The Flash Review – It’s Pretty Good! Go Watch It

Here’s my The Flash review which stars Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon and more. The film is directed by Andy Muschietti from DC Comics and Warner Bros Pictures.

Ezra Miller dashes to the silver screen for a solo adventure that’s loosely based on Geoff Johns’ Flashpoint book which also kickstarted the DCU reboot aka the New 52 which was also the inspiration for Flash’s costume for this series.

Anyway most of the stars here in the film are great well maybe except for Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl. Ezra Miller, the problematic man-child that they are, was impressive as this version of Barry Allen. It’s nice to know that given a tight script he shines without looking like a perv due to the machinations of a has-been director. I’ve become so jaded about the actor that I was caught off guard with that sweet moment at the end of the film.

In essence The Flash is a superhero version of the film “The Time Machine” in which the main character travels back in time to save someone.only to lose them over and over again. Or if you want to have a Marvel analogy, its that “What If” episode with Doctor Strange where he tries over and over again to save Christine Palmer’s life.

Flash Fact

The movie did Barry right with a number of things. There was this one set piece where viewers get to see just how fast Barry Allen is post-Justice League. Not only do we see his speed, we also get to see how he uses his brains to deal with dangerous situations. We didn’t see that in the Zack Snyder/ Joss Whedon movie although the latter did hint at what he can really do.

Throughout the film, we quickly skims around the different aspects of Flash’s powers like vibrating through solid surfaces and obviously, time travel.

I did want to see more about the brainy aspect of Barry’s life where he incorporates his forensic skills and scientific knowledge but we only see glimpses of this.

Uncanny Flash

Here’s my biggest gripe for the film. There are just some CG that looks horrible. And it’s not like something you can turn a blind on because it’s sooooo pronounced.

Case in point, there’s a scene in the film that sets up the idea of how Barry travels through time and (without spoiling) it shows scenes from the past from the big early action set piece to Justice League. Thing is rather than just use footage, they opted to convert scenes into CGI which is giving me these “Uncanny Valley” vibes.

The CG is also a little wonky when it comes to some scenes with Barry prime and this Earth’s Barry. But that’s a small nitpick.

Casting

Surprisingly Ezra Miller is pretty good here. There are two Barry Allen here and we get Prime Barry to actually mature a little bit and that’s because he sees just how annoying his younger version is. We get two versions of acting for Miller here and both have their own appealing moments.

Sasha Calle’s Supergirl was just OK for me. She should’ve been given more lines for her role to make what happens to her more impactful.

Michael Keaton returns as Batman 89 here and I am all for it. This Batman is smart and although old, is still believable when it comes to fight. I gotta tip my hat to Muschietti for giving us some sweet, sweet Batman action scenes and fan-service moments whether it was showcasing the importance of Batman’s cape to being able to fight Kryptonians to just kicking and punching in the Batman costume.

Even Ben Affleck’s Batman is doing a farewell performance and it was exceptional and continues the version of Batman that rolls with superheroes. Those few precious moments were so good too plus we also see the return of Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth and he’s got some nice interactions with Barry.

Fun Factor

I really did have fun watching The Flash. They got the perfect balance of humor for this film without going the MCU way (looking at you Thor: Love and Thunder). It’s such a kick to see Michael Keaton as Batman after all these years complete with catchphrases he’s used in the Tim Burton movies. More than that, The Flash shows heart. Director Andy Muschietti was the right man for the job because he understood the assignment. Again, wasn’t expecting to tear up at one bit in the film but here we are. Bring tissue when you plan to watch this.

The Flash is a quick jolt of fun and old-school superhero romp with some heart. Catch the movie when it opens June 14 in theaters including SM Cinemas and SM IMAX.

VERDICT: 8.5/10

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