In a time- and universe-bending world where superheroes have become a constant fixture on our screens, their welcome wearing thinner by the appearance, The Flash emerges as a super enjoyable surprise. A “solo” venture that sees the DC Extended Universe taking their crack at the whole multiverse thing that has been so popularized in superhero films of the past “phase”, The Flash actually focuses on dynamic storytelling and character complexity to impressive results. Despite a runtime that confidently skates past the two and a half hour mark, director Andy Muschietti (Mama, It) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey) have crafted a tale that zips by in an exhilarating flash of character, nostalgia, and good old-fashion storytelling.
The Flash is in the rare echelon of superhero film that actually prioritizes its story, positioning plot as the film’s world engine. This is a welcome counterbalance to too many other superhero movie plots that function primarily as vehicles to patch together various action sequences and algorithmically-timed quips. That’s not to say the movie skimps on action – far from it. Be that for better or worse. But it truly shines when it digs deep into its characters, exploring their motivations, their vulnerabilities, and their resilience in the face of cosmic adversity.
Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), is an anonymous criminal justice clerk by day, savior of hospital wards full of babies plummeting to their doom by morning. We’re reintroduced to Barry the day before his father’s (Ron Livingston) criminal appeal. You may remember he was wrongly convinced of the murder of his wife. A fact that has haunted Barry and propelled just about every adult decision he’s made. When Barry discovers that he can run fast enough to quite literally turn back time, he hatches a plan to return to that fateful day that broke up his family to prevent tragedy from ever striking – a decision that has disastrous, timeline-altering consequences. The result is an often breathless journey through alternate realities, where Barry encounters a younger, powerless version of himself, and meets an alternate version of his mentor Bruce Wayne, played here by the original man to don the cape and cowl, Michael Keaton.
At its core, The Flash is a tale as old as time in that it explores the idea that time itself is immutable. It grapples with the cruel reality that not every wound can be healed by time, even when we have the means to quite literally alter reality. Our scars – emotion and physical – are not just marks of the past, the movie tells us, but are also symbols of growth and resilience. To try to erase the hardship what molds us into who and who we are is to erase the idea of adversity itself. And open a whole mess of a space-time continuum and continuity errors. But that’s a topic for another day. There’s a mature and poignant examination of the limitations of heroism here, ironically one that was just recently explored in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a Sony/Marvel joint that ironically pairs well with what DC and Muschietti have cooked up here,
The film’s humor is a welcome respite from its heavier elements, with Miller’s interaction with his alternate self proving a particular highlight. This doppelgänger dynamic adds a delightful buddy-comedy flavor to the mix, providing as many laughs as it does heartfelt moments. I’d be remiss to not also mention the brief but scene-stealing turn from Sean Rogers who appears as Barry’s roommate Gary to a thunderous laughter.
For what it’s worth, Miller has been mired in personal controversy for a while now and despite the controversy surrounding them off-screen, it’s clear to see why DC held onto them for this role. Their performance solidifies why Miller was selected for the role in the first place, channeling the myriad faces of the character – stunted, manic, responsible, aspirational, broken – into a compelling whole. For two and a half hours, Miller becomes a character worth rooting for. And that’s a bit of magic in itself. But let’s be real – it’s Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne that will sell the most tickets and he in turns steals the show.
The return of his Bruce Wayne is the shining batlight of The Flash. His reinstatement to the mantle of the Dark Knight closes the loop on a literal lifetime of comic book films while also proving a compelling return to form as well. Despite being aged (nothing a good bodty double can’t fix), Keaton is as remarkably star-powered as he was during his initial tenure. Not all returns work as well though. I’m still not sure why they brought back Michael Shannon’s General Zod: he was a bleh baddie the first time round and he’s certainly not improved much here. More than anything, his inclusion feels like a further – and unnecessary – attempt to tie in too many elements of the wider DC universe, which only pays mild dividends here.
While The Flash does boast unusual narrative complexity and character depth, it does succumb at times to ensemble overload. Between the DCEU Justice League (with appearances from a majority of that collective), alternative versions of DC legacy characters like Keaton’s Batman, and new characters like Supergirl (Sasha Calle), the film does sometimes feel overstuffed from a character perspective. Yet, somehow, it manages to weave this motley crew of divergent meta-humans into a mostly cohesive narrative tapestry that effectively explores the film’s central themes of fate, destiny, and inevitability.
However, this vibrant flash of story-driven brilliance isn’t without its dark shadows. The CGI, a critical cornerstone in any superhero movie, is at best inconsistent and at worst, distractingly underwhelming. The so-called ‘Flashzone’ – a swirling vortex of time-altered memories – is especially egregious. Its noticeably unfinished-looking visuals smack of the rubbery, lifeless graphics of yesteryear’s The Matrix Reloaded Neo vs. Agent Smiths fiasco or the dead eyes of The Polar Express. After the horrid effects in Fast X and the unimpressive visuals found in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, one is left to wonder if this is symptomatic of a larger, worrying trend in major tentpole releases and their downright disappointing VFX. To put it bluntly, The Flash certainly won’t be winning any awards for visual effects.
Despite its flaws, The Flash speeds to the front of the DCEU pack, propelled by strong storytelling, character-driven focus, and a surprisingly poignant exploration of how our battle scars come to define who we are. Its lightning-fast pacing, narrative complexity, and engaging character interactions make for a movie experience that will make even the most superhero-jaded audience member forget time itself and just give themselves over to the Flashzone, terrible effects be damned. I’m almost disappointed that this whole DCEU thing is ending now.
CONCLUSION: ‘The Flash‘ is super-powered by a good story, impressive performances, genuinely funny moments, and lots of heart though its choppy VFX and overstuffed nature keep it from reaching light speed. Nevertheless, this is one of the best entries of the DCEU, even as the shared universe enters its last lap.
B
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