It’s time to dip our toes into another Multi-Verse movie, and this time it’s with DC characters. The Flash is hitting theaters this weekend and will bring the story of Barry Allen to the screen and his unending desire to save people in the wake of his mother’s death. But is the movie something that fans will actually like? It is full of cameos, a bunch of other super-heroes, and iconic moments that they may like, but it might not be enough.
Fans of the television version of The Flash, or the comics in general know the whole story already. The episodic version of Barry Allen’s life and how he became The Flash and his fight to free his father from falsely being accused of his mother’s death plays out much slower. But in the 2-hour and 35-minute movie, we get the whole story and a lot of fan service overall.
The movie makes it screamingly clear that Warner Bros and DC have continually recast the iconic characters over and over again as Barry and his younger version of himself hop through the fragmented reality they created by changing the time continuum. In almost mocking itself, WB uses The Flash to bring back multiple versions of every character they have recasts throughout the last couple of decades, and even showing versions that were just in the works along the way. It is almost a mix of the studio making fun of the way these characters have been approached but also paying homage to them at the same time.
This version of The Flash is played by Ezra Miller, whose name in the news cycle may be enough to scare some audience members away from the movie itself. However, Ezra portrays not just the version of The Flash, Barry Allen, who is the center of the story, but a younger version of the character who is wildly different. Their portrayal of both versions of Allen is actually quite entertaining and can lead to some actually funny moments overall. It makes you wish that the scandals didn’t taint the very idea of the actor and the role before going to see the movie – otherwise providing a much different experience and possibly a more enjoyable movie overall.
Yes, The Flash may make the fans jump for joy when they see their favorite version of a character appear on the screen – but overall it ends up messy. It feels like, as is usually the case, DC is late to the multi-verse game when it comes to comic book movies. Sure this was written in comics a long time about, and the Flash Point storyline isn’t anything new – but the release of this story now when every other superhero movie is dealing with a multi-verse seems like a pale attempt at copying the more successful stories that have recently hit screens.
However, this could be the redemption the DC so dearly needs setting itself up for a reset. Yes, we have a TV version of The Flash and Super Girl that fans absolutely have loved for several seasons, and now with Ezra Miller’s portrayal of The Flash even with their own recent scandals happening – maybe this is an opportunity for a fresh start. What would that mean for the DCU and the future of The Flash and other characters? Maybe it means that the next version is a new actor since Grant Gustin is stepping down from his role in the CW series and Warner Bros could recast someone who better fits the role without the baggage and scandal that Miller brought to the release long before it had a release date.
Whatever happens, The Flash is going to be some fan’s favorite movie in the DCU and leave other audience members reeling after watching it. The movie is currently up against a huge fight in theaters against yet another multi-verse movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse which is currently breaking records at the box-office.
Overall Rating:
About The Flash:
Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe? Starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue and Michael Keaton.
Directed by Andy Muschietti.
(WARNER BROS.)
Rated PG-13
