Buzz
The Flash strikes a balance between humor and emotion, leaving the audience uncertain about the direction of the DC Cinematic Universe.
The Flash resembles a project of mixed feelings for DC. The studio aims to erase the remnants built by Zack Snyder over nearly a decade, entrusting the responsibility of crafting a new cinematic universe to James Gunn. Many projects were scrapped immediately after this bold decision. At that time, The Flash had completed filming and was in post-production. DC and Gunn then collaborated to finish the project for release. Soon after, the lead actor, Ezra Miller, faced personal troubles, getting arrested for assault and disorderly conduct.
Double the Flash, double the humor
The Flash is DC's first blockbuster under James Gunn's supervision of the cinematic universe. Despite not directing the production directly, the director of The Suicide Squad convincingly persuaded the studio to retain the project, despite the personal controversies surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller. The film shares many similarities with Gunn's filmmaking style—humorous, quirky, vibrant colors, and, most notably, delivering unexpected emotions to the audience.
The superhero The Flash takes the audience on a time-traveling journey, turning the entire DC Cinematic Universe upside down in his own film. Despite warnings from Batman (played by Ben Affleck), he remains determined to use super speed to go back in time and attempt to save his mother. Here, our main character encounters another Barry Allen, who has not yet received special abilities from a lightning strike.
Triumphantly saving his family from disaster, The Flash finds himself in a predicament as his powers inadvertently transfer to the younger, mischievous version of Barry in this timeline—a college student full of swagger. Unable to use super speed to return to his own timeline, The Flash discovers that the universe he's entered lacks the protection of the Justice League. Powerless, he seeks out Batman (played by Michael Keaton) for assistance.
Ezra Miller showcases his versatile acting skills by embodying both the mature and 'young and reckless' versions of Barry Allen simultaneously. The two characters create humorous moments throughout—the film's standout highlights. In the present, Barry is an introverted young man, always reserved after the tragic loss of his mother and his father's imprisonment. Meanwhile, the younger version is a teenager raised in the embrace of his parents, slightly spoiled due to excessive pampering. The contrasting personalities meet, forming an interesting on-screen duo, akin to the familiar 'buddy film' trope frequently used in Hollywood comedies and action movies.
The comedy aspect is heightened with the return of veteran actor Michael Keaton as Batman. In this universe, Bruce Wayne isn't the handsome billionaire who always knows how to solve everything with his superlative intellect and vast wealth. He's an outdated superhero, having abandoned his world-saving duties to live a jaded life in his abandoned castle.
Overflowing with fan-service details and emotional moments
One thing The Flash successfully accomplishes is the inclusion of details to treat fans within the film. Borrowing the storyline of altered timelines, DC takes the audience back to characters and segments from Zack Snyder's DCEU era. A slew of Justice League superheroes like Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) make appearances. These guest roles undoubtedly bring joy to the DC comic fan community.
The team also introduces various alternate versions into the film, notably Kara Zor-El—who later becomes Supergirl. Michael Keaton's return as Batman is an unforgettable moment for DC fans. The 71-year-old actor remains charming and stylish as he dons the Dark Knight's armor. These nostalgic details are like gifts from the producers to the dedicated fans who have supported them for many years.
Despite abundant cameos and fan service, The Flash successfully navigates the main storyline development. Barry Allen is driven by the desire to go back in time to save his mother and have a more fulfilling childhood. He takes the daring gamble, risking his life and the entire universe because his current lonely existence lacks the elements that resonate with him.
The narrative of Barry Allen's family in the film evokes various emotions for the audience. This becomes the pivotal point to untangle the script's complexities. In The Flash, Barry's actions, such as rearranging the position of a ketchup bottle and the empathetic embrace with his mother, are what save the universe—not the superheroes like Batman or Supergirl.
The core script of The Flash is a touching family-centric story, conveying the message that humans shouldn't dwell on past pains but view them as baggage, lessons to guide towards the future. A theme quite fitting for the DC context in the transition period between Zack Snyder and James Gunn.
Verbose and unconvincing special effects
The multitude of cameos brings both benefits and drawbacks to the overall film. The excessive appearance of characters elongates the runtime to 144 minutes, including many redundant scenes. Fortunately, The Flash is one of the rare works in the DC Cinematic Universe with a fast-paced plot and plenty of entertaining, humorous elements. Otherwise, non-fans might find themselves dozing off due to its verbosity.
Another downside of The Flash lies in its special effects, extensively used in almost 90% of the scenes. In the superhero genre, characters with speed like Barry Allen are always a 'gold mine' for filmmakers to exploit in creating impressive CGI scenes. However, the scenes showcasing his powers somewhat bring to mind video games from decades ago. They become even more awkward when juxtaposed with scenes filmed using modern camera technology.
The action sequences in the film lack distinctiveness. The coordination between the two Flashes or Batman and Supergirl doesn't feel seamless or visually striking. Chase scenes and heroic escapes lack emotional depth and intensity. The final epic battle also lacks visually impressive moments that truly captivate the audience.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Flash can be considered a standalone film of good quality. However, when placed within the DC Cinematic Universe, it somewhat falls short of meeting audience expectations for a groundbreaking project that could change the fate of this franchise. After the personal scandals of Barry Allen, will the actor continue to accompany the speedster superhero? Who will take on the roles of Superman and Batman in the long run? The future of The Flash and DC remains uncertain. It's all still open-ended with no definitive answers. Nevertheless, The Flash succeeds in providing a reason to transition, renaming DC superheroes in future films.
Ezra Miller's film still feels like a residual work from Zack Snyder's era rather than a fresh start for an entirely new cinematic universe. Regardless, it's an opportune moment for DC fans to sit down and revisit their favorite superheroes from the past 10 years before welcoming new faces to the franchise. The film hints that Jason Momoa will continue as Aquaman, and a different actor will don the Batman suit, not Ben Affleck or Michael Keaton.
Photo: DC
