I can’t remember the last movie I saw when the smile on my face was as big it was while watching The Flash. It’s that good and that much fun. It’s also the latest film in the DC Extended Universe and the “clean-up” movie, as it were, for the lingering remnants of Zack Snyder’s dark vision of the DC Comics’ world(s).
The Snyder films had some high points, with the introduction of the Flash (Ezra Miller) in the Justice League movie being among them, but they were mostly downers that left one feeling depressed and hopeless – the opposite emotion of what a superhero movie is supposed to deliver.
Based on the Flashpoint series of graphic novels, The Flash has a much lighter tone and the movie is equal parts comedic and deadly serious (in a comic-book way.) I’ve grown tired of the convoluted multi-verse and time-travel storylines in superhero films and this one has time-travel at the core of its premise, but it delivers a clear and satisfying story that is at the base of the Flash’s origin.
The narrative allows for multiple, rewarding surprises that I won’t get into, but it should be no surprise that Michael Keaton returns as Batman and Bruce Wayne (this plays heavily in the film’s trailers). In this age of retro-superhero-revival, Keaton’s return could have come off as just a gimmick, but instead it is a stroke of genius and his appearance works perfectly.
I’m aware of some of Ezra Miller’s off-screen misadventures, but I haven’t really followed his personal issues, nor do I care. But I can say that Miller shines in this role and delivers two incredible performances (as he plays Barry Allen from two different timelines.) Whatever is going on with this actor, I very much hope to see him again in this role. (Maybe James Gunn, overlord of the new and upcoming DCEU era, will be able to relate to Ezra’s youthful indiscretions and give him a break.)
Directed by Andy Muschietti with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, the special effects here are first-rate, and I love the way they portray the Flash super-speed power. In fact, a sequence that involves a hospital maternity ward is worth the price of admission all by itself. (And be sure to stick around to see that sequence revisited from a different angle during the end credits – it’s so much fun!)
The Flash is easily my favorite of the DCEU films and my advice is to see it as fast as you can, before anyone spoils all the fun for you.
