The Flash features multiple standout performances, the epic return of Michael Keaton’s Batman, and a relatively strong emotional core. Yet, this ambitious new superhero flick makes too many ill-conceived changes to the Flashpoint storyline and spends too much — and somehow, too little — of its time sloppily establishing DC’s multiverse.
Overall Score: 6/10
Image: DC Studios / Warner Bros. Pictures
Which DC superhero was your favorite growing up? Was it Batman? Or was it Superman or Wonder Woman? Well, mine was The Flash. Often dubbed the “Fastest Man Alive,” he’s a hero who can travel faster than the speed of light, dodge bullets, phase through objects, and defy the laws of physics altogether.
So yes, if you haven’t guessed already, I was — and still am — a major Flash fan. Thus, I was naturally excited about a movie centered on the iconic character finally getting made. That is until I learned that it was simultaneously going to be an adaptation of the iconic Flashpoint storyline and tell a tale featuring multiversal characters and elements. Granted, I was greatly looking forward to seeing Michael Keaton return as Batman, but I still couldn’t deny that a story featuring both time travel and multiversal shenanigans could end up being too long, overstuffed, and confusing.
Cut to the morning of June 15th, 2023. I invited my mom — a fellow fan of Keaton’s Batman — to catch a showing of The Flash at 11:20, and we sped our way from home to the nearest theater. At that point, early reviews and reactions had started coming out, and most of the critics and reviewers I follow and respect were saying that the film was pretty good.
But boy, I must not have been watching the same movie because The Flash I sat through was a little bit of a hot mess. Now, that’s not to say that it wasn’t enjoyable (because it definitely was) and that there weren’t any good things about it (because there were plenty), but at the same time, there were also so many glaring issues that I honestly lost count as the film went along.
But anyways, let’s begin with the positives. And to start us off, I’d like to say that the acting in The Flash is exceptional all around. Ezra Miller pulls double duty here as two different versions of Barry Allen and quite effectively portrays both characters as being distinguishable from one another. In other words, for one, they’re tasked with delivering an emotional and more mature performance, whereas the other requires them to channel a more youthful and carefree persona. It’s entertaining to see both on-screen together, and the fact that Miller has genuine chemistry with themself says a lot about their acting ability.
Furthermore, the performances of the entire supporting cast are good as well, but those of Sasha Calle and Michael Keaton are the ones that truly stand out. Calle’s portrayal of Kara Zor-El (or Supergirl) is appropriately stoic, but it’s also layered as it features a sense of rage, disillusion, and heartbreak. Keaton’s performance, meanwhile, is freaking awesome. Essentially, he’s playing the same Batman/Bruce Wayne from 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, but this time around, he’s older and acts as somewhat of a mentor to our protagonist. Age aside, however, Keaton’s still as agile and able as ever, and he gets to show all of this off in his phenomenal and thrilling new action scenes. He’s part of why I decided to see the movie, and I can tell you right now that he’s one of the biggest reasons I stayed.
Also, I think that most of the film’s action sequences are great. They’re pretty cool, exhilarating, and sometimes even memorable. Again, the ones involving Keaton and Calle are among some of the best, and they do an excellent job of keeping you on the edge of your seat.
But really, The Flash works best when it focuses on Barry’s arc and its emotional core. At the center of it all, the film tells a story about a son who’s tragically lost both his parents and wants nothing more than to be able to go back, fix things, and spend more time with them. That’s exactly what Barry does, but through the events that later transpire, he learns that he has to let things go and not let his tragedy define him. It’s a sincere examination of a person’s pain, grief, and inability to move on from their past, and it’s what functions as the heart and soul of the movie.
Moving on to some of the things I’m more mixed on, I’d first like to address The Flash’s humor. While most of its jokes work (admittedly to varying degrees), some feel like they’re not entirely necessary. For example, one such gag involves a character losing a tooth and gluing it back into place. It’s weird, unfunny, has no real reason to exist, and makes you uncomfortable. And while it’s unclear if its inclusion was the idea of the director, writer, or someone else entirely, it certainly doesn’t do the film any favors. Instead, I’d argue that it detracts from it.
The quality of the design of Flash’s new suit is also pretty questionable. It seems to be the product of a compromise between the need for it to be both skintight and metallic red in color, and frankly, it does not look that good. And though the suit may not appear as appalling in darker settings, most of the time, it’s distracting to look at. And in all honesty, the suits worn by the Arrowverse’s Scarlet Speedster quite embarrassingly run circles around it.
Lastly, Iris West — one of the most important Flash characters — is just… there. She has a minor role, barely has any screen time, and has limited interactions with Barry. And though I get that adding additional scenes would’ve made the movie even longer, I wish we’d at least gotten a couple more featuring her character — at least so that we, the audience, could’ve gotten to know her a little better.
And now, with all of that out of the way, we can finally move on to the negatives — and bear with me here because this will be a rather long list. First of all, quality-wise, the film’s CGI and VFX are all over the place. Some shots, scenes, and sequences look pretty stunning (like those that feature Batman, Supergirl, and General Zod), but an equal number of ones also look downright terrible. And both interestingly and unfortunately, most, if not all, of the poor-looking content involves Flash and his powers. Everything appears rubbery and fake, and though the film’s director has since defended this as an artistic choice, nothing can change the fact that it all sticks out like a sore thumb and ruins the overall viewing experience. I’m not sure how you allow the existence of awful Flash-related visuals in a, well, Flash-centric movie, but I honestly find it disappointing, embarrassing, and altogether unacceptable.
The Flash also has an annoying and problematic habit of overusing CGI. Many of its action scenes barely feature any practical elements and instead rely too heavily on digital renderings of settings and characters. As a result, it can sometimes feel like you’re watching a set of cutscenes from a video game, and believe me, that’s not what you want to see in a goddamn live-action movie. It’s a shame that it all looks the way it does, but I sincerely hope that future studio-backed blockbusters will learn from these mistakes and see the merits of using practical effects, stunts, and choreography instead of CGI.
Another issue has to do with the film’s pacing. Of course, credit where credit's due: The first act is handled well and — for the most part — effectively sets up the story, the overall tone, and the stakes involved. But the same can’t be said for the movie’s subsequent acts as, unfortunately, they’re not nearly as polished. Take the second act, for example. While its latter half is fast-paced and highly entertaining, its first half is sometimes drawn out and takes far too long to get going. Meanwhile, the film’s third act somehow feels as if it’s both overlong and rushed, which is frustrating and makes me wonder what exactly went on in the editing room.
Also, rather unashamedly, The Flash indulges in a few instances of unearned fan service. In other words, we get a bunch of multiversal cameos that serve no real purpose other than to wow and surprise us. Now, I’ll admit that it was cool to see a couple of different characters show up, but the reality is that only hardcore fans will fully appreciate and find these brief appearances satisfying. Casual moviegoers, on the other hand, may find them somewhat random and altogether confusing.
And finally, we come to the biggest issue I have with this film, which is its poor handling and interpretation of the iconic Flashpoint storyline. First, it can’t decide between being a movie about time travel or one about the multiverse. Sure, Flashpoint does involve both subject matters, but it primarily deals with the former as it tells a cautionary tale about the dangers of playing god and messing with the past. The film, however, tries to have it both ways but ends up with both aspects being underdeveloped as it fails to balance and explore either of them well enough. Seriously, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
The second and last negative thing I have to say regarding the movie’s treatment of Flashpoint is what it does — or, more accurately, doesn’t do — with the storyline’s iconic villain. It’s no secret by now: If you’ve seen the trailers, you’ll know that Flash’s longtime and infamous archenemy, Reverse-Flash, is not in the film. Instead, he’s replaced by a mostly absent baddie who only resurfaces toward the end of the story to provide a last-minute twist. Though I can understand and appreciate what the filmmakers were trying to do with this change, ultimately, it’s executed poorly and ends up ruining and interrupting the flow of the third act. It honestly sucks, and as a fan of the Reverse-Flash, I have to say that I’m very disappointed that the movie — which is almost two and a half hours long — didn’t even bother to mention him at least once.
And with that, we’ve officially reached the end of my review — and boy, was it exhausting to write. Look, despite how messy it is, in no way is The Flash a terrible film. However, it certainly isn’t a great one either, nor is it “one of the best superhero movies” that some of the early hyperbolic reactions made it out to be. As a Flash fan, it’s tough to rate this film because while it does screw up in many different ways, it still manages to get most of the essential things right. So, after much deliberation, I think I’ll settle on calling it a deeply flawed but highly entertaining superhero flick. Definitely go and see it in theaters if you like The Flash, Michael Keaton’s Batman, Supergirl, and Man of Steel. Otherwise, it’s probably best to wait to stream it at home.
Comments