by Josh Sewell
The Flash
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity. Now playing in theaters.)
After countless years of delays, false starts, mini-reboots and overhauls, The Flash finally gets his long-awaited standalone film. Of course, it comes with a ton of controversy and hype. But, after the smoke clears this weekend, viewers will finally be able to judge the flick on its own merits – at least in theory.
So, was it worth all the trouble? It depends on what you want in a mega-budget summer blockbuster. Those looking for a superhero flick full of fights, explosions and CGI set pieces are in luck. The Flash is – by far – the most purely fun movie DC has released since the grimdark Zack Snyder flicks equated comic book exploits with misery and pain.
It also depends on how much you’re able to separate the awkward, childlike Barry Allen from Ezra Miller. The actor, long connected to the role, currently faces a host of criminal charges due to their erratic behavior and struggles with mental illness, and it’s not exactly commendable that Warner Bros. is still entrusting them with the studio’s current financial success. Folks who can switch off that part of their brains will probably be okay, but it’s an understandable question of ethics and morality for some viewers.
Written by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) and directed by Andy Muschietti (the recent IT reboot), the plot of The Flash is yet another take on the current multiverse trend (opening on the heels of the far superior Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t do it any favors), one that attempts to connect all the varied threads of the DC universe before James Gunn hits the reset button yet again in a couple of years.
In this version, Barry (Miller) is still grieving the murder of his mother (Maribel Verdú) and the wrongful imprisonment of his father (Ron Livingston) for the crime. However, after the events of Justice League, he now realizes his powers give him the ability to run so fast he can time travel. Even though Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) warns him about meddling with the past, Barry attempts to change events just enough that he can save his family without dramatically altering the present.
If you’re familiar with the iconic “Flashpoint” storyline from the comics (or the recent CW television series), you know things don’t go well. Barry’s family life is safe, but he becomes trapped in a version of the recent past where General Zod (Michael Shannon) invades without any superheroes to come to Earth’s rescue.
It’s up to Barry and a younger, less traumatized version of himself to track down this timeline’s Batman (Michael Keaton) and a being from Krypton (Sasha Calle) who looks a lot different than the Man of Steel. But it remains unclear whether that will be enough to stop the end of the world.
I think the biggest surprise for most viewers who’ve endured the ultra-bleak DC universe over the past decade will be how comedic Muschietti and Hodson’s The Flash is. Granted, the story about Barry’s family is sad and poignant, and the third act eventually gets bogged down in the usual CGI overload, but everything else is just about the filmmakers seeing how weird they can get with the inevitable action sequences and the fan service viewers know is coming. (The first big set piece revolves around the Flash cleaning up Batman’s mess, including a collapsing hospital that results in a literal baby shower.)
Once the leftover Justice League stuff is wrapped up and the “Flashpoint”-redux setup is out of the way, the film really finds its groove as an unofficial Batman sequel with Barry as a Robin/Flash hybrid. Muschietti and Hodson know that’s probably what most viewers are buying a ticket for, so the filmmakers and Keaton make sure they get their money’s worth. The actor is clearly having a blast in his long-awaited return to the role.
The same goes for Calle’s debut as Supergirl. I wasn’t exactly clamoring for a new cinematic version of the character, but the actress is engaging enough that I hope we get to see her again. Based on how everything wraps up, however, I’m not holding my breath.
The Flash is clearly DC hitting the eject button on everything that’s gone before. If there was ever any question about that, the final moment ends on a note so blatantly ridiculous – which I thoroughly enjoyed, don’t get me wrong – there’s no way a hypothetical sequel would ever pick up there.
Although I’m curious how general moviegoers will respond, I have a feeling we’ll eventually look back at this moment in blockbuster history as the punctuation mark on a head-scratching era of superhero filmmaking. Oh, well – it was definitely a weird ride.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
The Pope’s Exorcist
(Rated R for violent content, language, sexual references and some nudity. Now available.)
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (played by Russell Crowe), the film follows him as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. The Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions include two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “Introducing Father Amorth” and “What Possessed You?”
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity. Now playing in theaters.)
After countless years of delays, false starts, mini-reboots and overhauls, The Flash finally gets his long-awaited standalone film. Of course, it comes with a ton of controversy and hype. But, after the smoke clears this weekend, viewers will finally be able to judge the flick on its own merits – at least in theory.
So, was it worth all the trouble? It depends on what you want in a mega-budget summer blockbuster. Those looking for a superhero flick full of fights, explosions and CGI set pieces are in luck. The Flash is – by far – the most purely fun movie DC has released since the grimdark Zack Snyder flicks equated comic book exploits with misery and pain.
It also depends on how much you’re able to separate the awkward, childlike Barry Allen from Ezra Miller. The actor, long connected to the role, currently faces a host of criminal charges due to their erratic behavior and struggles with mental illness, and it’s not exactly commendable that Warner Bros. is still entrusting them with the studio’s current financial success. Folks who can switch off that part of their brains will probably be okay, but it’s an understandable question of ethics and morality for some viewers.
Written by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) and directed by Andy Muschietti (the recent IT reboot), the plot of The Flash is yet another take on the current multiverse trend (opening on the heels of the far superior Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t do it any favors), one that attempts to connect all the varied threads of the DC universe before James Gunn hits the reset button yet again in a couple of years.
In this version, Barry (Miller) is still grieving the murder of his mother (Maribel Verdú) and the wrongful imprisonment of his father (Ron Livingston) for the crime. However, after the events of Justice League, he now realizes his powers give him the ability to run so fast he can time travel. Even though Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) warns him about meddling with the past, Barry attempts to change events just enough that he can save his family without dramatically altering the present.
If you’re familiar with the iconic “Flashpoint” storyline from the comics (or the recent CW television series), you know things don’t go well. Barry’s family life is safe, but he becomes trapped in a version of the recent past where General Zod (Michael Shannon) invades without any superheroes to come to Earth’s rescue.
It’s up to Barry and a younger, less traumatized version of himself to track down this timeline’s Batman (Michael Keaton) and a being from Krypton (Sasha Calle) who looks a lot different than the Man of Steel. But it remains unclear whether that will be enough to stop the end of the world.
I think the biggest surprise for most viewers who’ve endured the ultra-bleak DC universe over the past decade will be how comedic Muschietti and Hodson’s The Flash is. Granted, the story about Barry’s family is sad and poignant, and the third act eventually gets bogged down in the usual CGI overload, but everything else is just about the filmmakers seeing how weird they can get with the inevitable action sequences and the fan service viewers know is coming. (The first big set piece revolves around the Flash cleaning up Batman’s mess, including a collapsing hospital that results in a literal baby shower.)
Once the leftover Justice League stuff is wrapped up and the “Flashpoint”-redux setup is out of the way, the film really finds its groove as an unofficial Batman sequel with Barry as a Robin/Flash hybrid. Muschietti and Hodson know that’s probably what most viewers are buying a ticket for, so the filmmakers and Keaton make sure they get their money’s worth. The actor is clearly having a blast in his long-awaited return to the role.
The same goes for Calle’s debut as Supergirl. I wasn’t exactly clamoring for a new cinematic version of the character, but the actress is engaging enough that I hope we get to see her again. Based on how everything wraps up, however, I’m not holding my breath.
The Flash is clearly DC hitting the eject button on everything that’s gone before. If there was ever any question about that, the final moment ends on a note so blatantly ridiculous – which I thoroughly enjoyed, don’t get me wrong – there’s no way a hypothetical sequel would ever pick up there.
Although I’m curious how general moviegoers will respond, I have a feeling we’ll eventually look back at this moment in blockbuster history as the punctuation mark on a head-scratching era of superhero filmmaking. Oh, well – it was definitely a weird ride.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
(Rated R for violent content, language, sexual references and some nudity. Now available.)
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (played by Russell Crowe), the film follows him as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. The Blu-ray, DVD and digital versions include two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “Introducing Father Amorth” and “What Possessed You?”
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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