The Flash Review: Lightning-Fast Quips With an Electrifying Cast
Multiverse movies have become the latest craze in the entertainment industry, thanks to modern superhero blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. Non-superhero films like Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Lego Movie are also recent films fueling this trend. With the recent release of Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse, which debuted just weeks before The Flash hits theaters on June 16th, audiences are sure to be wondering how The Flash will measure up.
The “janitor of the Justice League” finally comes into his own — The Flash review
Based on the iconic Flashpoint story-line from DC Comics, this film centers around an event in Barry Allen’s (Ezra Miller) past — the tragic death of his mother. As if the pain of losing her wasn’t enough, his father was wrongfully accused of the crime and unjustly imprisoned. Left to fend for himself as a child, Barry eventually becomes a member of the renowned superhero team, The Justice League, following appearances in other DCEU films such as Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Suicide Squad. Juggling his dual identity as Barry Allen the chemist and speedy superhero The Flash, Barry feels somewhat dejected as he sees himself as just the “janitor of the Justice League.” But when he discovers he has the power to manipulate time, he’s tempted to go back to save his mother’s life and prevent his father from having to serve time in prison.
Caption: (L-R) EZRA MILLER as Barry Allen/The Flash, EZRA MILLER as Barry Allen/The Flash and SASHA CALLE as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE FLASH,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
After seeking counsel from his confidant, Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Ben Affleck), on the ethics of time travel, Barry realizes that altering the timeline could trigger the butterfly effect with unforeseeable results. This prompts Barry to contemplate whether he should change the past and rescue his deceased mother, or follow Bruce’s example of accepting fate, as he had done with the loss of his own parents.
Who should go and see The Flash? — The Flash review
This film is a total treat for DC super-fans, with plenty of easter eggs and cameos to uncover. But even if you’re not a hardcore fan, you’ll still appreciate the sharp humor and robust plot. The film rewards eagle-eyed viewers, with not-so-secret appearances from Sasha Calle‘s Kara Zor-El, aka Superman’s cousin Supergirl, and Michael Keaton‘s other-dimensional Batman. Calle‘s performance is especially captivating, bringing the same steely resolve that Henry Cavill brought to his role as Superman. And Keaton‘s return as Batman is simply thrilling, with plenty of iconic dialogue and action scenes. He acts as a guide for Barry, bringing level-headed thinking to the team to balance out Barry’s eccentric ideas and showing him how to be a true superhero.
Final takeaways from the film — The Flash review
The Flash started off at a speedy pace, but the finale felt jumbled and left loose ends untied. Like too many superhero movies, it relied on an under-developed villain and CGI battles instead of character-driven storytelling. Much of the gravity from earlier scenes shattered under the weight of this lackluster ending.
However, The Flash isn’t a complete misfire as it shows DC heading in the right direction to improve its cinematic universe. Overall, it was a great film that balances humor, action, and fan service in just the right way. The next big question is what comes next, given DC’s recent leadership shakeup, led by newly appointed co-CEO James Gunn, alongside his counterpart, co-CEO Peter Safran. Gunn has publicly promised a studio-wide reboot and it’s unclear if a sequel will even materialize with all the critical buzz. Can DC keep up the momentum, especially with potential drama surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller? Time will tell.
Interested in seeing it for yourself? Be sure to grab tickets below at Hollywood.com!
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