The Flash (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.

My Take – No cinematic universe is going through a worse time right now.

A couple of embarrassing flops in the form of Black Adam (2022) and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods (2023), the Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah directed Batgirl being unceremonious scrapped for tax reasons, the high-profile exit of Henry Cavill as Superman despite confirming his return mere days ago and the fate of Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman still being up in the air, the DCEU as we know it is more or less done. Especially since James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new DC Studios bosses.

With all of this only adding to the turmoil which their latest release has been seeing ever since it was rumored to arrive back in 2016. After going through a decade-plus of development hell and a list of would-have-been could-have-been directors and writers, Warner Brothers’ finally managed to put the film into production, only for it to nearly be undone by corporate craziness and lead star Ezra Miller’s struggles and controversies.

Now finally arrived under the patronage of director Andy Muschetti (Mama, It) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) with a story by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Spider-Man: Homecoming), this DC feature seemed set for greatness, particularly due to its two very strong trump cards.

One in the form of Supergirl, a character which makes her long due appearance on the big screen following the previous ill-fated attempt in 1984, and the other being the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, who puts on the famous cape and cowl for the first time in 31 years. The last time Keaton played the Dark Knight was in 1992’s Batman Returns, but here he reprises the role for an alternate timeline, and it immediately seemed like he had a great time doing it.

Thankfully, backed by a great story arc and enjoyable action-packed set pieces, the resulting is one of the most ambitious films I’ve seen in a while. Acting as a mix between the fun and wonder of director Richard Donner‘s Superman films and Back to the Future (1985), the film contains the right balance of laughs, tears, motion, big spectacles, and nostalgia to matter. Add to that the amount of fan service to fill the Batcave twice over.

Yes, in regards to being the best adaptation of the Flashpoint comics, the honor still stands with the animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), yet in comparison it is easily among the strongest films to come out from DC in a while.

Sure, it is far from flawless and loses some of its impact by the time it barrels toward the end, but by those final moments it is certain director Muschietti has done enough to justify why we should get more of Miller’s Barry Allen in the future.

Taking place right after the events of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), the story follows Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) aka The Flash, who has been serving as the unofficial janitor of the group, cleaning up their messes and being taken for granted.

Forever in search of connection, Barry is awkward, socially stunted, and uncomfortable in his own skin. Understandable, considering his mother, Nora (Maribel Verdú) was murdered when he was just a boy, with his father, Henry (Ron Livingston) getting falsely accused and put behind bars for it.

Plus, with his father’s appeal hearing just around the corner, Barry’s past is plaguing him now more than ever. But while speaking to his incarcerated father on the phone, overcome with emotion, Barry ends up running fast enough to break the time barrier, realizing he can also time travel. Though, his only friend, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aka Batman, warns him against using his new abilities, Barry decides to head back in time and alter just enough so that his mother survives.

However, while doing so he finds himself trapped in an alternate timeline. A timeline where he meets his younger 18-year-old self, is explained the multiverse politics by a different looking older retired version of Batman (Michael Keaton) and is forced to relive the invasion of Zod (Michael Shannon), a Kryptonian general, that too without Superman to help save Earth.

Despite the multiverse story being a hot topic right now due to the massive successes of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), writer Christina Hodson manages to keep the screenplay feel somewhat fresh. Where the film especially gets things right, starts predominately with its story. As the film has one of the better written scripts in the DCEU, and the story really sells Barry’s internal struggles throughout the film.

While this is a big budget super hero picture, with plenty of action and spectacle, the film’s strength comes from its characters, and its heart. This is essentially an alternate story, in which Barry is shown what it is like to live in a world where his one wish comes true, and then he has to live with the consequences. By adhering to this idea very closely, the film never loses sight of what makes Barry tick, why he is a hero, and what makes him human.

There are a number of scenes in this picture which really pack an emotive wallop, and none of these get lost amongst all the fight scenes and goofing around. Plus considering the corner they were backed into by which characters director Muschietti and Hodson could use from the classic Flashpoint storyline, they did a great job of capturing the important parts of the story and translating it to the big screen.

Equally, anyone can walk into this film without seeing any other film within the canon or adjacent. It is essentially a self-contained story. The other cameos from other familiar DC worlds are surprisingly delightful. From black-and-white era films to shelved projects, there are a lot of surprising cameos that will make you scream. And frankly, when you are watching a superhero film from a theater full of people, this kind of packaging works.

However, the film’s only true unforgivable element is its shoddy VFX. Though I liked how the film brings the Speed Force to life, as an uncontrollable electric current that Barry must tap into each time to access his speed. But, beyond that, the film’s visual imagination and even basic execution are less than impressive. Only to be covered by the excellent performances from the cast.

Ezra Miller not only steers the narrative forward but also creates the emotional bridge required to win over an audience, ensuring a memorable performance amidst all the chaos. Off-screen, the troubled actor is dealing with a litany of issues, but on-screen Miller outright carries the film, nails both characters, and gives the star turn the actor has long promised to deliver.

Michael Keaton slips back into character like he’s never been away. Everything from the familiar interior of Wayne Manor to the Batcave, Batmobile, and Batwing are all back to deliver a relative feast for the eyes. And when he finally suits up and emerges as Batman, a thrill ride of action and nostalgia awaits. Ben Affleck shows up and turns in the best performance yet as his version of the caped crusader, which might be short and sweet, but reminds us of the missed opportunity of a solo Batfleck film.

Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl may be criminally underused, but in her short time on screen, she leaves her mark. But when all is said and done, Calle hits the ground running and leaves us wanting more. Michael Shannon and Antje Traue return in their Man of Steel (2013) roles, but has pretty much nothing to do here.

But in smaller roles, Kiersey Clemons, Ron Levington, Rudy Mancuso, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Maribel Verdú leave a mark. On the whole, ‘The Flash’ is a trippy entertaining superhero blockbuster which serves as the right direction for the DC universe.