Many movie serials were pretty silly, with characters going to crisis to crisis almost pro forma. This one's much better, with some intelligent plotting, so the actual storyline flow seems far more natural.
Possible spoiler: One very nice touch appears in the early chapters. Captain Marvel learned some of his powers by experiencing them. The first time he gets shot at, he's genuinely and pleasantly surprised to discover he's bulletproof.
However, like most serials, the scripters had to mess with the original material. The wizard Shazam was originally from Egypt, not Siam. That aside, the reason for Billy Batson gaining the powers was different from the comic.
Nitpicks aside, though, this is a very superior serial. Many of the serials show little thought and a lot of action; this one, by contrast, is literate. It is tighter than the first Flash Gordon, and not one word is wasted.
Lots of fun
Possible spoiler: One very nice touch appears in the early chapters. Captain Marvel learned some of his powers by experiencing them. The first time he gets shot at, he's genuinely and pleasantly surprised to discover he's bulletproof.
However, like most serials, the scripters had to mess with the original material. The wizard Shazam was originally from Egypt, not Siam. That aside, the reason for Billy Batson gaining the powers was different from the comic.
Nitpicks aside, though, this is a very superior serial. Many of the serials show little thought and a lot of action; this one, by contrast, is literate. It is tighter than the first Flash Gordon, and not one word is wasted.
Lots of fun