This review was made possible by an advance screening of The Flash. The Flash releases in theaters on June 16, 2023.
On 15 October 2014, The Flash was announced by Warner Bros. Just a week prior, The Flash (TV Series) premiered on the CW. Now, in 2023, with the TV series wrapping a nine-season run, the movie finally races into cinemas. Whether it be by divine intervention or just pure luck, The Flash is a film bursting with heart, with an incredible double performance from its star. At its core, it’s a story about learning to let go, coming to terms with the loss of a loved one and treasuring their memory, and the journey of learning what it means to become a true hero.
When we find Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) once more in the DCEU, he’s working a menial job in the Central City crime lab— working case after case while finding the spare time to aid in his own father’s case… who’s serving a life sentence for a murder he didn’t commit. During a moment of crisis, Barry once again is able to tap into the very same power he used to reverse time in Russia, saving not just the Justice League, but the world. With this, Barry uses his access to the timeline and decides to go back in time to save his mother— resulting in a ‘Flashpoint’-like storyline with some adjustments and changes from the comics.
Seeing Double
First and foremost, this is a Flash movie through and through. Many worried, due to the marketing and cast, that Barry would get lost in the shadow of the bat – but that just isn’t the case at all. Barry Allen is the beating heart of this story, with Miller playing double trouble as a younger version of the character, from the newly formed timeline. One of the biggest risks with something like this is the performances not syncing up well in post. Sure, a body double helps, but it doesn’t always work. Here, it’s executed incredibly well – both Barrys bounce off each other fantastically and share great chemistry.
The dynamic mirrors Barry’s own with Ben Affleck’s Batman. The Barry we know is quite childish, and learning to use his powers to save people. By existing alongside this younger version of himself, Barry matures and witnesses what can happen when these powers fall into the hands of someone ill-suited for the responsibility. That’s why Flashpoint works so well as a starter story. Young Barry exists solely to help older Barry understand what he has to become. And they’re hilarious together – their Speed Force training sessions will deliver some big laughs.
A Super Supporting Cast
The Flash isn’t alone, as the film has banked big on the return of Michael Keaton as the caped crusader— picking up the cowl for the first time in decades for this film— and filling a role previously held by Thomas Wayne in the original Flashpoint storyline. Keaton’s presence is fun and pretty campy; it’s obvious that he was having a good amount of fun in the role.
Some may feel it’s a grab at nostalgia, he serves his purpose. By seeing this older Batman who has achieved his goal of ridding Gotham of its crime, Barry understands that getting everything that you could ever want isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Keaton’s Batman instils in him that the scars of your past are what make you strong.
Coming much later in the film is relative newcomer Sasha Calle, sporting the crest of the House of El as the newest Supergirl. Kara gets a story very similar to that of ‘Flashpoint’ Superman, being hidden away for decades in a secret government facility. Calle brings a good level of fierceness to the role, and plays this angle of the character quite well.
The downside is really just how little she is in the film; it would be a shame to see her lose this role after making such a splash in the scenes that she does get in the film. She does get some cool fight scenes, as seen in the marketing, but she doesn’t really get to share any moments with the others besides those scenes. I think it would’ve just been much more beneficial to her character— and some scenes later on down the line— if she was able to have just a bit more time with either of the Barrys or even Keaton’s Batman.
However, the sleeper performance here is found in Barry’s mother, Nora Allen, played by French Actress Maribel Verdú, who is absolutely perfect. She brings such a warm presence to the screen and really anchors the story. All of her scenes and her place in the film are just perfect, bringing such a strong maternal energy to the plot. Her relationship with Barry throughout the film is so heartwarming, you can feel the love.
On the opposite side of things, Michael Shannon returns as General Zod, and he’s… just fine, lacking the energy and rage he brought to the role in Man of Steel. Zod and his army of banished Kryptonians appear as a bump in the road for this ragtag group of Justice Leaguers. Shannon just gives off the vibe that he absolutely doesn’t want to be there, but a purpose is served nonetheless— of course, without going into spoilers that is. The actual villain of the film, if you can even call him that, is actually one of the strongest aspects of the film, and really ties the story and Barry’s arc in this film together incredibly well.
Style and Direction
It must be made clear that the cut of The Flash this review is based on is an unfinished cut. Before screening began, we were greeted with a video message from director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti. The two confirmed that the film was not finished in the state we were about to view it. Aside from obvious story additions removed in order to guarantee secrecy, it did not feel fair to judge the film on its VFX, as some in the film felt unfinished.
There is one instance of a recurring use of CGI where everything feels very raw, with everything looking like it’s right out of an early 2000s video game. It’s unclear if this was a stylistic approach to Barry’s time travel, but its continuous use felt like it was meant to look that way.
Final Thoughts – ‘The Flash’
The Flash is well worth the wait in a multiverse-level film with the heart to match it. Ezra Miller turns in a heartfelt double performance alongside Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle. Andy Muschietti has constructed not just a love letter to the character, but to the DC Universe as a whole.
The Flash releases in theaters on June 16, 2023. Check out the trailer below.
The Review
The Flash
The Flash is well worth the wait in a multiverse-level film with the heart to match it. Ezra Miller turns in a heartfelt double performance alongside Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle. Andy Muschietti has constructed not just a love letter to the character, but to the DC Universe as a whole.
