At the Speed of Force
**Note: There have been concerning behaviors with actor Ezra Miller who is the lead in the film. If you choose to not support the film due to this, that is completely understandable. This review is aimed at judging the movie on its own, separate from the real life concerns with the actor**
Let’s get this out of the way, The Flash was my number one most anticipated movie on 2023. This movie is adapting my favorite comic book story in Flashpoint, featuring two of my favorite superheroes in The Flash and Batman, bringing back one of my favorite Batman actors in Michael Keaton, and potentially setting the DC movies back on the right course for a brighter future. Needless to say, I had some massive expectations going into this film. After seeing it twice and sitting on it for some time after getting over my initial hype and emotions, I can confidently say that The Flash was a pretty good movie and definitely deserves more attention than its low box office numbers are showing. All thought it didn’t meet all of my expectations, this was definitely one of the better DC movies and potentially sets the stage for the new wave of DC.
Worlds collide when the Flash uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change the events of the past. However, when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, he becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation. With no other superheroes to turn to, the Flash looks to coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian — albeit not the one he’s looking for.
There are a lot of moving parts in this film and for a faithful adaptation of the Flashpoint Paradox storyline, there rightfully has to be. The film for the most part succeeds in bringing together its aforementioned characters together in an organic and believable way, albeit at the expense of some character development. The marketing of this film has heavily featured the three characters of The Flash, Michael Keaton’s Batman, and Supergirl, and while all three have a role to play, this is still the Flash’s movie.
When the film is focused on the character of the Flash, it absolutely works! Ezra Miller does a great job of bringing this character to life and balancing both his annoying funny side with his more grown and mature side. Seeing Barry Allen interact with a younger version of himself unaffected by personal trauma before he got his powers, was a smart move in a lot of regards. We get to see how events or even how lack of events impacted both of these characters and how their destiny before them is paved. It also allows the film to tell the origin story of the Flash without having to be a full blown origin film. I have to give props to the writing team on this for weaving that in seamlessly into the narrative. Additionally, both of our Barry’s go through quite an emotional journey in the film and Miller rises to the occasion in portraying the pathos of the character.
The most important aspect of the Flash is his speed, and the film does a good job of portraying it in the films big set pieces….all though with some unfinished CGI. The Flash feels fast when runs and the film uses good use of slow motion, lightning effects, and big fights to get across just how powerful he actually is. The use of his powers is truly mesmerizing to watch on screen. However, there are definitely scenes where the CGI looks really bad. I am usually not one to knock a film for CGI since I can barely tell the difference, but here it is painfully obvious. The opening scene, while really exciting, does lose some steam given the effects of what’s going on screen. There definitely needed to be some more polishing.
Michael Keaton’s Batman returns and it certainly is a true treat to see him back. You can’t help but smile seeing him don the suit again, quote iconic lines, and hear Danny Elfman’s score play once again. He is a fun addition to the film’s cast, all though there really isn’t too much depth or development given to him here. There are some small moments where he comments on Barry’s ability to save his parents with time travel and compares it to his own life trauma, but its a really quick moment that doesn’t truly serve a big impact on either character in the end. Despite there being opportunity to connect the Flash with Batman, the film doesn’t capitalize on it making Michael Keaton feel more like a fun and exciting addition rather than one who is integral to telling this story.
The same can be said for Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. She’s not in the film as much as you may think, but what you see of her is a nice introduction to a character that is hopefully going to be around in the next phase of DC. Her screen time is limited so there isn’t much we learn about her, nor is there a true necessity to the overall narrative, but again another fun addition.
When the film keeps it focused on the Flash and his story, which i will say it does for 75% of the time, it is an absolute blast in my opinion. However, when the implications of the wider DC universe are thrown in, fans will be scratching their heads. With the current iteration of the DC movies coming to an official close and a new cast on the horizon, the films can feel inconsequential in the large scheme of things. This probably is one of the chief reasons (along with Miller’s behavior off set), that the film is doing so poorly right now.
While I can certainly understand not wanting to see a movie in a dying franchise, The Flash is truly a good movie that works more times than it doesn’t. It makes great use of the dual Barry Roles and decent use of its multiverse characters to provide a solidly entertaining superhero movie. This is definitely one of the better DC movies in recent years and goes to show that character based films are what works more than large scale team ups. Fortunately, The Flash was able to accomplish both and even though it doesn’t quite rise to the heights that Marvel was at its peak, I am glad I got to see a good adaptation of one of my favorite stories and characters.
(B) Pretty Good DC Film
Raj Reviews 