The Flash Review
The review of what is hyped up to be the bridge into the new DC cinematic universe. Will it be a lasting experience or just a flash in the pan.
Issues
I would like to start with the negative aspects of the film and the most immediate issue is the CGI. Even when watching trailers for the film the CGI looked bad, it is very noticeable with main Barry's suit to where I don't know if they ever had a real Flash suit on set or if it was always CGI. The CGI should have been given the proper time it deserves when trying to create a film that is meant to be so epic. This is not a small-scale film like the first Shazam, instead it is a cinematic universe shaking film that is akin to Marvel's Civil War from 2016. This movie will be the explanation for recasts, and I hope the events that took place are brought up in future films. Without the proper CGI it makes the film look cheap and rushed.
Another main issue I have is the main villain, and have no worries there will be no spoilers, and while I do like the villain and everything they stand for in terms of Barry's role as the Flash, I wish the villain had more screentime and was a more prominent threat in the film. There could have been a lot done in terms of villain shenanigans but that was not present in the film.
Everything with the Ezra Miller controversy.
Positives
I really liked the narrative and character development in the film. The way that The Flash hasn't had a movie before and this one gives the audience a great understanding of one of the most difficult things for Flash to overcome, not being able to save everyone. He is the fastest man alive, and he can't save everyone, this is a terrible burden for the Flash. Not everything can be solved and that is the main theme of this story and is my favorite thing to explore with superheroes. Characters like Batman or the Hulk deal with their other personas taking over their lives and who they really are, this is also an interesting plot to pursue, but the heroes failing reminds them why they are heroes in the first place.
The side characters also offer good character development, like what happens to Bruce Wayne if Gotham is peaceful, what happens if a Kryptonian experiences the worst parts of humanity rather than the best? Could things have been better if it stuck with the comic better? Yes, but I also enjoyed seeing a different take on the source material and the best change was having two Barrys.
Having the two Barrys brought me to appreciate his character more and how his mother's death changed his entire way of thinking and who he is as the Flash. The two were also really funny together and I was shocked at how many times I actually laughed. I'm not one to typically laugh in a movie theatre but the comedy actually works in this movie, especially with the awkward but charismatic performance by Ezra Miller. It is a shame that Ezra is steeped in controversy and the movie is bombing at the box office because Ezra's on-screen performance should be celebrated. Ezra did a terrific job at playing the same character so completely differently, the two Barry's have different appearances but I would still be able to tell the difference if they were identical. Both Barry's play a different role in the story and as heroes. Even though they both are the Flash the lived experiences are so dramatically different that their demeanors are worlds away. Barry is the heart of the Justice League like how Clark is the hope and Bruce is the brains, and this film showed that heart.
The action scenes after the first one were fun and had me glued to the screen especially the final fight. The final battle may not have been this epic war with a superb villain who we actively root against, but it was fun seeing everyone do their thing.
Summary
The Flash has many issues but the core of the film and character are able to shine through. I moved on quickly from the lacking visual effects and instead enjoyed the movie for everything that was left, whether it was the characters, the action, or the writing, I enjoyed this movie and can't wait for the Blu-ray release as this film is one I'd love to keep revisiting. I feel as though a common complaint about recent superhero movies is that they are meant for set-up, like Ant-man's Quantumania, but the Flash was meant to be this big change in the DC universe, and it wasn't. Instead, I got a film about the struggles of being the fastest man alive (at least until Wally West gets his debut).
I give the Flash
8 Nuts out of 10.
