Despite Flash’s superhuman speed, the journey to the finish line (his first movie! live action solo!) threatened to be frustrating and endless. Plans to bring the scarlet sprinter to the big screen had been brewing since the 80s; with a variety of directors, writers and actors joining the effort over the course of several decades, without any project paying off. Then, even after Warner Bros. Pictures finally cast Ezra Miller in the lead role, the delays and conflicts continued for nearly another ten years. But in the end, there was no insurmountable obstacle on the race track. Flash It’s officially in theaters and it’s up to viewers to decide if the long wait was worth it.
A new time line
In the film directed by Andy Muschietti, we meet again with the young Barry Allen / Flash of the DCEU, who tries to earn a living as a forensic scientist, while fulfilling the superheroic tasks that the Justice League demands of him. Plus, he’s still traumatized by the murder of his mother and the arrest of his father. Hence, when an unusual opportunity presents itself, Barry decides to travel to the past to correct the tragic fate of his parents. However, this creates an alternate reality in which General Zod—a soulless variant of the character played by Michael Shannon in the man of steel— threatens to destroy life on earth.
Flash thus begins the desperate search for new metahumans to help him defeat him, through a story that composes a tonal mix between the funniest side of the DCEU (Shazam!) and the darkest (all directed by Zack Snyder). On this same line, each saying that Flash he drives his sense of humor to a very satisfying degree; his insatiable referential toying with Back to the Future it will make fans grin from ear to ear and maybe go into Leonardo DiCaprio pointing finger mode.
On the other hand, it is in the third act (at the time of becoming entirely serious) that Flash is at its worst, with a confusing and rushed climax that makes it difficult to connect emotionally with the plot. In the balance of comedy and drama —impossible not to make the comparison— Spider-Man: No Way Home comes out better off. But as far as handling the multiverse is concerned, the lightning runner movie presumes the virtue of contributing to its understanding, instead of just placing it at the service of nostalgia.
A stunning cast
The interpretive work of Flash is outstanding, starting with Ezra Miller, who with this feature film was finally able to appropriate the nuances of Barry Allen. The script even allows the star to show off even more by requiring her to share scenes with herself; two impeccably resolved Barry variants with the perfect dose of similarity and divergence. The chemistry between the two characters—which Miller carries entirely on his shoulders—grows and deepens in a very organic way, offering great moments not only of comic relief, but also of heated arguments.
The two Spanish-speaking members of the main cast also steal spotlight with ease. Maribel Verdú gives an endearing interpretation of Nora Allen in scenes where the true heart of the film seems to be glimpsed; each accompanied by a distinctive musical. And Sasha Calle, as a never-before-seen version of Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, is simply terrific. Although she has a very limited participation, her presence is never lacking in strength and magnetism enough to beg James Gunn (the current head honcho of the franchise) to keep Calle within the emerging DC Universe.
However, Flash It goes beyond “Batman Returns.” Actually, it is an unobjectionable statement of “Michael Keaton forever.” Burton’s Batman returned from retirement to reassert himself as a highly iconic and one-of-a-kind personification of the super-sleuth. We’ve never seen him kick ass with such acrobatics and at such a high level of spectacle; that is obvious. But aside from those minor deviations in his characterization, he remains the dogged “wonder-toy” vigilante that fans idolize and that only Keaton—with the best “I’m Batman” voice around—can bring to life. life.
A little tuned Speed Force
The biggest flaw of Flash it’s the staggering quality of its visual effects. On more than one occasion, it’s obvious and annoying the overuse of CGI that—whether it was a creative decision or not—doesn’t feel polished enough overall. There is an absurd rescue sequence that is intended to portray hyperspeed in a different way than what was seen with Quicksilver in the saga. X Menbut visually there is a lot to be done, not to say that it results in something as ridiculous as the situation itself posed at that moment in the film.
If since the promotional previews there were viewers who feared a deficiency in the visual effects department, the final cut sadly does not refute such suspicions. And again to the detriment of the third act, it is there where such weaknesses become mostly unforgivable.
But despite his stumbles—including a floating head that is sure to be very unfavorable to remember Thor: Love and Thunder—, when he proposes it, Flash makes the images on the screen a real delight. Such is the case of Barry Allen’s first race at the very beginning of the film, or Batman flying through the air, with the moon and the Batplane in the background.
Flash it’s guaranteed entertainment from start to finish. It’s hard to consider it one of the best superhero movies of all time; even more so when it shares the billboard with another multiversal project of the stature of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, it is easily positioned in the Top 3 of the most outstanding titles of the dying DCEU. It’s a barrage of references, hilarious events, well-sustained nostalgia, and plenty of reasons to gawk.
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.