, and basically not much fun to watch. There's a lot of angst and moral ambivalence and very little in the way of actual heroism. Instead, they seem to feature angry people who clearly aren't getting enough fiber in their diet.
So maybe the biggest surprise about Shazam! is that it's not just funny, it's also fun from start to finish. Director David F. Sandberg mostly does a great job keeping the tone upbeat and energetic as teen Billy Batson discovers his incredible new powers. It's true that Aquaman also dared to have at least a little tiny bit of fun along the way, but Billy's exuberance at being a superhero is something we haven't really seen before, and is a welcome change compared to the DCEU's usual dark and violent fare.
Worst: It's too dark and violent
On the other hand, while Shazam! is mostly family friendly fun, once in awhile it just sort of forgets itself and veers off into the realm of horror. Of course, this makes some sense, considering that Sandberg is best known for directing the acclaimed horror hits Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation.
Still, the tonal shifts are jarring. One minute, Billy and his foster brother Freddy Freeman are clowning around doing the floss, and then the next minute, the evil Dr. Sivana is summoning a horde of demons to literally eat people's heads off. For a film that centers on family, and which has aspirations towards being a feel-good film for all ages, these abrupt detours into terror are particularly out of place. Worse, they are also unnecessary. Luckily, it doesn't happen often, but even a couple of times is a couple of times too many.
Best: The cast is fantastic
Across the board, the stars of Shazam! deliver, and then some. Zachary Levi, as the superheroic adult form of young Billy, maintains a level of boyish wonder while using his adult physicality to great comedic effect.
He also has terrific rapport with Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy's foster brother Freddy Freeman (more about him later). Levi and Grazer light up the screen every time they share it together (no pun intended... okay, you got us, we intended the pun). The fact that the up-and-coming Grazer doesn't completely walk away with the movie is testament to Levi's own charm.
And Grazer similarly has excellent chemistry with Asher Angel, who plays the younger, more mortal version of Billy. It's hard enough for most movies to find even one star that's right for the part — just look at Batfleck. Shazam! somehow nailed the casting for its thee biggest roles, and the movie is much better for it.
Worst: Except for the bad guys
Still, not every role comes off as well as it could have, and one area where the movie really falls short is its bad guys.
That's not actually a knock on actor Mark Strong, who plays the lead villain, Dr. Thad Sivana. Strong has a long history of playing baddies in films, and he's very good at being very bad. But unfortunately, while all the stuff with Billy and Freddy feels fresh and new, the scenes with Dr. Sivana feel like they were cobbled together from a list of boring supervillain cliches. If they had written something interesting for Strong, he could have done it, but they didn't.
And his demon minions are even more boring, as they're a bunch of CGI demons with character designs that were already tired when Diablo II came out. The only cool thing Shazam! did with villains was to tease Mr. Mind in the mid-credits scene. We just wish he had been the lead villain of this one too — at least that wouldn't have been just more of the same.
Best: It's comfortable with itself
The introduction of Mr. Mind, a superintelligent worm with aspirations of becoming a world-conquering despot, showed off one of the best things about Shazam!: the fact that it's not ashamed of what it is.
Fans can tell when movies based on comic books are ashamed to admit it. When the filmmakers don't respect the source material, the result is always bad, and always disappointing. Just look at films like Jonah Hex, or even Man of Steel, where director Zack Snyder clearly didn't believe the concept of a pure hero like Superman was relevant. The impulse to make comic book movies 'more serious' just because the filmmakers want to be taken seriously is never a good thing.
That's why it's so great that Shazam! actually revels in its comic book origins. The creative time here doesn't mind being goofy, because they know that's fine as long as audiences are brought along for the ride. Mr. Mind is silly — but it's exactly the kind of silly we've been waiting for all along.
Worst: It's a little too comfortable with itself
Shazam! is trying to do a lot of different things. It's got comedy, it's got action, and it's got a heart-warming family message at its gooey center. It's also a superhero fable, with an eye toward worldbuilding that connects it to other DCEU characters. And while it does most of those things pretty well, trying to do them all at once results is a moviegoing experience kind of like trying to eat a Chipotle burrito: it's just overstuffed.
And that overambition shows in the film's run time. For such a fun, breezy film, Shazam! isn't actually all that fast-paced. Instead, it runs a whopping 2 hours and 12 minutes, which is about a half-hour too long. Shazam! is good, but like they say, sometimes you can get too much of a good thing. A little restraint would have been better for the movie... and better for your bladder.
Best: The Marvel Family
Like all good films, Shazam! is actually about something more than simple superhero fist fights. At the heart of the story is young Billy Batson and his quest to find his family. At first that takes the form of his search for his missing birth mother, but by the end of the movie, Billy realizes that the only family he needs has been right in front of him all along.
It's a great arc, made all the better by the performances of the actors who play his foster siblings, especially Faith Herman as the precocious Darla. Even better, the twist ending where all his siblings are granted the powers of the wizard Shazam is a great callback to the original comics, where Billy (as the hero Captain Marvel — we know, it's confusing) was always aided by the Marvel Family of heroes. Seeing Billy and his siblings come together to fight crime was a great surprise that delivered both the action and the feels at the same time.
Worst: Action figures spoiled the Marvel Family twist
About the only thing that could have made the Marvel Family twist even better was if we hadn't already known it was coming. So who spoiled it for everyone? No, it wasn't paparazzi or some gossip website for once. Instead, it's the modern scourge of film fans everywhere: merchandise tie-ins.
Yes, these days it seems like you can't go to the toy store without accidentally learning the plot of next summer's biggest blockbusters. Thank goodness Citizen Kane and The Crying Game didn't have Happy Meal deals, or else their big twists would have been spoiled too.
In the case of Shazam!, the transformation of Billy's foster siblings into superheroes was spoiled when action figures of their adult hero forms were released long before the film's April release. Sigh. Hey, toy companies, next time could you please keep it zipped until after the movie is out?
Best: We can't get enough Freddy Freeman
Though the film is nominally about Billy Batson and his transformation into the hero known as Captain Sparklefingers — among other things — the real scene-stealer is Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman. Quick with a quip, Freddy brings the humor and wit to every scene he's in, while also providing more than a little heart as well.
Perhaps the best thing about Freddy, though, is that he's one of us. He's a fan of superheroes, and his enthusiasm is our enthusiasm. When he gets excited talking about Batman or Superman, that's us. When he gets recklessly enthusiastic testing Billy's new superpowers, well, it's hilariously dangerous, but it's also understandable.
Maybe you're not a kid anymore, but Freddy is that awestruck kid inside all of us — and bringing that kid out is one of the main reasons we go to superhero movies in the first place.
Worst: there's nothing about Mary
For comic book fans, one of the coolest moments in the film is when we finally get to see Freddy Freeman gain superpowers and become a hero himself. In the comics, of course, Freddy has a long history as the wildly popular spinoff character Captain Marvel, Jr. How popular was he? Elvis Presley actually copied his famous hairstyle from Freddy. True story!
But there was another massively popular superhero who didn't get nearly as much screen time in Shazam! — Mary Marvel. Back in the day, Mary Marvel was second in popularity only to Wonder Woman among female superheroes, appearing in three ongoing series simultaneously.
That's why it was so disappointing that we got almost no Mary. Sure, she's in the film... a little bit. But even when Billy's foster siblings all gain powers, she's almost lost in the crowd, as all the other kids get bigger hero moments in the spotlight. Mary is just... sort of there. Here's hoping that next time around, we get a lot more Mary, so she can break out the same way Freddy did.
Shazam is not the only app out there that lets you identify audio sounds and in fact, there are many Shazam alternatives out there in the market.
And many of them come for free.
But why bother?
Let’s answer that question.
Music is a huge part of our lives, right?
We go ahead listening to music, as we commute or work or even try to do our homework.
We listen to particular songs when we are happy, sad, in love or disappointed, heartbroken or sentimental.
And sometimes our ear catches a song that we do not know, and we get hooked.
We try to sing the lyrics, but there is no way we to remember them correctly!
So, what do you do when you are caught up in such a situation?
Fortunately, there is Shazam, and you can turn to its app for help on songs lyrics!
This app has certainly revolutionized the way we listen to music.
But, this does not mean that Shazam comes without any flaws.
On the contrary, there are drawbacks in using this app.
In many cases, you will find it hard to identify the right song.
Instead, you will come up with wrong results and end up frustrated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkrA1_jRBw
Then, it is not rare for Shazam to suffer from heavy congestion.
It will make you lose something from the overall quality of the sound.
And what is music without the proper sound quality?
In this article, we’ve come up with some amazing Shazam alternatives for you to check out.
You will see that endless possibilities unveil before your eyes and help you fall in love with music even more passionately than before!
Let’s have a look at them, shall we?
Shazam alternatives: SoundHound
Starting the list with the best Shazam-like apps, SoundHound is a great one to consider.
It is probably one of the most comprehensive Shazam alternatives.
In fact, we think that SoundHound is THE APP if you want to get everything that Shazam has, from a software application that can pass as one of the good quality Shazam alternatives.
You can hum, sing or play the music track you want to identify.
You can also speak or type the lyrics you remember or the name of the artist.
All these options enable you to find the right track in no time.With LiveLyrics, you can be sure to read the lyrics as the track is on.
This makes it easier for you to understand what the song is all about and even memorize it quickly.In addition, you can check out songs from artists that are not well known yet.
This gives you a head start towards discovering cool music before anyone else!
The app is available for Android users at Google Play Store and those with iOS at App Store.Shazam alternatives: TrackID
If we are going to talk about Shazam Alternatives then we must talk about TrackID.
We think that TrackID is amongst the most high-quality Shazam alternatives in the market today.
TrackID is another great alternative to Shazam for Android, coming from Sony Mobile.
It is free, and you can download it on your Android running device from Google Play Store.
You just press a button, and the search is on!
With this app, you can watch videos on YouTube and interact with Spotify too.When you find something you like, you may start a free preview for enjoying the track.
It also offers you a huge database of artists and their biographies, for gathering detailed information about them.
It also allows you to capture a song in offline mode and continue the search, once you get online.
The app is available in 60 languages, making it accessible worldwide.Shazam alternatives: Tunatic
We don’t think anyone can publish a list of Shamazm Alternatives without mentioning Tunatic.
One of the most reliable Shazam alternatives for Mac and Windows is Tunatic.
This system identifies the song you want to find out more about for free.
You either use a mic, or you play the song through the sound card of your device.
It is up to you, and the result is great either way!As for the database of songs, it is continually expanding.
You can be a part of this expansion too – if you want.
The only thing you need to do is to use the program Tunalyzer and upload the music of your choosing.
Straightforward and fast, the app works well and offers more than good feedback for the song you are searching at a time.Shazam alternatives: MusiXmatch
If we want to start a discussion on Shazam Alternatives, then we have to start with MusiXmatch.
If you are looking for a combo of quality and quantity, MusiXmatch is a superb option when it comes to Shazam alternatives.
The app scans your music library and offers lyrics for all of your songs.
It sounds amazing, right?
Over 6 million songs compose the app’s ever-growing database, and there are songs in 28 languages.These numbers certainly raise the bar of expectations.
You can also search the top songs, according to their music genre.
The app connects to your Spotify account and helps you find the lyrics you want there, too.
It is great to see the translation of lyrics right away, as well as enjoy the floating lyrics on your Android device.
The app is also available for iOS, making it one of the top apps like Shazam for iPhone.Shazam alternatives: Sound Search for Google Play
Unlike some fancy apps, this is more of a widget from Google.
But that doesn’t mean it is not one of the better Shazam Alternatives.
With Google’s resources at its back, who knows, maybe in a year’s time we could see Sound Search as one of the best Shazam Alternatives.
It is really light to download (under 1 MB), and it offers quick turnaround.
Even though it is not sure whether or not Sound Search will identify the artist and the lyrics of the song, everything happen without any delays.If you feel like buying a song that you have just identified, you can do that and add it to your Play Music library.
All the Android devices can be in sync so that you get the music you want on your mobile, tablet, etc.
Overall, it is an easy and simple option for those who seek quick and relatively accurate results.Shazam alternatives: SongKong
SongKong is another one of those Shazam Alternatives that can give Shazam a good run for its money.
There are many reasons why we think that SongKong is one of the best Shazam alternatives right now.
For managing and identifying the songs of your liking, SongKong is a reliable solution.
Among the major features of this app, we find automatic song matching and duplicate songs deleting.
You can also add artwork that appeals to you.SongKong supports iTunes, which is awesome for those who get songs from there.
With its full flexibility, you can manage and control even the largest music library.
You can rename all the song files, according to your very own preferences.
So, full customization is an option.
For the pro version, even more features are on offer.Shazam alternatives: Music Identification
Just because we are talking about Shazam Alternatives here, doesn’t mean we can’t include apps that approach the same problem in a different way.
This is an app especially suitable for people who just want to find what song they are listening to.
It is super-fast, although the interface of the app does not feel like it.
The database is not wide, but this does not mean that you cannot expect decent results.
If the song is in the database, the feedback is going to be swift.Much swifter than many other competitors on the market!
Plus, it is free to download.
It is available for Android running devices.
If these details meet your criteria, you should take a chance and download this app for quick and easy operation.Shazam alternatives: Music ID
If we could describe Shazam as a song identifying app then Music ID is one of the best Shazam Alternatives.
A cool song identifier by sound is Music ID.
You just tap on the microphone, and the search starts.
Once the app recognizes the song, you will get the results on your device.
You will get the name of the artist, the lyrics and fresh information about the song.You will also get the opportunity to purchase the song via Amazon or head to YouTube for the video (and for other similar videos to this song).
A lot of potentials are available for you, while the design of the app is modern and does not have any unnecessary features or details.
In general, this is a stylish and practical option to ditch Shazam.Shazam alternatives: TuneUp Mobile
TuneUP doesn’t sound like a name that should belong to a list of Shazam Alternatives, but trust us.
TuneUp belongs to any list of Shazam Alternatives.
Moving on, Shazam like apps include TuneUp Mobile – a reliable companion for music lovers!
You get instant song recognition, and you learn more about it, through the information on your screen.
If you want, you can buy the song or the whole album of the artist from iTunes Store.For social media lovers, this is a great app.
It allows you to automatically post the song you are listening to on Facebook and Twitter.
Another cool feature is the thorough scan of your complete music library by the app.
In this way, any flaws are reported and fixed altogether – for instance, if the name of the artist is wrong or if there is duplicate content.Shazam alternatives: Facebook
We bet you never thought Facebook would find itself on a list of Shazam Alternatives.
But that’s exactly what we are saying it is.
It too belongs to the list of Shazam Alternatives that work.
Even though it is not an app whose sole purpose is music identification, Facebook is definitely among the most popular sites like Shazam and many other sites all over the world.
Facebook lets you identify songs and tag them within your Facebook posts.The whole process is easy and involves a new status update of yours.
After turning on the song and TV show identification feature, you can be sure that Facebook listens to all the sounds near you.
As soon as a smiley face is on, it means that it has identified a song, and this is it!
It is not a straightforward alternative to Shazam, but its database is awesome!
Shazam Alternatives Conclusion
As far as Shazam Alternatives go:
This is it!
We don’t think we have missed out on any good Shazam alternatives.
If you think we missed out any worthy Shazam alternatives then do let us know.
You can share with us your list of Shazam alternatives by using the comments section below.
And don’t forget, this is a list of Shazam alternatives.
Best Shazam Play
In other words, it doesn’t rank Shazam alternatives.
We have just listed some good Shazam alternatives that we think deserve a mention.
Best Shazam Stories
Your requirements and needs may vary.
Hence, the best way to make use of this list of Shazam alternatives is to try out all these Shazam alternatives.
One by one.
Only after that, you can make an informed decision on which of these Shazam alternatives best suits your needs.
Best Shazam Games
Enjoy music like you have never enjoyed it before, with all these Shazam alternatives offering you great features and superb flexibility!