Superhero movies have been around for a very long time and they have grown, evolved, and have been rebooted more often than not. Some versions are incredibly well done while others are in a word...awful. There are a number of superheroes from several different companies but the two main "universes" are the MCU and the DCU. The former started the decade off strong while the latter has been marred with controversy and that doesn't look like it is going to change anytime in the near future. Coming to theaters on June 16, 2023, The Flash has already been embroiled in chaos and scandal but the real question is can the final product withstand the scrutiny?
Barry Allen (Ezra Miller; The Perks of Being a Wallflower) has lived much of his life without his parents. When he was young, Barry walked into the kitchen to see his mother bleeding and his father holding her and yelling at Barry to call 911. By the time the police arrived, Barry's mother was dead and his father was convicted of killing her.
As an adult, Barry works in a chemical lab but after he ends up in a freaky accident he discovers he has gained super powers, especially super speed. Suddenly he realizes he can go back in time by using his speed and decides to go and "save his parents" despite warnings against it. Of course, things don't go according to plan and Barry meets an alternate version of Batman (Michael Keaton; Beetlejuice) and himself, not to mention, Superwoman in place of Superman.
Anytime a storyline includes time travel, it often ends in a jumbled, confused mess and The Flash, sadly, is no exception. I wouldn't be surprised if there were continuity issues but because it all movies by quickly they would more than likely wouldn't be easy to see As a plot, there isn't anything shocking since the majority of time travel tales includes an entity ending up somewhere they don't belong and interacting with people they know, thus altering the future or changing the events on a parallel timeline.
Director Andy Muschietti (It: Chapter Two) is terrific in planning visual effects so with a movie like this, one would expect some incredible CGI work. However, with effects on this grand of scale, there is always room for improvement. Muschietti tries hard to balance the story and visuals but there are moments where one or the other suffers a bit. However, overall, he does a good job.
You know the movie has some issues when the audience is more excited to see the supporting cast and cameo appearances as opposed to watching the lead. This is where much of the controversy lies so those moments make it even more frustrating. First, Miller obviously has some mental health and legal problems but it was too late to go back and reshoot the whole film. Second, the cameos, while great, makes no reference to Henry Cavill's Superman after DC claimed he was coming back only to fire him less than a month later as well as Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (which I think was truly excellent casting).
Admittedly, The Flash could have been better, but it also could have been much, much worse. There will be fans and audiences that won't see this film because of 1) Miller and his bizarre behavior and/or 2) the decision to change the talent moving forward. I'm not sure what the DCU and Warner Bros. are doing but I thought the previous casting choices were wonderful and you know the old saying. "If It ain't broken, don't fix it".
The Flash runs (pun intended) over two hours and, as per my typical complaint, it could have been shorter. Having said that, it isn't miserably horrible but neither is it as good as Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Grade: C+
