Directed by Andy Muschietti (It, It Chapter Two) and written by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey), The Flash is the solo film of the hero starring actor Ezra Miller. Everyone has thought about going back in time to change something that has bothered them, which is why Flash decides to do the same. Barry Allen decides to travel back in time after the events of Justice League to prevent the murder of his mother, a crime that unjustly sentenced his father to jail.
What he didn’t imagine was that his action would have catastrophic consequences for the universe. Going back in time, Allen finds himself in a butterfly effect and begins to travel between worlds different from his own. To get back to his original plan, Flash will enlist the help of versions of heroes he has already met, including a version of a totally old and retired Batman, played by the legendary Michael Keaton, a female version of the hope-bearing hero Superman, played by Sasha Calle, and also a different version of himself.
The several CGI defects are clear. In some parts, the characters barely had any kind of texture, but these effects didn’t make a difference for me. What really matters for this film, for me, is the script, the direction, the acting, and editing, and almost everything in The Flash works to some extent.
The movie’s script effectively explains the complexities of time travel, successfully tackling the challenges associated with the concept. The movie is reminiscent of Geoff Johns’ Flashpoint run, utilizing time travel and the multiverse to drive Barry’s personal story to a larger scale. However, Muschietti’s reimagining doesn’t stray away from fully using those emotional aspects. The opening of the movie was a nice icebreaker as it introduced old and new characters and showcased the Flash’s powers. From here, the movie creates a very good dramatic arc between the two Barry Allens and Michael Keaton’s Batman, who is exceptional in this film.
Michael Keaton’s Batman, for me is a great scene stealer. All the scenes where he appears made me extremely happy and excited. With an impeccable soundtrack reminiscent of Tim Burton’s movies, the direction of the film knew that appeal to nostalgia. Overall, his Batman would make my heart warm and became one of the better aspects of this film.
Sasha Calle’s Supergirl was simply impeccable visually from the trailers as is the case in this movie. Unfortunately, Supergirl ends up being left out. She had a lot of potential to shine a lot more, but that doesn’t end up being the case. Like many time travel movies, this one has many twists and surprises, always with a well-explained plot twist. Whenever you think something is going to happen, the script goes there and surprises you once more.
Ezra Miller, polemics about them aside, is great as Flash as they play on a more lighthearted tone. They really make this movie have a totally different tone than any DC movie and manage to deliver a very good performance. This is mainly because they play two different Flashes and they still manage to play both in unique ways with an unique personalities. Even with Batman (Michael Keaton), Batman (Ben Affleck), Supergirl (Sasha Calle), and even General Zod played by Michael Shannon, Ezra Miller’s Flash manages to put on a show and a visual spectacle on screen, getting the action and comedy right to create what a perfect Barry Allen can be.
Ben Affleck in this movie unfortunately has a very short screen time as Batman. However, in these five minutes where we see him, we get to see the best version of this Batman that Affleck has always tried to bring us: an extremely versatile strategist. The first act of The Flash is more of a warm introduction of the story that the film wants to tell and the personalization of some characters. Meanwhile, the second act of the film showcases the union of these characters, who form a mini Justice League. However, the third act that was supposed to be the best ends up being the weakest. It has bad visual effects and some cameos that ended up being unnecessary, none of which changes anything in the story and much less in the context of specific moments.
The film as a whole turns out to be extremely entertaining, but that doesn’t take away its negatives. I think the film has many flaws even though it is fun in general, but something that I recommend to anyone who is going to watch this film is just to lower the expectations. The first reaction some people had was this: “This is the best movie since The Dark Knight,” something that is very far from being true. The Flash is part of the standard of some comic book movies, only losing to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
The Flash plays it safe and manages to deliver something decent, but unfortunately cannot explain how the DCEU will be “rebooted.” There is nothing at any time to explain how the DCEU will end to make room for James Gunn’s DCU. Andy Muschietti’s direction is something to applaud; he manages to work with excellence on the whole issue of time travel and manages to create something unique in his action scenes with very beautiful photography.
Recently, there was a rumor that Andy Muschietti could direct The Brave and the Bold for Gunn’s new universe. If that really happens, the film will be in great hands because those moments with Batman in The Flash were really good. I think The Flash will please most people, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with me. Even though I thought it was fun and cool, it loses a lot in some areas like its visuals, especially coming from a superhero movie and a Flash movie. Overall, The Flash is fun, action packed and a good time in theaters, but the terrible CGI and a weak third act makes this just another simple superhero movie.
★★★
The Flash releases in theaters on June 16.
