The Flash

The Flash

Released June 16, 2023

Directed by Andy Muschietti

*No Spoilers *

I have fond memories of the classic Christopher Reeve Superman and Tim Burton Batman movies. These DC legends were my first exposure to live action superhero adaptations, they were excellent both visually and as character pieces. The effects may not have aged well, but they feel timeless. I try to catch superhero movies the theatre because half the fun is seeing these characters on an extra large screen. With that said I was not keen on watching The Flash in the theatre because I am not a fan of Ezra Miller (Perks of Being a Wallflower) as Barry Allen/The Flash. I only changed my mind after watching the first trailer. The over the top action and Michael Keaton's (Birdman) return as Batman got me cautiously excited. I had low expectations but that didn't stop me from having very mixed feelings about this. The Flash is a creative and well developed story with solid character arcs, but the presentation is terribly inconsistent.

This is an adaptation of the Flashpoint comic storyline. It involves time-travel, alternate realties, and once again another superhero movie that deals with a multiverse. The plot itself is solid, even as someone who knows this story I found myself enjoying the way everything played out. Revelations and twists were set up well and the way they integrated this into the existing DC movies was impressive. I was also happy with the character development and emotional impact of the scenes between Barry and his family. Andy Muschetti (It: Chapter 1 and 2) is a talented director. He clearly understands how to keep a story flowing and has the creativity to conjure up some abstract depictions of locations and powers.

In spite of my dislike for Ezra Miller, there is a lot of acting talent here and Miller delivers in both comedic and emotional scenes. I understand the choice to make him a hyperactive man-child but the performance is annoying instead of endearing. With this being a time travel story there are two Barry’s both played by Miller. The younger version is written to be an immature brat and the older Barry recognizes how unlikeable he is. I appreciate the self awareness. It's also impressive that he played the different versions of the character with enough nuance to be distinct. Despite all that praise Miller still is still miscast. Michael Keaton returns as Batman and fans of the 90’s Tim Burton movies will be happy to see him bring that same energy. A few cheesy callbacks will be lost on younger audiences but I like that they embraced it. Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless) is a new face and she is fine as Supergirl, but there is nothing special or stand out about her. The character felt generic and lacking any depth, although that falls more on the writing than her performance. Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel) returns as General Zod and is as powerful and menacing as always. I was pleasantly surprised that he actually came back. Nora and Henry Allen played by Marvel Verdu (Pan’s Labriynth) and Ron Livingston (Office Space) were both fantastic and delivered the best performances in the movie.

Most audiences go to a comic book blockbuster for the spectacle and to be entertained by the impossible feats brought to life. The cinematography is grand, epic, and varied, and the sequences where Barry is breaking reality with his speed are incredible. Unfortunately, it is inconsistent and the shoddy digital effects diminished the appeal of both dialogue and action sequences. It is hard to see in still frames and largely disguised in the trailers, but I couldn’t help but notice it constantly throughout the movie.

The design and aesthetic for the more surreal reality bending moments was intentionally given a stylized glossy appearance and the lighting effects for Flash’s powers were great. Sadly that didn’t excuse or make up for how unpolished a lot of the human faces looked. There is a sequence in the beginning where Flash saves a bunch of babies, we see them in slow motion and from Barry's point of view. I am not joking when I say they looked like a mid 2000's video game. A baby that I am supposed to be concerned for shouldn’t look like a plasticine cabbage patch doll monstrosity. It removes all immersion and tension. I watch plenty of older movies with dated and weak visual effects and I am pretty good at suspending my disbelief but regardless of this being deliberate or a rushed production it was bad enough to be a constant distraction.

Worst of all was whatever facial replacement effect they used on the two Barrys. Countless movies with much lower budgets and from decades ago have had an actor play two or more characters sharing screen time. Filmmakers have deployed all sorts of clever camera techniques to make it work without using shoddy facial replacement. Even if you are doing a face swap it should not look this bad in 2023. The Social Network (2010) superimposed Armie Hammer’s face on another’s actor playing his twin brother and it was done so well that most people had no idea. That movie came out 13 years ago! At first I thought it was only happening when both Barrrys were on screen together. Unfortunately, even when they weren't physically interacting there were plenty of shots, including in the climax, with only one Barry in frame and you could still see the eyes distort and the “deep fake” looking facial replacement judder like a Snapchat filter. Whether due to poor planning, a reduced budget, or even artistic intent as Muschetti has said…it just looks bad. For a big budget summer blockbuster to have such horrendous CGI is unforgivable.

Overall the story, direction, and acting (aside from my personal dislike of Ezra Miller) were all very good. Unfortunately, the production quality lacked consistency and polish to the extent that it broke immersion and was distracting. This is a solid adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline but I would much rather watch the 2013 animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox than this.

6/10 - A mixed bag that had some great moments marred by it's inconsistent presentation. As far as superhero movies go it was far from great but also not bad. If you don’t mind Ezra Miller and can look past the horrifyingly uncanny CGI you could still enjoy this. I initially intended to skip this and wait for the home release, unless you are a diehard fan, I recommend you do the same.

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