Review: Andy Muschietti's 'The Flash' Movie Is A Fun Love Letter To DC
By Manuel Sao Bento
June 14, 2023
When a franchise reboots, it's usually announced at length in a press release, and fans simply have to accept that what comes next will be part of an overarching new adventure that's separate from what came before. However, in perhaps an unprecedented way, the DCEU has had an opportunity to "reboot the narrative" with The Flash , which is the main reason I'm so excited for the next film, one of the last in this cinematic universe. It's called the DC Universe (DCU). Additionally, the fact that director Andy Muschietti ( Mama , It , Chapter Two ) and screenwriter Christina Hodson ( Bumblebee , Birds of Prey ) were in charge of the film gave reassurance that the film was in good hands. Again, external circumstances influenced the blockbuster's release, so I have to stress that these issues didn't affect my reviews. Additionally, I won't go into spoiler details, instead treating everything the studio has been involved with in its marketing - from the trailer to the TV commercial - as background information.
Flash should be well received by the target group. For comic book fans there are many interesting moments, allusions, references and callbacks, but for me personally the biggest surprise comes from the script itself. With more heart and humor than expected, Hodson, two Barry Allens ( Ezra Miller ) not only succeeds in very different stages of their lives, but also in very different worlds, creating a poignant story about the pain and wounds of life. The fact that both of The Other Barry's parents are alive is why all of this is happening.
Andy Muschiett's The Flash follows formulas familiar from other films about time travel and "multiverse" theories, and at one point in the film makes its rules about the space-time continuum clear to the audience. Had the film come out a few years earlier, the predictability of this novel wouldn't have been so obvious, but Hodson manages to keep the story interesting thanks to the dynamic between the two versions of the comic book hero. From the similarities in their lives to their meaty storylines, it's really cool to see the super-fast superhero's origin story from the perspective of a different, more experienced version of himself.
Ezra Miller is a very good character in this film, playing two versions of the same role while delivering more complex, complicated and dramatic performances than anything he has seen before. I never thought an actor would be capable of being a "dumb guy," but Miller showed in The Flash that he could direct a blockbuster of this magnitude. However, Miller is in the limelight with two supporting characters that would drive many moviegoers insane for various reasons: Michael Keaton , who reprises the role of Batman from the Tim Burton films (1989 and 1992) , and Sasha Kaley as Supergirl in " The Return of Krypton". On the big screen.
Anyone who's followed me for this long knows that I stopped watching trailers over six years ago before even seeing the movies in theaters. I avoid going to the cinema at all costs as I already know everything about the film I'm going to see. I understand the need for media advertising that effectively "sells" the audience what they would pay for. I even defend the idea that making trailers is an art in itself, and if those trailers are perfect, they can be etched in the memory of any viewer forever. However, I do not hide my disappointment that I did not have the opportunity to experience the presence of these two characters in cinema for the first time.
If Keaton Batman has a bigger presence and influence on the Flash's overall story - and that seems relatively early on - and his involvement in marketing is therefore understandable, that's a huge boost to what passes for Supergirl. Shocking revelation. There's no point in thinking that everyone already knows they're in the movie. In fact, one of The Flash's biggest plot points hinges on finding this Kryptonian character. Thankfully, despite the lack of surprise, Kaley makes up for it with an incredibly strong performance, which I like best given the actor's mix of personalities. I hope he can keep that role in the next DC Cinematic Universe.
I've never been a huge fan of Burton's Batman movies, but it's still fun. I was hoping that The Flash would provide action moments worthy of this Batman version, and the film provides some of those. From beautifully crafted fight sequences to awesome stunts, the usual huge movie sets, and the return of Danny Elfman's iconic theme, Batman has plenty of moments that shine, as does Supergirl and, of course, The Flash(s). The superhero costumes are stunning and epic and the music by composer Benjamin Walfish is highly commendable.
Surprisingly, the biggest problems with Flash are on the technical side, namely the visual effects . I wouldn't have believed it for a second if I'd been told upon entering the room that I would have some criticism of the narration, but the truth is, barring the frivolous, if not pointless, remarks about the film. There is actually nothing negative to report about the "logic" surrounding time travel gadgets. Unfortunately, the graphics have some major issues that are hard to ignore, as the film's biggest distraction is its over-reliance on absolutely horrific imitation.
For most of its run , The Flash places two versions of Barry Allen directly in front of the audience and uses AI technology to recreate the actor's true face. And therein lies a major problem: there isn't a moment in the film where one suspects the identity of the fake face. It's so unusual that it raises questions about mussusetti's creative choices - assuming he had control over which characters would be real/fake - who he's playing.
The same goes for all other characters suffering from these very deep fakes. Combine that visual glitch with inconsistent CGI, especially with people and animals, and too many sections of the movie distract the audience from what's really important. The Flash has some interesting details in the action sequences, but overall the visual effects work leaves a lot to be desired and yes you saw the final cut. With the artists involved often being overwhelmed, overworked, and ridiculously underpaid, this is another red flag for Hollywood to make its VFX artists better.
Finally, I was hoping that The Flash would benefit more significantly from a James Gunn-led DCU reboot. I can't find any moments of forced fan support, but I don't think the execution will be as good as it should be. What needs to be addressed with a reasonable structure is pushed back together and "glued" together in a strange montage so that the images no longer hold together. The excitement of seeing this actor or character never wanes and it's still a love letter to DC, but more care was needed to make this special sequence a truly memorable special moment.
Final Thoughts
There are great performances in The Flash - the amazing Sasha Calle in Supergirl, epic "super fast" action sequences and tons of moments of incredible humor. The deep and intriguing parallels between Barry Allen's story arc, Life Wounds' emotional moral dilemmas, and the return of Danny Elfman's famous Batman theme are some of the things that make this wonderfully satisfying and nostalgic film with more heart than meets the eye , turn off. However, he cannot escape the predictability of his narrative formulas. It's a shame the images are so inconsistent and relying on horrible deepfakes is a negative distraction. It remains one of the best films of the nearly dissolved DCEU.
Hand grade: B+
Follow Manuel on Twitter @msbreviews / Or letterboxd - @msbreviews
