2023 Summer Movie Season - DC's The Flash: Review & Analysis

 

Flash In A Pan!!!! Film Starring DC's Speedster is An Emotionally Moving and Fun Marathon!!!!

Review By Brandon Porter

Ready for the run of a lifetime?

Story Description

Everyone has that moment where they think about an aspect of their life that they would change if they had the power to do so. The question is: If you had the chance to do it, would you? For Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), he is still grappling with the trauma of seeing his mother die in front of him. Now coming into his own as a hero, Barry discovers he actually may have an opportunity to regain what he’s lost. If he runs at a specific speed for an extended period of time, he can go back in time and save his mother from her deadly fate. It’s a risky move that can have unforeseen consequences. But for Barry, it’s worth the risk. After partaking in the risky maneuver, Barry discovers that while it may have given him something back, it may have unleashed something even worse. Now trapped in an alternate reality where all metahumans are either dead or imprisoned, Barry and his younger self must team with an alternative version of Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) and a Kryptonian that isn’t Clark Kent but a young woman with similar powers named Kara (Sasha Calle) to combat threats that threaten their world including Zod (Michael Shannon). Will Barry face the challenges before him or will his fear and desperation further throw the known multiverse into anarchy? 

Barry stands firm with his alternative self and Kara

Film Review

As one of the tumultuously troubling projects in the DC lineup, The Flash has had its fair share of attention, both good and bad, leading up to its release. Acting as both the end of the DCEU and the official reset point for the DC Universe as a whole, The Flash has an unreal amount of pressure around it to deliver a quality superhero adventure despite the baggage surrounding it. After seeing the film, It's truly a shame that the film is dripping in controversy because the movie itself is a fun and emotionally earnest experience. No one can deny the mountain of bad publicity that the folks (or person) involved have brought to this project. However, looking at the film as a whole, The Flash has so much going for it both narratively, action-wise and thematically. We might as well talk about performances and address the elephant in the room. Outside problems aside, our leading man Ezra Miller is a revelation in this movie. He is the complete package from start to finish. He effortlessly balances comedy, sorrow, regret, awkwardness, anger, desperation, and guilt in his dual role as both Barrys. You truly understand the weight of his trials and tribulations and you feel for him as he goes on this journey of learning to let go. It's one of the genuinely great performances in the DC cinematic lineup which makes all of the actor's troubles that much more frustrating.  

 

DOUBLE FLASH ATTACK!!!

A masterful performance that would have been a career-best if not for the dark cloud hovering overhead. Moving on to the supporting players. Sasha Calle is a standout in her role as Kara aka Supergirl. Despite her brief screen time, I'm impressed with the impact she made in making a character that refinds her sense of hope due to the actions of those around her. Here's hoping when the new era of DC films starts, she will be allowed to do more with this character and truly carve out a more defined identity for herself. Michael Keaton does well in his return as Bruce Wayne. There are plenty of moments of nostalgia as to be expected. There are moments however where he thematically adds great levity to scenes that tie perfectly into Barry's arc. Overall though, he is a fun nostalgia kick for the film from start to finish. An aspect of The Flash that I really loved was its emotionally earnest and thematically rich narrative. While the film offers plenty of action and comedy, the film's deeper message is what elevates this film from good to great. Barry's desperation to fix things is the result of not letting go of the trauma that ultimately defined him. In his attempts to change his fate and the fate of those around him, he creates a bigger mess and figuratively and literally loses himself. It's not until he comes to terms with what has happened to him that he truly becomes his better self. We are all the sum of our parts. Everything happens for a reason. The scars may remind us of our lowest moments, but they are essential in helping make us better. That message is one of the many aspects that put The Flash at the top of the list for DC films. A movie that delivers spectacle but offers something more to hold on to. In the grand scheme of it all, The Flash definitely ranks as one of the best DC films in recent years. It has everything you want in a film: action, humor, heart, emotion, and a message worth sharing. It's one of the most complete films I have seen this year and if this is truly the ending of the current DC era, this ends it on a positive note. No one truly knows what's next for the cinematic future of the DC universe, but despite the bumpy road and dark cloud surrounding it, this was a race worth running.

Rating and Final Thoughts

With all of the baggage and troubling aura surrounding the film, The Flash offers heart, humor,
action, and thematically powerful subtext to be one of the most complete films in the DC 
cinematic portfolio.

Ok, maestro, the floor is yours.