The Flash 2023

Despite the glowing advance reviews, "The Flash" is not the best superhero film of all time, the year, or even the month. But it is definitely a good movie overall. The humor is mostly spot on, the effects are impressive, and Ezra Miller is consistently convincing in the lead role. Michael Keaton still fits the Batman mantle pretty well, and Sasha Calle also delivers an excellent first impression as Supergirl. On top of that, of course, there are some neat cameos.

The pacing of the film isn't bad, either. It starts with a really entertaining sequence before the time travel plot picks up speed. The plot is comprehensible throughout and, above all, not as overly convoluted as in many other genre representatives. However, "The Flash" also has the usual problem of similar stories, that the fate of the characters never really gets to your heart, since it is not crucial for the "canon" anyway. But there is no such thing in the dying DCU anyway. In addition, there is not really a good villain, but then again, none was really needed here.

Overall, I would say that "The Flash" is neither a good conclusion to the old DCEU nor a good transition into the new DCU. You can still have a good time at the cinema, though, as the film works on its own and should appeal to fans of old DC works as well.

A total mess. It's another example of contemporary filmmaking where making an actual movie is at the bottom of the priority list. It's pure corporate drivel that won't be remembered by anyone in the long run. However, for a brief moment, it tricked me into thinking that it wasn't going to be like that. In fact, I quite liked the opening action sequence. Sure, visually it's already not up to snuff, but the weird ideas and energy of the scene totally won me over. Once it gets into the actual story, it immediately flies off the rails and never recovers. To start off, it has a massive problem with delivering exposition, so much so that every crucial piece of information is repeated at least twice for the dummies in the audience. Ben Affleck and Kiersey Clemmons make a quick cameo in order to spell out the character arc of Barry in the film through clunky dialogue. It turns out the actual meat of the story revolves around Ron Livingston and Maribel Verdú, who play Barry's parents. A good movie would realize that this is the emotional heart of the story, the thing that should be the main focus of its multiverse/time travel set-up. Instead, this movie sets that stuff aside and turns into an exercise of branding and dopamine. Think Spider-man: No Way Home, but somehow it makes even less sense. So much of the pandering here comes off as pathetic and desperate. I like Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman in the Burton movies as much as the next guy, but when you cut here from him flying like a plastic doll, to his stuntman kicking ass, to a close-up of old, wrinkly, post-Birdman Michael Keaton, I can't help but laugh. Let's turn his character into a joke and give him long hair for the introduction scene (in order to conveniently hide the stuntman), only to make him look like regular Michael Keaton two scenes later when barely any time has passed. Let's put in a beat where Supergirl leaves the group for one scene without any clear motivation. Let's make sure Keaton says the line about going nuts, who cares if it makes any sense. It’s all painfully stupid and hits one shallow emotion after the next. Sometimes it tries to be funny, there's a surprising amount of slapstick in this. It's different than the snarky lines and bathos we're used to in superhero movies, which is nice, but I only chuckled twice and cringed at most of the other stuff. The movie weaves in the origin story of Barry, which is a neat idea, but this means we get to spend time with the 18 year old version of Barry Allen, hands down the most annoying character you're going to see at the movies this year. It was pretty smart to retcon Miller's abysmal Justice League performance into a character arc, but both versions of the character here are still incredibly obnoxious. The performance is godawful, almost every line that comes out of their mouth sounds phoney and overacted (no, my personal feelings regarding Miller have zero influence on this). I can't really comment on any of the other performances or characters (Shannon, Calle), because their appearances are too brief to leave a genuine impression. Everything leads to a rushed third act that has no problem breaking its own logic in regards to time travel, and it goes completely nuts with the amount of pointless fan service. It even introduces another villain out of nowhere, all before wrapping up the story in a way that barely feels like a resolution for anything. The (clearly reshot) ending scene ensures that this wasn't entirely spinning its wheels, but a lot of stuff still gets no pay-off. In terms of filmmaking, this is also pretty disastrous. Yes, the green screen and PS3 graphics are terrible, but more importantly this movie isn't even capable of putting two Ezra Miller's on the screen in a convincing way, which is a type of visual trick that got perfected back in the 90s. The framing and lighting often enhance the visuals looking like plastic, and this gets particularly bad in the third act: the staging, blocking and editing are an incoherent mess. Finally, the music is unmemorable and sounds like a poor man's Danny Elfman. I don’t understand the decision to omit the Flash theme from the Justice League film, which was the only memorable bit from that soundtrack (and composed by Elfman, no less). Maybe the filmmakers wanted to distance themselves from the theatrical cut, but then why is this movie insisting that this is the first time Barry runs back in time? That’s already canon in the director’s cut. Just so many baffling decisions with this one. You should do yourself a favor and just (re)watch the earlier seasons of the tv show, there's nothing to be gained by investing your time in this trainwreck.

2.5/10

Well, they actually managed to make a decent The Flash movie, and without Grant Gustin too. Ezra Miller is back again as Barry Allen despite the controversies that surround them, but I hope you can forget or ignore that fact for about 2,5 hours (it's hard), because this movie is super fun. Now for the pluses and minuses:

• 2.5 hours is pretty long, but while watching it, I forgot that. The story unfolds with good pace and (almost) never a dull moment.

• I love both Affleck and Keaton's performance as the caped crusader. Especially Keaton, he still got it! I felt the same joy as back then when I was a kid watching Tim Burton's Batman.

• Sasha Calle rocks! While she only appeared in the last half of the movie, her Supergirl is much, much better than I expected.

• Cameos. and a lot of them. Yes this can be seen as fan service as their appearance don't really affect the story much, but boy I was super excited and screaming internally watching that one particular scene. Good thing I avoided all the spoilers in the internet.

• Still a better multiverse movie than the latest Dr.Strange

• Billy Crudup doesn't return as Henry Allen. It's a shame since he did a good job back in JL movie.

• There're some "wut" and "aw come on!" scenes, still fun and interesting though.

• The soundtrack is just okay. I still love Zack Snyder's JL more. So many epic moments elevated by the majestic score, but I don't feel the same when watching The Flash.

My final rating : 7.5/10

The Flash proves to be a competent superhero film. Not the best, but a breath of fresh air amidst the hot mess that has flooded the genre in recent years. It stands on its own, requiring only a basic understanding of past character portrayals, unlike the convoluted soap opera often seen in DCEU and MCU lines.

Despite its ensemble of superheroes and characters, the film manages to strike enough of the right chords.

It balances humor without overdoing it like Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Black Adam, or any Marvel Cinematic Universe films in the last 10 years. The fanservice of Keaton's Batman is tastefully done, providing memorable lines and explosive gimmicks without overstaying his welcome. The action sequences are well-choreographed, particularly those involving Affleck's and Keaton's Batman, although the initial speedster scene falls somewhat short as Days of Future Past already sets the bar high. The most important, the film possesses a straight enough plotline to propels the story forward, but still offers moments of intrigue and uncertainty where you would ask the direction the film will be taking.

The film however stumbles in Kara/Supergirl's parts. The plot revolving around General Zod and Kara's arrival and departure feels clumsy. It underplays the significance established in Man of Steel regarding Clark's purpose on Earth, not to mention the spandex that Kara somehow brought everywhere makes her feels comical. Sasha Calle seems unable to pull a good Kara impression; her attempt to embody a complex yet tough character feels like forced, relying on screaming and unnerving facial expressions, and her decisions throughout the films appear abrupt. Her bitterness leaves more to be desired as it seems to be quickly resolved. The grand battle feels tonally inconsistent with some rock music, Keaton's soundtrack, and Kara's theme blasting over each other. Although Michael Shannon delivers a menacing performance as Zod, the thin plot he walks on undermines his presence.

Fortunately, The Flash remains true to its scale.

While the film introduces multiverses, at its heart is Barry's personal desire to save his mother. Barry isn't driven by a grand mission to save the multiverse; he's a reluctant hero who finally acts when met a seemingly dead end. One might say that the resolution offered by the film presents a fatalistic view of history, unlike the practically optimistic tone of Avengers: Endgame, but the strength of the film is not to have the final say of all of these actually work: as the climax unfolds, both Barry and the audience are left wondering where the breaking point lies in history that must remain untouched. The film avoids drowning the audience in pseudoscience for explaining the multiverse, opting for Keaton's short and humorous spaghetti metaphor. The most compelling aspect is the film's ability to maintain a personal scale despite the high stakes, leaving the audience emotionally moved with effective lines in the resolution that in the first 15 minutes of the film seemed clichéd. The ending provides a pleasant surprise, setting the stage for a fresh start in the DC Universe.

Without boasting the concept of multiverses like Doctor Strange: Multiverses of Madness, The Flash is an enjoyable soft-reboot multiversal superhero film that leaves quite an impression. Not the best superhero film certainly, but perhaps still ranking among the better ones in the multiverse/time-reversing subgenre of superhero films, possibly trailing only a few steps behind Days of Future Past.

"The Flash 2023: A CGI Disaster and Scriptwriting Fiasco"

Where do I even begin with "The Flash 2023"? This film is an absolute train wreck that leaves audiences wishing they could run as fast as the titular superhero just to escape this mess. The CGI in this movie is so horrendously bad that it's laughable – and not in a good way. It's as if they hired an intern who just learned how to use a 3D modeling software and decided to handle all the visual effects on a shoestring budget. From the poorly animated lightning bolts to the hilariously awkward slow-motion sequences, the CGI alone is enough to make your eyes bleed.

But wait, it gets worse. The script for "The Flash 2023" is an insult to storytelling and character development. It's filled with clichés and cringeworthy dialogue that would make even the most ardent fan of the superhero genre cringe in embarrassment. The plot is a jumbled mess of time-travel mumbo-jumbo, poorly explained motivations, and plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. It's as if the writers were just throwing random ideas at the wall and hoping something would stick.

As for the performances, the actors seem to be struggling to keep the audience entertained, and who can blame them? With such a lackluster script and nonexistent character arcs, it's a wonder they managed to get through filming without breaking down in tears of frustration. Even the usually charming and charismatic lead actor can't save this sinking ship.

"The Flash 2023" feels like a rushed attempt to cash in on the popularity of superhero movies without any regard for quality or coherence. The action scenes are forgettable at best and cringe-inducing at worst, with CGI so bad that you'll wish you were watching a cheap 90s cartoon instead.

To top it all off, the movie suffers from severe pacing issues, dragging on for what feels like an eternity. It's like being trapped in the speed force with no way out. I found myself checking my watch every few minutes, hoping that the torture would end soon.

In conclusion, "The Flash 2023" is an abysmal failure on every level. The CGI is laughably bad, the script is a disaster, and the performances are lackluster. It's a shame to see such a beloved character and franchise treated with such disrespect. Save your money and your precious time, and run away from this movie as fast as The Flash himself.

We're evidently at the stage now where competency isn't enough to secure success in the comic book movie market, and The Flash finds itself squarely in the firing line of this new level of expectation. By all metrics it's fine and does everything you've come to expect from a modern hero feature:

Multiverse shenanigans :white_check_mark:
Questionable CGI :white_check_mark:
Awkward, stilted, overly used humour :white_check_mark:
Simple arc solved by time manipulation that is quickly reversed at the end :white_check_mark:

It's all here and should be enough to satiate the exclusively popcorn-feature viewing masses, but clearly it is not; based on the revenue and viewership numbers that is. Is it because audiences have chosen their allegiances and will only tolerate the 47th entry in their chosen ongoing movie franchise? Was it the drama around Ezra Miller? Was it the weirdly targeted Twitter campaign that soiled the films rep in comparison to its peers?

Who knows. My rambling aside, it's just a fine CBM with questionable visuals and overt callbacks and references that everyone seems to love given their prevalant usage in modern media. There are worse ways to spend 180 minutes, but there are much better ways too. If you must be in at the ground floor on DC's next attempt at a Marvel style universe, it's almost mandatory viewing. What a depressing thought.

If we could rate by "half-stars" this would fall right around the 4½ star mark...somewhere between "Poor" and "Meh". If you could skip the first half of the film, this might be tolerable but that first hour of slop you have to plod through (complete with dolls and mannequins falling from the sky, that are supposed to pass for real infants/people) makes this almost unbearable. It was far too juvenile for me, which was a huge disappointment because, as a kid, I always liked The Flash in the comic books. (Truth be told, though, I never could figure out how "running really fast" could ever be used as a super-power.)

In all honesty, this film should be seen more as a Justice League: Lite instead of a movie about The Flash character. Without the others, the film would have essentially NOTHING to ride on and unfortunately, it seems to have borrowed heavily from its arch-rival, Marvel Comics, with the "Let's go back and do that again!" twist. (Dr. Strange, anyone?) So many things were just helter-skelter, adding nothing (at least to someone who's not heavily into the DC Comics world. (Always preferred Marvel, myself.) to the story. I will give props, however, to Ezra Miller for his closing scene in the grocery store: he at least made that part feel believable and deeply emotional. Apart from that one scene, however, this movie seemed designed almost exclusively for juvenile audiences and couldn't really be seen as anything remotely serious or thought-provoking. Just one goofy pratfall after another, and nothing in this film served to make The Flash seem like a viable "superhero". If anything, he came across more like the "Greatest American Hero" in the old TV series.

Big waste of two-and-a-half hours; you can save yourself at least an hour, though, by cutting through the first 54 minutes. There's absolutely nothing in those first 54 minutes that is worth sitting through...not even a backstory. Oh well...I watched it.

It's obligatory for any reviewer to dismiss James Gunn's hyperbolic table setting for The Flash, so here is my required, "No, this was not the greatest comic book movie of all time." It was... fine. It's lightyears better than the dreck that was Shazam: Fury of the Gods or the rolling disaster of Black Adam. And while it has more depth than Justice League, it lacks the - love it or hate it - imagination & vision of Man of Steel. For the most part the special effects are what we've come to expect from superhero movies these days, which is to say they are just enough to create the world onscreen and not good enough to wow you, but the final extended post-battle sequence was almost insulting in its lack of quality. Like the movie as a whole, it felt like way too much got crammed into a limited timeframe so there wasn't the space to give it the care and attention that it needed to make it truly great. What we got instead, both in that sequence and through the entire movie, were cool moments that are fun but underwhelming, and inside jokes that are amusing but not good enough to welcome in those who aren't hard-core comic/film industry nerds. If you're in that latter category you're going to enjoy the ride, if not be blown away by it. For those who aren't, you'll be more confused than entertained by it all.

After this middling performance, we've probably seen the last of Ezra Miller in the DC universe, their legal troubles notwithstanding. There were ahem flashes of good acting at times (Barry's goodbye to his mom was genuinely emotional, as was his lashing out at his younger self in the Batcave), but for the most part they fell flat. Maybe the unbalanced tone didn't give them a chance to shine, or the weak dialogue was beyond elevating... or maybe they're just not as good an actor as we saw in The Perks of Being A Wallflower. Either way, it's hard to like (either) Barry very much, and a major reveal in the third act doesn't feel earned because of it.

On the other hand, Sasha Calle was a breath of fresh air. Her Kara Zor-El could have been a triumph if the story had been centered around her. As (rightfully) bitter as she is against humanity, her core heroism comes through loud and clear- as does her devastation at the loss of her planet and people, along with her desire for vengeance against Zod. She deserves more of a chance to shine in her own movie. Her counterpart in the story, Michael Keaton, underwhelmed me, but that's only because he spent a good portion of the film as Bruce Wayne and we didn't have enough time to get acclimated to, or learn about, the changes that he's gone through since we last saw him in the cape back in 1992.

This is not a spoiler, but on the way out the door we get one of the most jarring tonal shifts of all: An end credits sequence that comes out of absolutely nowhere. It's an obvious stylistic stamp on the film from James Gunn. With its music an and comic whimsy it acts as a visual and emotional coda on everything that has come before, announcing that the film that you just watched was The End, and from here starts a new beginning.

We can only hope.

Perfectly acceptable.

If you look too closely, all sorts of problems are visible - but if you just accept it as entertainment, it works well enough.

If WW84 was slated by critics then this should be too. They're very similar quality films in the DC world... Yet I see a dichotomy in the reviews already.

I thought the humour here worked for the most part. When it is Ezra Miller an others, it tends to work. When it is Ezra alone, it falls flat... And that leads me to say that he's the weakest part of the film. DC casting has held a lot to be desired but ti's pretty crap across the board here. The Barry/Iris paitong is devoid of chemistry - and it begs the very simple question.... How much better would Grant and Candace have been in this film? 1000% better.

CG was very inconsistent. Particularly the representations of past incarnations of superheroes. Just terrible.

The Easter eggs were fine. The running gag about Eric Stoltz was good. And then throwing in the Nicholas Cage iteration of Superman.

Foe the most part, it is an easy and enjoyable enough watch. Not going in for a second viewing this decade though.

10/10
All Gold
THE FLASH:zap:
is the thirteenth entry
into the DCEU
(DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE)
and after
AQUAMAN 2
(AQUAMAN AND THE LOST
KINGDOM December 20th 2023).
The DCEU will be retired and rebooted.

After the DCEU* was scrapped in
late 2022, James Gunn has gone
on record and stated that this film,
along with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
(2023), will serve as a soft reboot to the
DC franchise, which will now be known as the
"DCU" (DC Universe). Any other
"DC films/shows"
that occur outside this new timeline
will now belong to a universe called
"DC Elseworlds".
The DCU will be led
by Gunn personally.
So with that being said was
THE FLASH 2023
(Loosely based on
The Flashpoint
(Paradox) story adaption)
A Worthy Finale for
DC to call it a day on
Their DCEU.
Well I have to say after multiple
views and being
"Always That Marvel Guy"
and with the epic fail
in the box office DC
has been for 10yrs straight
I actually really enjoyed this
movie and thought It told a
really good Multiverse story.
I had no expectations at all
for this movie especially given
the real life shit Ezra Miller*
is pulling month after month
(absolute PR nightmare
for WB (Warner Brothers))
but that aside and as
awkward and annoying
and as exhausting as Ezra is
the dual role in this movie
was actually some class acting
and absolutely felt like two
Completely different actors,
I hate to say it but Kudos
to Ezra and this was literally
The best Ezra has pulled this
role off to date, without a doubt.
I thought the VFX were
Awesome, the story was
Wholesome and very heartfelt
and the action was
Fcuking Amazing.
speaking of
Fcuking Amazing.
Everyone is thrilled over
The Batman's galore
and I myself was overjoyed to
have my Batman back
Michael Keaton 71 years old
nearly 34yrs after he first
became the greatest Detective
the world has ever known in
(Batman 1989
BatmanReturns1992)
But for me the highlight of
this movie who
stole the show was
Newcomer
"Sasha Calle-Kara Zor-El"
aka SUPERGIRL.
Holy-Shit now that's how you
do it, she knocked it
Clean out the Ball Park
she's definitely my second
favourite in the role
with Helen being my first.
Sasha was just phenomenal
with a truly Sensational
performance and I really
hope Gunn is smart about
this and has a place for Sasha
in his rebooted DCU and not
just have her as a One and Done,
with an Outstanding performance
like that she deserves better and
a few Solo movies down the line
to call her own.
as a Multiverse story this movie was
the gift that kept on giving and
with more cameos than you can
flap your Cape at and say the
magic word Shazam:zap:
you will love them and be
shocked by others,
Bravo DC you got me.
for me the humour landed
and was in all the appropriate
places and when the time came
this movie got me right in the
feels. Surprisingly I don't have
much to bitch about given it's
DC and the things that could
have been done better I'm going
to leave out and Let DC have this
one and leave this universe
with dignity as Gunn prepares
to come back with a Bigger and
Better DC-Universe than anything
we have seen in it's 10 year
lifespan.
(apparently).

It's a bit frustrating - this is one of the better DCEU entries, but that says more about the others than it does about this one. With many of the others, they are just sort of evenly forgettable or messy. This one is still definitely flawed, but all the way through you can see elements of a really great movie in here - a lot of potential that should have led to an actual top-tier comic book movie. But those elements just get somewhat watered down. It's pretty good - some of the character choices work really well, the humor is good and it manages to feel shorter than it is - but it could have been much better.

The CGI, while good in some moments, is truly shockingly bad in so many scenes in a way that goes far beyond the "one or two standout scenes with really bad CGI" phenomenon plaguing many films recently, becomes an issue, as do some messy story elements. The ending also felt a bit forced and almost careless - it seemed like there was a mandate to work something else in there but it worked against what was set up before. But my main problem is that the film just often feels unfocused. Even at almost two and a half hours of runtime, it often feels like it fast-forwards through scenes or character developments without giving important moments any room to breathe, robbing them of much of their impact, and then just sort of moves on from them without looking back.

It's also a bit of a shame that the marketing ruined what could have been great surprises. I liked seeing Zod again. It's cool to revisit of so many versions of Batman and Superman. Keaton's Batman is great. Supergirl is a standout. But with the limited time the movie actually spends with them, the trailers made sure little of it really feels new.

None of these issues really break the movie, but it's a shame that they even out the high highs to an overall "still pretty good". Still, again, "pretty good" is above much of the rest of this franchise.

I fear I may be turning into some sort of DC fanboy because... I thought this was great.

Like with 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods', I was not expecting much from these DCEU films as I only decided to watch them so I could catch up on this universe before the 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' finale next month. I guess I was subconsciously anticipating these to be as flat as a pancake due to the suits upstairs focusing on the upcoming DCU. Yet, I've had a terrific time thus far - 'Blue Beetle' pending.

As for this film itself, I'm not someone who has any interest in comic books so my only knowledge comes directly from the films. All I knew beforehand was the rather dodgy life of Ezra Miller (just look at their Wikipedia!) apparently affecting production. That's a lot of words to simply say that I have no clue how well of an adaptation this is from the comics, though simply as a film it give me entertainment, it really did.

'The Flash' features a strong performance from Miller, who portrays the aforementioned with quality throughout. I don't remember Barry Allen from the other DCEU flicks, so I'm pleased to have something memorable from the character with this. Elsewhere, Sasha Calle is very good as Supergirl, while Michael Keaton is much fun as Batman. There are some solid cameos in there too.

I will say that I personally would've shaved some of the run time, it does overrun ever so slighty. That is my only proper criticism though, given everything else from the story - which brings heart - to the special effects to whatever is done to a positive standard. Rating-wise, I've gone back and forth between 8/10 and 9/10 - it narrowly nabs the latter.

So this is now DCEU's biggest box office debacle in recent history; this is on its way to achieving lower domestic box office figures than the previous record holder, the notorious "The Green Lantern", and now to add insult to injury, DCEU had put a lot of faith in this project apparently. Yet, it turned out to be a complete shipwreck!

Several reasons factored in its gigantic failure, the major one being the allegations made against Ezra Miller, and this whole fiasco did have a considerable impact on the film's theatrical run.

Now, let us keep these things aside and judge this solely from a cinematic standpoint. Is it a terrible movie? No, is it great, then? Not, then what is it? A decent, passable entertainer and that's all!

There are some cool visuals, the humour is effective, and on top of all, the story itself digs through (or at least tries to) some interesting themes, mainly the concept of parallel timelines, aka Multiverse!

Don't get your hopes too high, though. While the writing does emphasise paradoxes and branched-out timelines caused by this time manipulation, the greater implications do not come off as ostensibly as they would have wanted to. It gets so convoluted in the final moments, I feel; a more efficient direction from behind the camera could have done the job they intended to.

P. S. Seeing Michael Keaton slipping into the suit of Batman gave me immense pleasure.

Ezra Miller, non-binary person who most recently held up the release of the movie "The Flash" through various "unsightly" actions, is brilliant. I really don't care what others say, but "The Flash" is pure comic that it's just awesome. All the cross-referencing, the whole way it's done, and the story itself.... DC has done an incredible job with "The Flash". Yes, here and there it may seem a bit childish, but that's the way it is with comics, or comic adaptations.

In keeping with the comic theme: the CGI. It's cruel in parts, but sometimes it's totally cool. In fact, I felt like this: I don't care! I compared exactly that with video games. Often the graphics are really crappy, but the story is really good.

In summary, I had a lot of fun with the movie. Sometimes, due to my age, I clapped my forehead, but mostly my hands. A great spectacle thanks to numerous characters. The Batman par excellence, Michael Keaton, is a highlight of the film, without a doubt, although in this film and at this age he fights more dynamically than ever. A bit strange, but accepted.

THE highlight for me is clearly Supergirl. Oh please, give us more of her! There is potential without end in it!

Again, in conclusion, this is not a 10/10, not an 8/10. It's less and yet fanservice deluxe. Well done, it was fun!

This was a film in parts. There were parts I liked, parts I didn't like, and parts I didn't have any strong feelings about one way or another. First off, the storyline was quite convoluted, unnecessarily so. There were a number of reveals but none crucial to the actual outcome of the film. Primarily, I was bored by the first third of the film, while the middle third was, I felt, the best, and the ending third was designed to push the story forward. I'm not really sure where they set up to go from here, b/c it wasn't overtly clear from the script. Yes, there were some indications of what might happen next, but I don't think that they did a good job of really leaning into any particular storyline that was of significant consequence. Additionally, the CGI was blatantly awful; just horrendous.

I really, really liked Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El. She was fantastic in the role! In fact, in her short amount of time on screen, she was the best part of the film. I really hope that they follow-up w/ her in a stand-alone Supergirl film, b/c that would be ideal.

The problem w/ the Flash is that he's really not a great superhero. He's fast, and that's it. Underneath, he's still just a man. Thus, if physics were applied, he'd be a pile of goo any time he ran that fast. Even if he wasn't, traveling at the speed of light and touching anything would cause him to end up in a billion pieces. I've always felt that the Flash was the weakest character in the Justice League. And, when they make him the comedic foil, it only makes it worse. There's really nothing amusing about this film, so that goofy character that he's written as just doesn't work. In fact, it's really annoying, b/c for someone as smart as he's supposed to be, he comes across as quite dense.

Since this bombed at the box office, I'm hoping that they move away from it and on to better fare. That's my hope, but the reality is, James Gunn has a giant ego, and he's the kind of guy to make a movie simply to assuage that ego. My fear is that he'll continue down this path w/ the DCEU, b/c the Flash is a primary character in it, and we'll get saddled w/ a lot of second-rate superheroes, when we could've still had Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot in the main roles. It's really a shame that Gunn was put in charge, for a number of reasons, but between him and Zaslav, the old, white boys club is in full effect, so we'll get what they decide to give us. Really, it's painful to watch what Warner Bros. has done w/ this franchise of characters. It's too bad that they didn't hash everything out from the get-go.

Went into this with pretty low expectations, but ended up having a surprisingly good time. It had me worried initially, as the opening action sequence was way too goofy for my liking and featured some excessive uncanny valley CGI. Ezra Miller's socially awkward schtick was also feeling more miss than hit through the first act. But once we get to the inciting incident, things started to work better. I was surprised at how much humor landed for me, as I found myself laughing pretty consistently throughout the Barry/younger Barry sequences that comprise most of the second act. Unfortunately, the more emotional exchanges between the Barry's that come later don't feel quite as natural. Despite it's 140+ minute length, I never found myself checking my watch, so I think the movie deserves some credit for keeping up the pace. I know people have a tendency to criticize the entire Synder-verse, but I don't mind saying that I enjoyed Man of Steel, so using that film as the foundation of a multiverse story was fine by me. I do think the finale starts to play pretty fast and loose with the storytelling and they cram a whole lot of exposition into the final "chronobowl" scene, but it's all moving fast enough that I didn't really catch on it too much. Ultimately all of the time travel/multiverse mumbo jumbo is just a mechanism to explore Barry's emotional arc with his mother, and I thought the final grocery store scene provided a solid conclusion to that arc. Regarding Keaton's Batman, I don't have much to say. I thought the way he was incorporated was perfectly alright. And though her role was underdeveloped and she deserved a more significant sendoff, I thought Supergirl was a fun addition.

Ezra Miller's The Flash is an imperfect addition but still serves as a gleaming spectacle filled with humour, nostalgia and much more

My Rating : :star::star::star::star: (84/100)

The Flash is heavy on fan service and filled with articulated plot manipulations. It will likely work for DC diehards but only mildly entertain everyone else. While director Andy Muschietti’s time-travel crowd pleaser doesn’t blaze any new narrative trails, it does result in a fun superhero nostalgic dive, for the most part. It packs in a lot of humour and emotions but at times the humour is too much making the stakes a bit low. The CGI is a hit and miss and not perfect. The runtime is adequate with right number set pieces, well timed cameos and smartly executed reboot spell which kick opens a new direction for DCU compared to the messed up DCEU.

The set pieces are well executed, nostalgia kicks in when the original Batman comes on screen, Michael Keaton. Sasha Calle absolutely kills it as Supergirl. Looking forward to see more of her. The show stealer is undoubtedly Ezra Miller. Despite his ruffled and questionable public image, he doesn't dissapoint on screen. He plays two contrasting characters with conviction and confidence and charms us over with a brilliant performance.

In the end, The Flash  triumphs through its ability to connect emotionally and deliver moments of genuine humour. These elements, coupled with impressive action, nostalgic cameos, a fitting emotional climax make it a worth your precious time.

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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see a pre-release viewing of this movie (our theatres allow things releasing on Friday to be seen in the afternoon and evening the day before). Full disclosure, I am not a fan of annoying, comic relief super heroes (which is probably my issue with Paul Rudd’s Ant Man), and Ezra Miller’s previous incarnations of The Flash were super annoying and juvenile (not in a good way). SO, I expected this day at the theatre to be all about good popcorn and comfortable theatrical seating. I WAS WRONG (not about the popcorn and the seats, they were lovely). I really enjoyed this movie. As a matter of fact, they addressed the annoying nature of the character directly in dialogue. I loved the more mature, more developed character. The movie’s plot navigated the concept of multiple realities in the time force with intelligence, the action was great, the cameos were perfect, the switch and bait was on point, the special effects were spectacular. I got an opportunity to do an exit poll of the 50 so people who were there and the lowest rating was one 7 and the highest was one 10, all the rest were 8s, 8.5s and 9s. I’m giving this film a 9 (superb) out of 10. [DC Superhero Action Adventure] In theatres today.