“The Flash” Review
Ezra Miller returns to play The Flash in the character’s first solo film in the DC Extended Universe.
With the last few films in the DC Extended Universe, I have felt underwhelmed by this franchise. While I did enjoy “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” it definitely left more to be desired when compared to the first film and “Black Adam” felt very dull. Gratefully, not only is “The Flash” an excellent superhero film, but it’s one of the best in the DCEU with memorable characters, outstanding action and an excellent portrayal of one of DC Comics’ most iconic characters.
After the events of “Justice League” (specifically “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” which, as far as most DC fans are concerned, is the only one that counts), Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) is working as a forensic investigator while also doing heroic deeds as The Flash and a member of The Justice League. When Barry discovers that he can run faster than the speed of light and is able to travel back in time, he decides to use this power to save the life of his mother (Maribel Verdú) who was murdered when Barry was just a kid and which led to his father (Ron Livingston) being wrongfully accused and sent to prison. When Barry succeeds, this causes absolute chaos in Barry’s universe and every other universe and strands Barry in the year 2013 of this new timeline. Determined to prevent the multiverse from fracturing, Barry teams up with a younger version of himself (also played by Miller), a much older Batman (Michael Keaton) and Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle), another survivor of Krypton, to set things right before existence is destroyed.
With a massive amount of cameos from members of the Justice League and many winks and nods to DC fans, I was worried that this film would stray too far from what should be the central focus of the film: The Flash. However, Miller’s performance is what makes this film and its dilemmas so compelling. I do think the title of the film is wrong because this doesn’t feel like a Flash movie. It feels like a Barry Allen movie which is a very good thing.
It’s honestly been fascinating to see the evolution of this character in my eyes. In the theatrical cut of “Justice League,” Barry felt way too comedic, saying dumb jokes that were obviously added in at the last minute to give this film a more humorous edge. But when Zack Snyder was able to complete his vision with his director’s cut, Barry’s character felt more well-balanced. Yes he told jokes and was meant to be the funny member of the Justice League, but Miller could also be serious and bring some weight to the situation. It’s this same energy that Miller brings to their performance in The Flash’s first solo film.
Miller also plays a younger version of himself and the older Barry has to teach him the responsibility of his powers in order to help fix things. While this young Barry is kind of a pain-in-the-ass at times, the older Barry acknowledges this and tries to help his younger self grow which is fascinating when you think about it. What if you could actually make contact with your younger self?
If you’re looking for a huge cast of returning DC characters, you will get it but so much of this film focuses on the struggles of Barry and you really grow invested in him. It's fairly obvious what the moral is going to be from a film like this because it’s the moral that many time-travel films have. “Altering time is wrong because it’s the wounds of the past that make us who we are.” However, when you realize the pain that Barry is going through with how he essentially lost two parents on the same day, you understand why he would do something like this. I was so interested in Miller’s performance that I wasn’t even looking at my watch wondering where Micheal Keaton was.
Speaking of which, when Michael Keaton does show up about half-way through the film, it’s so damn awesome. With so many films about the Caped Crusader being made, Michael Keaton is still my all-time favorite live-action Batman and his return was so satisfying. Not only because we get to see this guy back in the iconic cowl, but because he also does a good job of helping The Flash on his journey and manages to be a good mentor to him. Sasha Calle also plays a pretty cool version of Supergirl. I know a lot of people love this character’s portrayal on the CW series and other people try to forget the 1984 film with incredible amounts of alcohol, but Calle brings a darker side to this character that was captivating.
Seeing Michael Keaton return as Batman was pretty much my everything.
The CGI of the film has gained some criticism and some of it is deserved. There’s a slow-motion sequence of The Flash saving people in the beginning of the film that doesn't quite look right and some of the deep-fake cameos feel a bit odd. Other times, the wonky effects add to the visual style like when Barry is going back in time and seeing glimpses of the past along the way. It feels like he’s running so fast that people are becoming blurry and losing texture which is interesting to look at.
While the effects could have used more time, the way they’re utilized in the action sequences is incredibly creative. The way different characters are utilized in these fight scenes was very satisfying. When Barry is stuck in 2013 with his younger self, he realizes that the events of “Man of Steel” are about to unfold and that General Zod (Michael Shannon) is going to try to destroy the Earth. Seeing Batman, Supergirl and the two Barrys fighting Kryptonians was so fun and it reminded me of the most entertaining DCEU films like “Wonder Woman,” “Shazam!” or “The Suicide Squad.”
But all of these elements never take away from the central dilemma of Barry’s story and, by the time the film wrapped up, I was really feeling emotional for the sacrifices that Barry needs to make in order to try and fix what he’s broken. When previous superhero films have focused on time-travel, like “Superman,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Avengers: Endgame,” they focus more on the positive ramifications. This film takes a different turn and really shows the consequences of messing with time and what happens if you continue to do so.
“The Flash” is intended to reboot the DCEU, effectively ending a ten-year chapter that began in 2013 with “Man of Steel.” Over the years, the DCEU has given us incredible films from great directors but it’s also seen incredible lows as a result of studio interference and some films in the series trying to copy the competition. But it’s when DC tries to do its own thing and be unique that it shines brightest. This series gave us films like “Wonder Woman,” “Birds of Prey,” “The Suicide Squad” and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” Films that were creative and took chances and made us realize why comic book films even exist. “The Flash” is certainly one of the DCEU’s best films and, I hope, is the beginning of something fantastic.
