Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam

Set in a fictional metropolitan city, the community is shown to be diverse in terms of race and socioeconomic groups. However, the three main characters are all male with the very few women characters having tiny roles that involve being objectified or in need of saving. A Black character who is experiencing homelessness is referred to as a "bum" and "homeless guy." He is then revealed to be a guardian angel with magical powers and the ability to turn into a tiger. This plays up to some cliched stereotypes of the "magical Negro." A young orphan references being in foster care.

Hard-hitting, superhero fight scenes throughout. These include close-ups of punches to the face, characters being thrown through walls, laser beams, and buildings collapsing on people. No serious harm comes to anyone although Superman is briefly shown unconscious. A kid is chased through the streets by a supervillain. They are also punched in the face by a bully, which leaves a bruised cheek. They are also seemingly hit by magical train but rather than be hurt, they find themselves on board. Someone is pulled from their car and briefly held hostage before being tossed into the sky -- they are saved before coming to any harm. A meteor lands on Earth leaving a fiery trail. A character is hit by a lightning bolt, which rapidly ages them before they disintegrate. Fleeting reference to the death of parents. A person experiencing homelessness is mugged, having their change taken from them.

A young couple are seen parked up on a hill at night, the implication being that they are on a date. However, they are interrupted by a meteor landing. A character is briefly seen dressed in skimpy clothing, with knee high boots, leaning against a wall. A character says "you look pretty" to them and they blow a kiss in return.

Language includes "holy moly," and one use of "ass" and "oh my God."

Brief reference to "beer money."

Parents need to know that Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam is a short animated superhero adventure with non-stop action and moments of peril, but also plenty of positive messages. When the evil Black Adam (voiced by Arnold Vosloo) lands on Earth determined to kill young orphan Billy Batson (Zach Callison), Billy himself is transformed into a superhero -- Captain Marvel (Jerry O'Connell). Together with Superman (George Newbern), the duo take on Black Adam, resulting in huge, hard-impact fight scenes. Characters are thrown through walls, buildings are destroyed, hands are placed around throats, and there are close-ups of punches to the face. Although there is much peril and threat, no one actually dies or is seriously harmed -- although Superman is briefly seen unconscious. Billy is punched in the face by a bully, leaving a bruise on his cheek. Superman fires laser beams from his eyes, while Black Adam fires lighting bolts from his hands. Billy is shown to be kind and compassionate, always willing to help others, even though he himself has little. This includes standing up for a Black man experiencing homelessness. When this character is later revealed to be a guardian angel, it arguably plays into a problematic "magical Negro" narrative. Language is rare with "ass" and "oh my God" muttered one or twice.

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