For obvious reasons, it’s almost unfair to compare Adventures of Captain Marvel to the modern DCEU adaptation, Shazam. Yes, the special effects are much better. Streaking across the sky is a Captain Marvel mannequin hung on wires. Also, the powers of Shazam and the Scorpion are aided by well-time sparks and smoke bombs. Pretty on par with the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and so on. Also, the current iteration leans much more into the fantasy lore.
Where this serial adventure shines is its solid and varied story structure that spans twelve chapters with a 216-minute total runtime. Captain Marvel comes down and punches the bad guys, but now we add little nuances and variety to sustain this long series. Remember the fun of having secret identities? Billy Batson tries his best to hide his powers and alter ego, leading everyone to wonder why Captain Marvel appears wherever Billy is. When Betty asks, Billy offers to let her meet “my friend.”
“…shines is its solid and varied story structure…”
Like any good serial, we have twelve chapters and eleven cliffhangers, which puts our heroes (and the world) in danger at the end of each episode. Captain Marvel has to save Betty from plunging to her death on a collapsing bridge and, in the end, must undo the Golden Scorpion’s deadly consequences. But, Adventures of Captain Marvel can’t all be punching. In the middle episodes, Billy must become a detective and figure out which one of his colleagues is the Scorpion. Adding to this intrigue, the Scorpion is always a step ahead of the good guys and eventually becomes suspicious of the Billy/Captain Marvel connection.
My main criticism is that the serial doesn’t lean into the lore of Captain Marvel. Rather it is simply presented as fact. Shazam can bestow upon humans great powers, but why? How? The other criticism is the fact that Captain Marvel is the only superpowered hero. The Scorpion is just a smart guy outwitting the young Billy Batson. It’s almost an unfair match-up. That said, ways are found to confound our hero. At one point, Billy is on the precipice of death with his mouth gagged, and he’s unable to say the magic transformative word.
We like to encourage our readers to vary their diet of movies. This includes checking out the classics of the past. The Adventures of Captain Marvel may not be a classic, but it’s representative of the action serials during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Fun and nostalgia of the early days of fantasy films are reasons for taking in the mythology of the first Captain Marvel, along with being one of the original superhero films.
"…the early days of fantasy films are reasons for taking in the mythology of the first Captain Marvel..."
