The truth is, the long-delayed solo film The Flash is one of the more enjoyable experiences I’ve had recently with a DC Comics character on the big screen, and it still gave me a headache as it attempts to cram years worth of comic book storylines into a nearly two-and-a-half-hour movie. As if trying to cram together some of the best and wildest elements of Avengers: Endgame’s time travel component and the multiverse exploration of Spider-Man: No Way Home, what we’re left with is a messy goulash of a film that would have been better served if it had just chosen one of these paths and traveled it to its natural conclusion. I get that this film is meant as something of a sendoff to both the Zach Snyder-era of DC films (which isn’t entirely true, since there are still two more DC films coming out this year, Blue Beatle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) and a tribute to all previous DC films and series (if you don’t include the CW’s so-called Arrow-verse characters, which weirdly includes a different version of The Flash). And just like that, I’m way too deep in the weeds with the confused and confusing way DC handles its properties. Here comes that headache again…
But as I said, there’s a great deal to like here as well. Ezra Miller returns as Barry Allen, who not only has the gift of super speed, but he can sometimes move so quickly that he’s able to engage “the Speed Force” and see moments from the past and the pasts of every variation of him from every multiverse. Director Andy Muschietti (the It movies, Mama) and screenwriter Christina Hodson do a better job of explaining and visualizing these phenomena than I ever could, but it’s still fairly confusing exactly what Barry is seeing and how he selects exactly which timeline to land in in order to change what he wants to change. His origin story is partially about getting electrocuted while covered in chemicals, but it’s also (like way too many superheroes and villains) tied to the untimely killing of his mother Nora (Maribel Verdú), allegedly at the hands of his father Henry (Ron Livingston). Barry never believed that his father could do such a thing (he’s still in jail for the crime), but in one tragic moment, he lost both his parents, and when he discovers his time-traveling abilities, he wants to go back and “fix” things.
He runs the idea by his mentor and Batman secret identity, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who wisely tells him that changing any part of the past could have repercussions that could destroy the known world or universe, but Barry’s immaturity and inability to understand what consequences are means he decides to do it anyway, with wild results. In the timeline where his mother lives and his father stays out of prison, somehow there are no “meta-humans” like him, which doesn’t mean there are no superheroes. First of all, Barry meets a slightly younger version of himself (without powers at this point), who is just an annoying goofball, with no filters or concept of what having two Barrys in one place could mean. There’s also still a Bruce Wayne, but an older version. In fact, it’s the version of Batman from the first two Tim Burton-directed films, as played by Michael Keaton, who still looks good in the suit. There is no version of Aquaman, Wonder Woman, or Cyborg in this timeline, but they catch wind of a Kryptonian being held captive somewhere in Russia, and they assume this is why Superman is missing. More on that momentarily.
Because there are so few heroes, when the Kryptonian invasion led by Gen. Zod (Michael Shannon, reprising his character from Man of Steel), there are no heroes truly powerful enough to defeat him, so Batman and the Barrys head to Siberia and instead of Superman, they find Kara Zor-El (Superman’s cousin, better known as Supergirl and played by the electric Sasha Calle), who has been kept away from the earth’s sun (the source of her power). They break her free and head back to fight Zod and his seemingly unstoppable army.
I think it’s best I don’t say much more about the story or any other unexpected or expected cameos that happen during the course of the film or in the mid-credits sequence, but the filmmakers keep things hopping as far as the action, the drama, and the science-fiction aspects of the story—although it's this third element that doesn’t quite hold together. Taking a very different approach to time travel than the Marvel films do (and wisely so, if only to keep us guessing), the smashing together of timelines and characters from different universes isn’t quite explained to my satisfaction. They address why an older Bruce Wayne is in the same timeline as Zod’s invasion, but they don’t really explain it. I think the general idea is just to go with it, but a little clarity isn’t the worst idea either.
Barry also gets a love interest, or at least a hint of one, in Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West character (who was only previously seen in the Snyder Cut Justice League movie), and between her and Calle’s Supergirl, the women walk away with this movie while still being somewhat underserved by the story and the excitement of getting Keaton back in the Batsuit and behind the wheel of the vintage Batmobile. Of course, making all of that happen is exciting and leans hard into the nostalgia-mining and legacy casting that seems to be ruling many big releases these days. But the film at least tries to showcase some new blood while having Keaton quote dialog from 35 years ago.
There are times when the special effects in the film look truly poor, almost like animation, but if there are reasons to dislike the film, the effects aren’t among them. The film is simply too crowded with ideas and characters. Is it fun to see Jeremy Irons back as Affleck’s manservant Alfred, or Temuera Morrison reprise his role as Aquaman’s would-be father Tom Curry? Sure, but what does it add to the proceedings? Not a damn thing. It’s clutter in a film with a lot of visuals, plot, and characters already vying for our attention.
As mentioned, I actually like Miller as The Flash, and they’re particularly good at playing two versions of Barry in the same scene and being doubly annoying when called upon (and sometimes when they aren’t). But who knows if Miller will get the chance to return to the character, both because James Gunn is giving the DC universe a clean sweep and relaunch (which doesn’t mean he won’t keep certain actors in place) and because Miller has been having legal troubles that have made them seem risky as a casting choice. Whatever happens, the character of The Flash has potential in all manner of stories, and I hope it’s not too long before we see them surface in another film.
The Flash is a whole lot of film (I haven’t even mentioned the timelines and characters Barry sees in the film’s final battle) packed into a running time that you’d think would be able to contain such a story—but you’d be wrong. I still had a legit blast with some of what’s here, and that’s got to count for something.
The film begins playing theatrically on Thursday, June 15.
Did you enjoy this post? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!