By [ad_1]
After many years of development and delays, The Flash finally makes its way to the big screen. Barry Allen’s solo act is an emotional journey of being a hero and the choices they have to make to become one. Being that this is a loose adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline from the comics, The Flash gives this popular comic book event a modern update while keeping the integrity of the source material intact. Thanks to the direction of Andy Muschietti, it is clear that there is love and admiration for the scarlet speedster to create something incredible to highlight his abilities that dazzle on screen as part of a whimsical time-travel story. There’s plenty to love about The Flash, whether it’s the characterization or the fan service for those who are familiar with the comics. At the end of the day, The Flash may truly be one of DC’s best works yet.
In The Flash, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) has embraced his role as a superhero as he helps heroes like Batman (Ben Affleck) save lives and stop criminals. However, the one thing that keeps him going is proving his father’s innocence in the murder of his mother many years ago. This is when Barry discovers that his speed can help him go back in time through the speed force, which can help him change things like preventing his mother’s murder. By time-traveling to the past, Barry inadvertently changes his present and realizes that his meddling with time can have dire consequences. It is a story of Barry Allen’s journey in reconciling with his mistakes and accepting events of his life as they are. By using Flashpoint as a blueprint for the film’s plot, it establishes the origin story of Barry Allen without the need of being like other superhero movies.
Despite the film’s title, there are a lot of other characters in the mix that are also a central focus, especially Batman. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to have the Dark Knight be a part of Barry’s journey as it avoids overshadowing the main hero. Audiences get to see Ben donning the cowl once more in a much-defined role than his previous outings. It seems like he is at his most vulnerable when it comes to playing the mentor to Barry. They have a lot in common when it comes to losing parents, which is why the relationship between these two is what makes this the heart of the film. We see Bruce Wayne becoming more open to his young pupil in learning the ways of being a hero, even if Barry thinks he can fix everything when in reality, that isn’t always the case.
The Flash also introduces audiences to another version of Batman, played by Michael Keaton as he reprises his role as the character from the Tim Burton films. This take on the character is an old relic who has tons of experience under his belt donning the cape as Gotham City’s protector. Keaton is shown as more of a recluse since he doesn’t seem as if he’s needed anymore. Keaton becomes more of a fan service as he delivers lines from his films that can be a bit cartoonish in contrast to Affleck’s version. One of the coolest things with Keaton is getting to see him fight like never before through the use of visual effects. Even having the original score from Danny Elfman would please audiences as they see Keaton returning to one of his famous roles. Keaton fits into Batman like a glove and hasn’t skipped a beat, reminding everyone what made him one of the best actors to portray one of DC’s most popular characters. What we get is a fresh take on Keaton’s Batman who is much older but can still kick some butt, which can be somewhat unbelievable and yet still fun to watch on screen. It often feels a lot like watching a sequel to Batman Returns as we catch up with the character after all these years.
We also get introduced to a new superhero in the form of Supergirl, played by Sasha Calle. After her introduction, Sasha truly shines as Kara Zor-El, who is the complete opposite of Superman as she doesn’t have a lot of trust in humanity. It puts her face to face with General Zod, which Michael Shannon reprises his role from Man of Steel and is still very menacing as ever. There’s a hidden anger within Kara that makes it a compelling character to get behind. Sasha tries her best with what is given to her, but it often feels like there isn’t enough of her to go around. She becomes more of a MacGuffin than just a fleshed-out character. It would be great to see what more she can do, but so far this is a great way to introduce Supergirl into the DC film spectrum where other versions have tried and failed.
What the film excels at is making the whole focus on Barry Allen with a unique spin on it. It is perhaps one of the most surprisingly good parts of The Flash. With Barry meeting his younger self, it gives audiences a better understanding of where he came from and how his personality developed over time. Ezra Miller pulls double duty in playing both roles, which is not an easy feat but he manages to pull it off. He completely gives two very distinct roles, giving us different sides to him. He can be completely goofy and hilarious when he’s the young version, while the present version shows the vulnerability and the burden he carries on his shoulders in being the hero he needs to be. The scenes that Ezra carries with both characters play off each other well thanks to well-scripted dialogue.
In a film like The Flash, it would require so much CGI to create the visuals needed to showcase Barry’s speed. What the film does well is displayed just how fast Barry can go and find inventive ways to show the benefits and the dangers of having these abilities. When he goes back in time, we see the timeline displayed for all to see, which is effective in showing just how powerful Barry can be with this particular skill. The visual effects do often fall flat in some of these sequences, especially during the third act. The film has the impossible task of rendering people inside the speed force with these visuals and sometimes it feels like more polish needs to be done to refine it. For a movie that deals with time travel, some parts can take audiences out of that experience and that can be a big distraction for the big moments that take place in the movie.
The Flash is ultimately a movie that has big ambitions for the story that mostly delivers in giving a visual spectacle while telling a very humane story. There is a lot to love about the movie, whether it’s the time travel, the incredible fan service, or just seeing Barry’s path as a hero unfolds on the big screen. It is a heartwarming but tragic take on a character that fans are very familiar with. The powerful performances from the cast help elevate the story that brings the DC Universe full circle. Even though the visuals can be somewhat messy, especially in the third act, The Flash is an entertaining superhero flick that proves to be one of the best that DC has put out in a while.
The Flash premieres in theaters on June 16, 2023.
[ad_2]
