The Flash
Year: 2023
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Sasha Calle, Michael Keaton & Ezra Miller
Runtime: 144 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 19/06/23
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Sasha Calle, Michael Keaton & Ezra Miller
Runtime: 144 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 19/06/23
There are few films that have suffered such development hell as The Flash. Warner Bros. has been working on bringing the fastest man alive to the big screen since the 1980’s, with multiple versions of the film in active development for decades. With the arrival of the DCEU in the early 2010’s, The Flash seemed as though he was finally going to get his big screen moment, but even then, the film has suffered numerous setbacks and delays surrounding a revolving door of directors, studio interference, a global pandemic, and most recently the criminal exploits of its leading actor. Then, with the appointment of James Gunn at DC and the announcement of a new DC cinematic universe, The Flash was effectively retconned months before its release. Now it’s here and is there actually any point in watching it? The answer is about as complicated as the film’s creation.
Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) has grown tired of being the Justice League’s janitor, feeling as though he’s given all the least important missions, particularly those that fall under Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) jurisdiction.
He’s awaiting his father Henry’s (Ron Livingston) appeal to overturn the wrongful conviction of the murder of his mother Nora (Maribel Verdu) when he discovers that he can run so fast that he can go back in time. After preventing his mother’s death Barry finds that he has entered an entirely new universe, one where the meta-humans do not exist, and he hasn’t yet gotten his powers. Together with the alternate version of himself, Barry must convince the alternate Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) to become Batman once more, find Supergirl (Sasha Calle), and defeat General Zod (Michael Shannon) before he uses the world machine to destroy this alternate Earth.
I had low expectations for The Flash. The DCEU has had a track record of delivering sun-par films, and one that has had so many problems as The Flash I seemed sure was to be a complete failure. However, I did find myself mildly amused by the film, and I have to say I did enjoy that the film was a lot goofier than the vast majority of major superhero films out at the moment. It revelled in its own quirky fun, and whilst it certainly has its faults, I do feel like it’s one of the strongest offerings the DCEU has.
Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) has grown tired of being the Justice League’s janitor, feeling as though he’s given all the least important missions, particularly those that fall under Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) jurisdiction.
He’s awaiting his father Henry’s (Ron Livingston) appeal to overturn the wrongful conviction of the murder of his mother Nora (Maribel Verdu) when he discovers that he can run so fast that he can go back in time. After preventing his mother’s death Barry finds that he has entered an entirely new universe, one where the meta-humans do not exist, and he hasn’t yet gotten his powers. Together with the alternate version of himself, Barry must convince the alternate Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) to become Batman once more, find Supergirl (Sasha Calle), and defeat General Zod (Michael Shannon) before he uses the world machine to destroy this alternate Earth.
I had low expectations for The Flash. The DCEU has had a track record of delivering sun-par films, and one that has had so many problems as The Flash I seemed sure was to be a complete failure. However, I did find myself mildly amused by the film, and I have to say I did enjoy that the film was a lot goofier than the vast majority of major superhero films out at the moment. It revelled in its own quirky fun, and whilst it certainly has its faults, I do feel like it’s one of the strongest offerings the DCEU has.
The trailer definitely gave too much away. We didn’t need to know that Michael Keaton was returning as Batman, and we didn’t need to know that Supergirl made an appearance. Had the trailer made out that Barry (original) needed to train Barry (Alternate) how to use his powers in order to take on Zod in a world without meta humans then that would have meant that many of The Flash’s best moments would have come from the excellent reveals of Keaton & Calle.
That’s not to say the best bits of the film are in the trailer, but I feel that even knowing that alternate versions of DCEU characters make appearances dampens the overall experience.
The first act gets things off to a strong start by covering all the basis that the DECU films have neglected thus far for Barry’s character. We really get to know who this guy is, and what drives him. By the time then that we are thrown into an alternate dimension and another Barry is introduced, the film is then able to spend time addressing what people don’t like about Barry’s character, and it means that a character that has previously been relegated to comic relief now has the ability to effectively step up to a leading role because he’s recognising what people don’t like about him. It’s surprisingly sophisticated for the DCEU, and whilst it won’t win everyone over I certainly thought it worked quite well.
The third act is where things start to drag a bit though. The battle against Zod is just a rubbery CGI mess, and the emotional climax of the film I just don’t quite feel hits the mark the way it was intended. I did like the way the film ended though, it was a nice wink to the camera payoff for elements that are set up earlier in the film, provided closure, and left the door open for a sequel without explicitly setting one up.
That’s not to say the best bits of the film are in the trailer, but I feel that even knowing that alternate versions of DCEU characters make appearances dampens the overall experience.
The first act gets things off to a strong start by covering all the basis that the DECU films have neglected thus far for Barry’s character. We really get to know who this guy is, and what drives him. By the time then that we are thrown into an alternate dimension and another Barry is introduced, the film is then able to spend time addressing what people don’t like about Barry’s character, and it means that a character that has previously been relegated to comic relief now has the ability to effectively step up to a leading role because he’s recognising what people don’t like about him. It’s surprisingly sophisticated for the DCEU, and whilst it won’t win everyone over I certainly thought it worked quite well.
The third act is where things start to drag a bit though. The battle against Zod is just a rubbery CGI mess, and the emotional climax of the film I just don’t quite feel hits the mark the way it was intended. I did like the way the film ended though, it was a nice wink to the camera payoff for elements that are set up earlier in the film, provided closure, and left the door open for a sequel without explicitly setting one up.
Miller has been getting themselves into some hot water with the law recently so it’s both great to see, and a great shame, that they’re really good in this film. Great to see because Miller has always been a strong actor and the DCEU never allowed them to stretch their wings, but The Flash does with plenty of laughs, tears, and everything in between. But a shame because it’s unlikely we’ll ever see them as Barry Allen again because let’s face it, they’re clearly more trouble than they’re worth.
It’s great to see Keaton back as Batman, and you can tell he’s having a good time donning the cape and cowl once again. Calle never really gets her moment to shine as Supergirl, but she does the best with what she’s given to work with.
The only cast member who’s actually kind of disappointing is Shannon, and similarly to Calle I doubt it’s anything to do with him but just the way the character of Zod is put into the film and the material Shannon had to work with.
I’ve already drawn attention to the sun-par CGI used in The Flash, and honestly, I haven’t seen rubbery character models this bad since The Matrix Reloaded. Director Andy Muschietti has stated that the low-quality CGI is intentional because ‘we are seeing the world through Flash’s eyes, and because he moves so fast reality is distorted’. If that’s his excuse for bad CGI then it’s either a rubbish excuse or a rubbish creative decision. Thankfully I don’t think it derailed the film, but in an age where visual effects artists are horrendously overworked and criminally underpaid, The Flash’s visual effects act as a kind of monument to everything wrong with Hollywood filmmaking right now.
The Flash did not blow me away as early opinions were saying it would, but it also did not disappoint as a lot of critics are saying it is right now. The Flash felt like an homage to campy superhero films of a time gone by but afforded the big budget and technology of a modern production.
It’s good fun, and I think if you just want to be entertained by people wearing silly costumes and punching each other then both DC and Marvel have been producing far worse content than this for quite a while now. It won’t be winning any awards, but unlike a lot of the DCEU I can see myself buying this on Blu-Ray and rewatching it at some point, so that’s something I suppose.
It’s great to see Keaton back as Batman, and you can tell he’s having a good time donning the cape and cowl once again. Calle never really gets her moment to shine as Supergirl, but she does the best with what she’s given to work with.
The only cast member who’s actually kind of disappointing is Shannon, and similarly to Calle I doubt it’s anything to do with him but just the way the character of Zod is put into the film and the material Shannon had to work with.
I’ve already drawn attention to the sun-par CGI used in The Flash, and honestly, I haven’t seen rubbery character models this bad since The Matrix Reloaded. Director Andy Muschietti has stated that the low-quality CGI is intentional because ‘we are seeing the world through Flash’s eyes, and because he moves so fast reality is distorted’. If that’s his excuse for bad CGI then it’s either a rubbish excuse or a rubbish creative decision. Thankfully I don’t think it derailed the film, but in an age where visual effects artists are horrendously overworked and criminally underpaid, The Flash’s visual effects act as a kind of monument to everything wrong with Hollywood filmmaking right now.
The Flash did not blow me away as early opinions were saying it would, but it also did not disappoint as a lot of critics are saying it is right now. The Flash felt like an homage to campy superhero films of a time gone by but afforded the big budget and technology of a modern production.
It’s good fun, and I think if you just want to be entertained by people wearing silly costumes and punching each other then both DC and Marvel have been producing far worse content than this for quite a while now. It won’t be winning any awards, but unlike a lot of the DCEU I can see myself buying this on Blu-Ray and rewatching it at some point, so that’s something I suppose.