Warner Bros. seems to have lost faith in the future of the DCEU, making drastic changes to reinvigorate the superhero IP. The decision to sever ties with the Zack Snyderverse and appoint James Gunn as co-CEO of DC Studios reflects a desire for a fresh perspective.
Unfortunately, recent box office disappointments and lackluster critical reception for Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods have only compounded the studio’s troubles. Now, all eyes are on The Flash as Warner Bros. hopes to salvage its summer prospects. However, this film faces a divided fanbase and numerous controversies surrounding its star, Ezra Miller.
For those unsure whether to support or boycott DC’s latest offering, the verdict is in: it falls short. Save your hard-earned money. The Flash is a testament to the franchise’s past glory, now surpassed.
A multiverse adventure. Yup, another one.
Initial reactions from CinemaCon were positive, but as more critics have seen the film, its reputation has steadily declined. Miller’s absence from the media, apart from a brief appearance at the premiere, has resulted in a lackluster press tour for a summer blockbuster. This subdued approach may affect the film’s word of mouth, making it less likely to inspire audiences. Marvel’s multiverse has already incorporated Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, while Everything Everywhere All At Once earned critical acclaim for its innovative take on the concept. The Flash, arriving after these successes and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, feels like a latecomer, traversing familiar ground we’ve seen too often.
The movie focuses on Ezra Miller’s Barry “The Flash” Allen, who had injected much-needed levity into Justice League. However, his solo adventure is riddled with nonsensical plot holes. It becomes evident that the studio uses this film as a platform to promote the other DC movies available for streaming on Max. Is this the reason behind their pursuit of the release, despite the ongoing controversy surrounding Miller?
Barry, the overlooked and under-appreciated “janitor of the Justice League,” accidentally time travels while running at super-speed. Inspired by this incident, he contemplates altering the past to prevent his mother’s murder, sparing himself and his wrongfully convicted father from immense suffering. Batman dismisses this idea, but with the assistance of his barely-explored love interest Iris West, Barry decides to proceed anyway.
The Convoluted Plot
Explaining the convoluted time travel plot involving tomato sauce and spaghetti noodles is an exercise in frustration. Spare yourself the agony.
As expected, Barry’s plan goes awry, leading him to an alternate timeline where he encounters his 18-year-old self, a college goofball with both parents alive and a penchant for saying “bro.” Here, Batman is older and hotter (Michael Keaton, forever captivating), but there are no metahumans to defend the world against General Zod, the villain from Man of Steel (Michael Shannon, visibly unenthused). Can the two Barrys, Batman, and a hastily introduced Supergirl save the day? It’s difficult to care when the movie tries so hard to impress but offers little of interest.
This version of Barry Allen is best enjoyed in small doses. In Justice League, Miller’s Flash provided a humorous counterpoint to Batman’s brooding, Wonder Woman’s strength, Cyborg’s complexity, and Aquaman’s surly demeanor. However, in The Flash, he becomes an overactive nuisance, transforming into a tiresome presence during the film’s opening action sequence. He exudes cringeworthy awkwardness and an insatiable need for approval.
DC Still Struggling With Their Sense of Humor
Upon meeting a more confident version of himself, the insecurity fades, but the exhausting energy remains. The constant bickering between the two Barrys, encompassing battle plans and home decor, along with excessive exposition to recap events from previous movies, elongates the already overly long two-hour and 24-minute runtime. While the effects team deserves credit for seamlessly integrating Miller into scenes as two distinct characters, the double dosage of the Flash becomes overwhelming.
Director Andy Muschietti, known for his horror films like Mama, It, and It: Chapter Two, attempts to infuse the movie with comedy. However, his comedic execution feels uneven and forced. Slapstick moments take an eternity to set up, hindered by excessive slow-motion effects, and often come across as bizarrely grotesque, such as the accidental swallowing of a tooth. Punchlines fall flat, lacking the desired impact.
Ironically, the film’s pacing is painstakingly slow. The electrifying excitement of Quicksilver’s sequences in X-Men: Days of Future Past, a prime example of zippy fun, remains unmatched in the Marvel/DC divide. The Flash’s running scenes lack spectacle, and while the slow-motion rescues showcase impressive feats of dexterity and ingenuity, they lack the element of joy.
In the opening scene, Flash finds himself at a crumbling hospital, attempting to save innocent victims from a gruesome fate. However, these victims are not just anyone. This franchise has razed cities, claimed countless lives, including its own heroes. Consequently, the DC movies now resort to tossing babies and even therapy dogs off skyscrapers merely for shock value.
Barry embarks on an extensive, overly protracted action sequence, using slow-motion to protect these free-falling victims from debris, stabbings, and fiery infernos. The intention is to provide humor, but it comes off as cynically calculated, relying on nostalgia while simultaneously pushing the boundaries to extremes. Perhaps the assumption is that audiences have become desensitized to the repetitive superhero spectacle. The weariness stemming from these repetitions becomes a central theme, hammered into the ground like fallen heroes.
This cynicism may have been inevitable, as The Flash feels more like a colossal marketing campaign to revive interest in upcoming DCEU titles and its extensive cinematic universe. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Michael Keaton Shines as the Fiery Batman Once Again
While a parade of talented actors has donned the iconic Batman cowl, none have matched the scintillating excitement generated by Michael Keaton, who first portrayed Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 film and returned for the darkly captivating Batman Returns. In The Flash, Keaton reprises his role, exuding a defiantly blue-collar charm and an inclination for the eccentric.
I despise much of this movie, but witnessing Keaton in this twisted iteration of Batman brings immense delight. He roams the ruins of Wayne Manor (prompting the question, “What is this? Hell?”), sporting the now-cliched Batman depression beard. However, unlike Affleck and Bale, Keaton effortlessly carries the look with a long, wavy, gray wizard wig, complemented by a beard and a stylish ascot. He personifies silver fox appeal, with the same fire in his character and eyes. When he inevitably exclaims, “I’m Batman (again),” the rush of seeing that strong jawline and structured suit is exhilarating.
While Keaton’s Batman retains his rough edges, he manages to play the straight man to the Barrys’ chaotic outbursts, reacting with impeccable comedic timing. Danny Elfman’s score from the original Batman film lends gravitas to these superhero moments, harking back to an era when the hero could be serious, and movies could be gothic, seductive spectacles that dared to take risks. However, it also serves as a reminder of the cliches and interconnectedness plaguing the current crop of films.
As enjoyable as it is to witness Keaton’s return, it feels contrived when he is compelled to rehash lines that became iconic over three decades ago. Did I squeal in fangirl delight? Absolutely. Am I part of the problem? Perhaps. Nostalgia is not limited to Keaton’s character; it permeates the film.
Avoiding spoilers, The Flash acknowledges that it cannot rely solely on its own premise, which feels tiresome despite being an adaptation of 2011’s Flashpoint. It struggles to capitalize on Miller’s chaotic charm and affords newcomer Sasha Calle minimal screen time to make an impact as a character who mainly serves as a reflection of a pre-established hero. Keaton injects the movie with sex appeal and magnetic charisma, recalling the era of ’80s stardom. But his Batman ultimately plays second fiddle, appearing only an hour into the film, which proves too little and too late to salvage this self-destructive venture.
The Flash, under Muschietti’s direction, overloads the screen with stars, jokes, action, and an excessive amount of exposition related to the DC universe. One may yearn for simpler times when movies focused on telling their own stories rather than assuming audiences’ familiarity with dozens of interconnected narratives. Within this sea of spectacle, overloaded with impressive yet jarringly uncanny CGI action, the film devolves into a mess. The Flash aims to cater to studio demands, the fickleness of fans, the insatiable craving for nostalgia, and the ever-elusive quest for originality while retreading familiar ground. Unfortunately, it fails on all counts.
