The Flash is the story of the fastest person on the planet. Being the Justice League’s one-man clean-up crew isn’t easy. If anything, for Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), it’s downright lonely. His other superhero pals always seem to be on other adventures, and his real family—well that’s a whole other mess. Several years in the past, an unknown assailant murdered Barry’s mom. In the aftermath, the court system erroneously tried and convicted Barry’s father (Ron Livingston) for the crime. When Barry discovers he has the power to go back in time, he takes the opportunity to save his mother. By doing so unfortunately, The Flash creates an alternate timeline where the world is in serious peril. Seemingly stuck in doomed universe, Barry seeks out help from this new Earth’s Batman (Michael Keaton).
What works in The Flash is the writing and characterization. Miller plays dual roles—a modern Flash, and a younger version prior to receiving speed powers. Through this, The Flash (finally) gives Barry Allen incredible depth as the audience gets to experience his wit, humor, insecurities, and most importantly his heroism. Additionally, Keaton and Ben Affleck (Justice League) both give remarkable performances as their respective iterations of Bruce Wayne. Keaton especially appears to relish being back in the suit. He goes all-in on the fun by being incredibly self-aware of the qualities that first endeared him in the role all the way back to 1989’s Batman. The chemistry between all of the characters is palpable and it drives up the stakes of the film.
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The MVP of The Flash is writer Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey). Hodson’s script is exceptionally sharp, befitting of these characters who we often forget are incredibly intelligent. The Flash is at its absolute best when the two Allens are motormouth arguing, or Barry is strategizing with Batman. Hodson weaves together dialogue that provides fresh insight into iconic heroes, while also being endlessly entertaining thanks to a mix of dry humor and enough references to make even the most passionate DC aficionado giddy.
People who have grown weary of the recent CGI onslaught may not enjoy The Flash as much as others. While some moments are realized quite creatively—like Barry’s super running—other sequences feel dated in terms of their visual polish. Furthermore, some of The Flash’s big budget battles feel almost superfluous amidst a 2-hour plus runtime. One wonders if the studio felt compelled to add more excitement into a film that was doing just fine already by focusing on character development. Finally, some may feel that The Flash relies too heavily on the nostalgic gimmick with inclusions and cameos that serve very little purpose beyond surprising the audience.
The Flash is incredibly fun and accessible. While it serves as a continuation of the previous DCU films (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League), one could go in fresh and still enjoy the proceedings without feeling lost. While the finale may be a bit bloated, a fantastic script coupled with great performance energy make The Flash a solid summer blockbuster.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Aquaman
The Flash is available exclusively in theaters starting on June 16th.
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