The Flash (2023)

“Don’t let your tragedy define you.”

2011’s Flashpoint story, which played out across multiple DC titles, provides the backbone….and not much else, for 2023’s The Flash. If you’re familiar with Geoff Johns’ story, you know that in it, Barry Allen upsets the timeline by traveling back to the point where his mother dies and preventing her death. What follows is absolute chaos, with the Amazons battling the Atlanteans in a worldwide conflict, Barry doesn’t have his powers, Superman is apparently non-existent, and Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne, but his father, Thomas. It’s an excellent story that was adapted into a brilliant animated film in 2013 and it probably would have been a great live-action flick (perfect to reset the DCEU) had Christina Hodson (screenplay), and John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Joby Harold (story) kept most of the book’s elements intact. Instead, we get a somewhat jumbled action yarn with a lot of potential and not a lot of payoff.

In the movie, Barry goes back in time to save his mother from being murdered by dropping a can of tomato sauce in her shopping cart. This sets off a whole chain of events. Barry returns to what he believes is his timeline and reunites with his father (who is no longer in prison) and his mother, alive and well and making supper. Then he meets himself, but this version of Barry is powerless and has been coddled by his mother for his entire life. Barry realizes that he has arrived on the day that he is supposed to gain his powers. He helps the new Barry gain his powers, but loses his own at the same time. Then General Zod shows up and plans to terraform the planet. Desperate to stop Zod, Barry quizzes his doppelganger on the Justice League. There’s no Wonder Woman, no Aquaman, no Superman, and Cyborg hasn’t received his powers yet. The only hero that happens to be around is……Michael Keaton. Um, ur, it’s the Michael Keaton version of Batman from the 1989 film, but a lot older and just a tad bit nuts. The trio join forces to locate Superman. Instead of finding Kal-El, however, they discover Kara Zor-El, Superman‘s cousin, best known to viewers as Supergirl. Having been tortured and hidden deep inside Earth by the Russian government, Supergirl isn’t very keen on saving humanity. She ultimately does agree to help Barry, Barry, and Michael Kea—uh, Batman, but can this fierce foursome stop Zod and save the multiverse? You’ll have to watch The Flash to find out.

This film could have been so much better than it was. It wasn’t terrible, mind you, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for in a film based upon the Flashpoint story. There’s plenty of humor, some solid performances from the cast, and a nice dose of nostalgia seeing Michael Keaton back under the cowl, but the film was just a shadow of the awesome story originally written by Geoff Johns. Also, the CGI was horrible. Director Andy Muschietti has been quoted as saying that the wonky effects were intentional. They were supposed to show us what Barry saw while he was tapping into the Speed Force, but if that was the case, why was Barry #2’s face just as horribly executed in “normal time” as were all of the faces we see inside of the Speed Force????? It’s all poorly done and the plot isn’t strong enough to make the bad CGI forgivable.

Ezra Miller does a fine job as Barry #1 and Barry #2, although he did get a tad annoying at times. Michael Keaton did a great job with what he had to work with in the film, but I believe that he would have worked even better as Thomas Wayne in the film. The real standout for me was Sasha Calle as Supergirl. She was amazing. I’d love to see her return to this role in another film. There are also a ton of cameos in this film, most of which are executed with the terrible CGI that’s supposed to be Barry’s view of the Speed Force. Those cameos are nothing more than fan service as are a few surprise cameos in other parts of the film. One cameo in particular was fan disservice in my opinion. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that Christian Bale would have been a better choice for the cameo that I’m referencing.

So, if you haven’t seen The Flash yet and happen to be a DC Comics fan, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s a dull version of the Flashpoint story, but Sasha Calle and Michael Keaton make it worth sitting through at least one time. This is just one more example of how Warner Brothers already has an amazing story laid out in front of them and they squander it for reasons beyond me.

Thanks for checking out my post. I have a few more ready to release this week.