Film review: ‘The Flash’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

The superhero movie juggernaut roles on. In a brief hiatus between Marvel movies, it’s time for the DC universe to try to grab some of the eye-watering box office the Avengers etc have been revelling in. DC’s latest offering is The Flash, another standalone film (almost) for a character from its Avengers equivalent, The Justice League. The various DC films have had quite distinct styles with the dour, grey realm of Batman, the sunlit, slightly tongue-in-cheek world of Wonder Woman and the outrageous Wagnerian, hyper-colour universe of Aquaman. So which DC world does Mr Flash occupy?  It’s almost all of the above as this film flits through various scenarios and guess what, multiple universes but it most often recalls the goofball action comedy of Shazam.

For those who haven’t diligently kept up with the DC universe, the Flash is young forensic scientist Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) who, having been zapped by lightning and doused in lab chemicals, hasn’t been hideously scarred or killed but has acquired superpowers. He’s able to connect with a phenomenon known as the ‘speed force’ which allows him to run faster than just about any creature in the known universe, walk through walls and shoot lighting from his fingers.  Despite his powers, Barry is surprisingly awkward and unconfident and still manages to infuriate his boss by turning up late to meetings.  Much of the early part of the film focuses on Barry as a comical doofus but takes a slightly more serious turn when Barry recalls the event that changed his life (the one before the lighting and the superpowers) the murder of his mother for which his father was convicted.  Just to make its sure mining that Gen X nostalgia, this film uses Barry’s angst to create a Back to the Future-style scenario as he realises his super speed allows him to go back in time.  Here, he tries to prevent his mother’s death but he probably should have watched a few more time travel movies as messing with history can have disastrous implications.  It’ll take a few superpowered buddies to try and stop Barry’s mistake from destroying the universe(s).

Few will be shocked to learn that there’s a pretty flimsy story acting as a springboard for outrageously extravagant retina-frying, eardrum-melting action sequences.  Most of these are admittedly spectacular with elaborate battles between the Flash and assorted villains although at times the action is so cluttered it verges on the chaotic confusion of a Transformers film.  Also, some of the CGI, especially in a supposedly comical sequence involving flying babies, is surprisingly bad.

The Flash also suffers from the old ‘time travel movie’ dilemma of having to explain what the hell is going on: how events in the past which is the present affect the future which is the past and…. you get the picture.  Be warned, at one point they compare the multiple intersecting timelines to a bowl of spaghetti. It’s best not to get sucked into the notion of trying to follow what’s happening and just watch people flying around bashing into to each other and zapping people with energy beams.

As the leading man here, Ezra Miller is unfortunately a little too goofy.  Barry’s comical klutziness and neuroses are amusing at first but soon become annoying and that’s before we even get to the extremely irritating, floppy-haired, younger version of Barry from the past who looks like an unsettling Dr Moreau hybrid of Keanu Reeves’ Bill and Ted character and Corky Romano from the 2001 film.

An essential part of any superhero film these days is the fan service cameo as beloved actors of the past pop-in to elicit orgasmic squeals from the hard-core fans.  As Barry’s meddling with reality leads to a clash of multi-verses, there are plenty of opportunities for cameos here, some very unexpected.  I won’t reveal who turns up although one return has already been well advertised, Michael Keaton as Batman.  Thankfully, he is one of the best things about this film.  His mix of casual humour and strong screen presence lifts the film and he’s probably a better actor than he was when he originally played Batman.  His action sequences are terrific with dynamic, genuinely bruising fight scenes, clever strategising and impressive use of technology.  There’s obviously CGI involved but the scenes with Batman feel exhilaratingly real compared to the computerised fantasmagoria surrounding the other characters.

The other bonus here is a decent soundtrack featuring the likes of Supergrass, the Raconteurs and Chicago.

Those not seduced by superhero sagas, nostalgic cameos and outrageously over-the-top special effects won’t be converted by The Flash.  Fans, though, will find more than enough skull-pounding action and escapist fantasy to satisfy their superhero fix.

Nick’s rating: ***

Genre: Superhero/ Fantasy/ Sci Fi/Drama/ Action/ Adventure/ Comedy.

Classification: M.

Director(s): Andy Muschietti.

Release date: 15th June 2023.

Running time: 155 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

 

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