The Flash (2023)

[Eric Loves Rey]

Discuss

[ChipDerby]

I gave it 4 stars on Letterboxd. Probably bordering on an A- for me. It was surprisingly funny, felt like a throwback superhero movie. The whole vibe honestly felt BTTF for me, which is funny considering...

 

A tad too long, a little bit wonky effects. Keaton/Calle were great, needed more of her. Cameos were cheesy, sure. But I liked them. Seeing Keaton suit up for the first time was surprisingly emotional for me, as someone who never actually got to see his movies in the theater. The final scene I thought was great. Audience seemed to enjoy it (besides my friend)

[lilmac]

I found The Flash movie to be enjoyable, particularly the scenes featuring Batman, which were expertly filmed by Muschietti. His Batman scenes reminded me of the great 1990s animated series. He really has a feel for the character. I was initially concerned about the inclusion of the Kira character being wokish, but I was pleasantly surprised by her performance and scenes. Ezra was exceptional in his portrayal of The Flash. However, some of the action scenes fell short due to the DCEU's overreliance on CGI and the chaotic nature of explosions, faceless minions, and a lack of emotional depth. Back to the positive, the movie also had a good balance of heart and humor. Overall, I would give The Flash a B grade.

[filmlover]

This was obviously really messy and convoluted but I think it ultimately works more often than not and proves to be one of the more enjoyable outings in the DCEU that seems to be on the verge of a total reboot. Some inventive action scenes (I had to laugh at the absurdity of Barry using a microwave as a life-saving device during the opening baby rescue lmao) and it manages to execute its fan service/nostalgia elements pretty well despite a scattershot screenplay, and I was certainly never bored despite the long runtime.

 

I do understand where the criticism over the CGI is coming from though. There were some really cool shots but also some where I couldn't believe that this movie cost as much as it apparently did. The scenes of Barry speeding through time had a real "Robert Zemeckis Ugly Mocap" quality to them.

 

Ezra Miller capably carries the movie with a solid performance(s). Too bad about...well, everything off-screen since this finished filming. To the surprise of nobody, however, the movie really belongs to Michael Keaton, who has zero difficulty slipping back into Bruce Wayne, and it's cool to see what his Batman is up to a few decades later. The endless number of cameos are fun, some more than others: I knew going in about Cage, for instance, but never expected that they would manage to get CLOONEY of all people to appear in this after how much he's bashed Batman & Robin over the years.

 

Is it the Greatest Comic Book Movie Ever? Not by a long shot. But for a project that had such a journey to finally getting released (and won't be producing a sequel at this point), the fact it's mildly enjoyable and not a disaster feels like a minor miracle of sorts.

 

B-

[avensis]

The multiverse is definitely not successful at Marvel as it is at DC, The fash being yet another disappointment. At the same time, what could one expect from a film with such a chaotic production.

 

 

_Tutuapp

Edited July 5, 2023 by avensis

[LegionWrex]

I wanna make it clear first that The Flash has always been my favourite superhero at either Marvel or DC since I was a kid. So it brings me no pleasure to find this thing to be one of the worst things shat out into movie theaters in a while. In terms of DCEU stuff I don't think it's a Suicide Squad level disaster but it's certainly on the same level as the theatrical cut of Justice League for me - a film so clearly the result of so much different BTS drama both in front of and behind the camera that it's hard to reconcile it. The first 15 minutes aren't even that bad either, and outside of a couple of bits of humor that don't really work I thought we were in for something cool and unique. But then the multiverse and time travel stuff showed up and suddenly the movie loses all momentum. Once the second Barry enters the picture, it's over. The film continues down said rabbit hole until a finale so bereft of any actual stakes that it becomes numbing. The only thing actually carrying the back half of this is Sasha Calle who is genuinely spectacular here, sincerely hope she headlines Gunn's Supergirl film. Bad, bad, bad.

[Eastwood47]

For myself, I can accept the parameters of any universe you want to put me in, as long as you abide by the rules you establish to operate within that world. The Flash acutely fails to follow those rules throughout the entire film, while offering some incredibly daff notions of reasoning that fail the motivations offered to drive the plot. 

 

For starters, no one who can go back in time to reverse the murder of their mother is going to first examine whether having their father stay at home alters that outcome, when he too could be killed in the event. I think nearly every human being, (except for the writers and director of this film) would first seek out the ACTUAL person who murdered their mom. So for the Flash to be focused on the secondary problem of his dad makes ZERO sense, when he could seek out the core reason for the murder happening, which fixes BOTH the murder and his dad's subsequent wrongful imprisonment. 

 

Additionally, if the Flash can jump in and out of the timeline, why does he feel inclined to speak to himself in the timeline where his mother lives? If he's so obsessed with not messing up history that he focuses on a can of beans in a grocery store, then why would he go completely off the rails by talking to a different version of himself which creates the problems he gets into? He could have just as easily left that timeline and gone back to his own. So none of the reasoning or rules of engagement are ever followed, even up to and including the end of the film where Barry goes back to the can of beans for his dad's sake (even though he already sees what changing one can of beans does to the multiverse). 

 

And if I'm to accept the notion that merely moving one can of beans can set off a chain of events that alters history, how could that impact Superman since he is older than Barry and would have already resided on earth for many years before the future Barry arrives to change the direction of that timeline? Thats a big plot hole that makes no sense. The same would apply to Bruce Wayne as well because he's older too, so none of that really makes any sense. The weaknesses in the script ( or excuses to bring in cameos) are poorly explained away by this ill conceived plot device that was never thought through properly by the writers or director. 

 

And how exactly does George Clooney coming into the picture reset the DCU for James Gunn? And Jason Mamoa is still Aquaman? Its one hell of a mess that ultimately doesn't service the stated goals by the director or James Gunn who pushed for that change with Clooney. So while there were some strong performances in the acting realm by most of the cast, the failings of the writing team to offer a coherent story is what fails this picture for me. If the premise can not stay afloat to tell the story, then its characters are pretty much adrift with no safe landing to save it.  I give it a D for failing to follow its own premise with sloppy reasoning and heavily flawed motivations that do not pass the sniff test even with a low bar to meet. 

 

 

 

 

[Webslinger]

There is so much baggage attached to The Flash that the movie itself almost feels like an afterthought, but judging purely by what director Andy Muschietti puts onscreen, I had a pretty good time with it. The film occupies a weird place in the already snarled DC cinematic continuity, as it clearly counts on viewers having seen Man of Steel and the Snyder Cut of Justice League while also feeling like an unambiguous move to reset the continuity for future films. Despite having such contrasting aims to meet, Muschietti succeeds in crafting a fun popcorn flick that has effective humor and clever nods to the various cinematic DC properties (though the best of these is a “what-could-have-been” moment that will have those in the know laughing out loud while confusing the hell out of those who are not), earned emotional moments, and steady pacing that keeps the proceedings engaging throughout the 144-minute running time. The narrative does suffer somewhat from feeling like a sequel to something that doesn’t completely exist (as we got bits and pieces of Flash and his origin in both Justice League cuts, but not a standalone film) and from a final act that feels a little underwhelming after all that came before, but the elements that work are more than enough to carry it through. Though their offscreen actions are messy to say the least, Ezra Miller makes the charm and humor of multiple versions of Barry Allen feel effortless; as in some of the highlights of their other work, Miller possesses the skill and charisma of a true star and puts those qualities to effective use here. It’s also lots of fun to see Michael Keaton reprise the Batman role after a 31-year absence, and the small roles and cameos that follow elicited smiles from me. With the shift to James Gunn’ s vision and this film’s headline-grabbing under-performance at the box office, I have no idea what kind of place The Flash will ultimately have in its brand’s erratic big screen era, but I had plenty of fun with it for what it was. 

 

B

 

And now, the spoilery stray thoughts (it's been a while since I did these, but it feels appropriate here):

 

- As alluded to above, I definitely laughed out loud at Nicolas Cage's cameo as Superman-Fighting-a-Giant-Fuckin'-Spider. I went with my dad, who knows absolutely nothing about Kevin Smith's filmography or speaking engagements, so that moment and my laughter at it required quite the explanation while we waited for the post-credits scene. I love that we finally got Nicolas Cage as a Superman who fights a giant spider.

 

- Thanks to scanning the cast list on IMDB, I was spoiled on all the cameos going in, but was still highly amused with the contexts for most of them. Even though I knew full well that the Bruce Wayne at the end was going to be George Clooney, I still laughed at the interactions between him and Miller.

 

- I enjoyed this, but man, releasing mere weeks after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ended up being just about the worst timing imaginable. Even as a part one, Across the Spider-Verse feels like it tells a more complete and effective story than what we get here, and it tackles themes of free will and (supposed) inevitability more poignantly. (Also, that film's "Protect Trans Kids" flag is more prominently visible in Gwen's room than the poster of the progress flag is in 2013 Barry's. Just sayin'.)

 

- I love how the date given for Barry's accident matches up with the actual 2013 calendar (Sunday, September 29). That said, it did make me think "But that happened in June..." when we saw Zod calling for the Kryptonian on TV.

 

- Please tell me I wasn't the only one thrown for a loop when Ron Livingston showed up as Barry's dad - a role previously played by Billy Crudup. Given the multiversal nature of this film, I was definitely half-expecting Crudup to show up at some point.

[Grebacio]

One of the worst blockbusters I've ever seen.

The characters are either completely cartoonish (both Barry Allens, their roomates, Keaton's Batman) or shallow (Kara, Zod and his army).

The action setpeices are dull and bloated with ugly CGI.

The cameos add absolutely nothing to the plot and are a lazy and desesperated attempt to cash in nostalgia. Not to mention that the inclusion of dead actors feels disrespectful.

 

 

2/10

[Blaze Heatnix]

I really enjoyed it! It's not the "I need to watch it ASAP!" flick, but you won't feel you lost your money if you give it a chance.

 

The acting was fine, action scenes were cool overall, Keaton was badass. It's obvious that Affleck basically wanted to get rid ofhis Batman as soon as possible. 

 

It's considerably better than almost most of the DCEU flicks, imo.

[Goffe]

I’m very easy to please. I just need some cool shots and stepieces to give these blockbusters a pass. Is it now too much to ask for? Can’t remember the last one big-budgeted that impressed, and I mean big-budgeted movies in general. They just look visually appalling and mechanical nowadays.

[interiorgatordecorator]

The movie was very flawed, but good overall

Wasted an hour on supergirl and batman only to rush its conclusion, should have greatly reduced both of their screentime to better showcase Past Barry becoming evil instead of trying to do it in the space of 3 minutes. 

Excellent first hour 

ok second hour

very awkward and very rushed climax, needed to be 20 min longer

Ezra Miller keeps the second hour from becoming black adam tier (i have not seen black adam)

 

B+

Edited July 20, 2023 by interiorgatordecorator