1,686 reviews
I just got out of The Flash
OK. So it does not live up to the positive buzz from the early screenings. It's nowhere near being one of the best comic book movies of all time. It's not even in the conversation for being one of the best DC movies. But I did have a lot of fun with it.
A lot may depend on your feelings of Ezra Miller. Younger Barry Allen was really annoying, but I think that's the point. I had no issues with them in the role.
The stand out for me, was Michael Keaton. When Batman is doing his things and Danny Elfman's iconic score is booming, it's a joy. But make no mistake this is not Batman 3, it's a Flash movie that features Keaton's Batman.
Supergirl was good, I enjoyed her, and if she gets a stand alone, I'd watch it. There were some surprises, that I'm amazed have not leaked.
It feels it's run time at times and some of the CGI is very dodgy, especially during a certain moment. Considering what they were going for, I can't believe they released it like that. The CGI at that moment is my biggest complaint.
They get away with a lot with its rating including nudity and a fair amount of bad language, including the F bomb.
I'm not sure if I'll watch it again, but I had a good time, watching this one time.
OK. So it does not live up to the positive buzz from the early screenings. It's nowhere near being one of the best comic book movies of all time. It's not even in the conversation for being one of the best DC movies. But I did have a lot of fun with it.
A lot may depend on your feelings of Ezra Miller. Younger Barry Allen was really annoying, but I think that's the point. I had no issues with them in the role.
The stand out for me, was Michael Keaton. When Batman is doing his things and Danny Elfman's iconic score is booming, it's a joy. But make no mistake this is not Batman 3, it's a Flash movie that features Keaton's Batman.
Supergirl was good, I enjoyed her, and if she gets a stand alone, I'd watch it. There were some surprises, that I'm amazed have not leaked.
It feels it's run time at times and some of the CGI is very dodgy, especially during a certain moment. Considering what they were going for, I can't believe they released it like that. The CGI at that moment is my biggest complaint.
They get away with a lot with its rating including nudity and a fair amount of bad language, including the F bomb.
I'm not sure if I'll watch it again, but I had a good time, watching this one time.
- slightlymad22
- Jun 13, 2023
- Permalink
Ok so for me the Grant Gustin will always be my live action Flash. So Ezra Miller took some getting used to. But by the end of the movie he had grown on me enough that I could appreciate his version of the Flash. I enjoyed the movie ultimately but I think that overall enjoyment was greatly subsidized by getting to see Michael Keaton as Batman again. Overall, I think it's a good movie that was let down a fair bit by the CGI used throughout. It's just a shame that when the subject matter of the movie is the Flash it's going to be very CGI dependant. Ultimately I can imagine that there some talented and passionate CGI artists out there who did their best despite having their wings clipped by management.
- imdbcom-82695
- Apr 18, 2024
- Permalink
As a fan of the Flashpoint:Paradox film, i was looking forward to this. The story is similar, but does change some major parts. The Flash is, for the most part, an enjoyable film with some really good performances, especially Sasha Calle and Michael Keaton. Not a huge fan of Ezra Miller as the flash, but the biggest issue with the film is undoubtedly the CGI. At times the graphics are poor, other times they are horrendous and unnecessary. The film would have been better had they taken a bit more time with the look of the film. Overall, a decent film with some suprising cameos, some really entertaining moments, but looked cheap.
Finally after the early screening on 6th June which showed the unfinished print, I get to watch the final cut on IMAX today. One major drawback is that a movie this big has both really good and really bad VFX. Apart from that, this complete fan service aims at not taking the story forward into the DCEU's newly planned future, instead takes Barry Allen on his usual time travel to save his mom and him learning the repercussions of his action, the hard way.
This harmless PG-13 movie sticks to the basics and plays safe to the core. Adds a bunch of cameos from DC universe to get us fans riled up. The narrative ranges from meh to "oh that's fun" and the director Andy Muschietti hardly fails in hitting the mark. He clearly knows what he intends to do with this script and plays to it's strengths. Ezra Miller indeed is good as The Flash is an added advantage and rest Michael Keaton's return as Batman takes care off.
Special mention to all the cameos as they simply were that good. Needless to say, the film is worth watching for them. Sasha Calle's Supergirl has very little to do and she tries to make most of what is offered to her. The visuals during the time travel and the reveal of multiverse was well done. The humor ensures to lighten the tone while keeping the mother-son sentiment intact. Not sure what DCEU's future holds for us fans, The Flash succeeds in entertaining for most of those 2.5hrs.
This harmless PG-13 movie sticks to the basics and plays safe to the core. Adds a bunch of cameos from DC universe to get us fans riled up. The narrative ranges from meh to "oh that's fun" and the director Andy Muschietti hardly fails in hitting the mark. He clearly knows what he intends to do with this script and plays to it's strengths. Ezra Miller indeed is good as The Flash is an added advantage and rest Michael Keaton's return as Batman takes care off.
Special mention to all the cameos as they simply were that good. Needless to say, the film is worth watching for them. Sasha Calle's Supergirl has very little to do and she tries to make most of what is offered to her. The visuals during the time travel and the reveal of multiverse was well done. The humor ensures to lighten the tone while keeping the mother-son sentiment intact. Not sure what DCEU's future holds for us fans, The Flash succeeds in entertaining for most of those 2.5hrs.
- chand-suhas
- Jun 14, 2023
- Permalink
I always start any review of a superhero movie by making it clear that these are not my types of movies and my opinion, for any superfans out there, should always be taken with a grain of salt. Now with that in mind, I have to say 'The Flash' is about as much as I can enjoy one of these types of movies. This was a very fun ride I'm happy to admit.
The movie is basically fan-service on overdrive. Anything a mega-fan has always wanted to see is likely going to show up at some stage in this movie. If that's your kind of thing then you are going to be in heaven.
I found the pacing good. The movie is just short of 2 and a half hours but that time goes by pretty quickly. As usual in these types of superhero movies I found the final battle scene the weakest the film had to offer. It got messy and convoluted and it was really the one part of the movie where I lost interest.
Of all the superhero movies I've seen this is probably the one least focused on the villain. He really does feel like an after-thought more than anything. The movie is far more about Barry Allen and his mission. Which makes it surprising to me just how much I enjoyed the film, because the one thing I do often get out of these films is enjoyment from the villain.
I think people are going to have a good time with this one. It doesn't feel like the usual copy and paste template that the MCU has been throwing out for 15 years now and it is certainly a step up from everything non-Batman that DC has been doing recently. I really enjoyed this. 8/10.
The movie is basically fan-service on overdrive. Anything a mega-fan has always wanted to see is likely going to show up at some stage in this movie. If that's your kind of thing then you are going to be in heaven.
I found the pacing good. The movie is just short of 2 and a half hours but that time goes by pretty quickly. As usual in these types of superhero movies I found the final battle scene the weakest the film had to offer. It got messy and convoluted and it was really the one part of the movie where I lost interest.
Of all the superhero movies I've seen this is probably the one least focused on the villain. He really does feel like an after-thought more than anything. The movie is far more about Barry Allen and his mission. Which makes it surprising to me just how much I enjoyed the film, because the one thing I do often get out of these films is enjoyment from the villain.
I think people are going to have a good time with this one. It doesn't feel like the usual copy and paste template that the MCU has been throwing out for 15 years now and it is certainly a step up from everything non-Batman that DC has been doing recently. I really enjoyed this. 8/10.
- jtindahouse
- Jun 13, 2023
- Permalink
Much better than I thought and reviews led me to believe. Superwoman really worked for me. Michael Keaton was good. Ezra Miller wasn't hyper annoying. I could've done without the updated flash effects and the suit but not too bad. It's funny, fairly interesting and the plot isn't super convoluted or especially ridiculous (for a superhero movie).
Saw reviews complaining about inconsistent CGI quality. For most of the movie I couldn't figure out why; clearly an artistic choice. But then Chris Reeve pops up and yeah, that was pretty bad. I think it's the result of applying the stylistic effects they'd been using on the still-alive actors to an already not awesome deepfake but whatever the reason it was jarring and not necessary. There were a lot of nods and Easter eggs they would've been fine skipping.
So not perfect but nothing ruined it for me. Batman in the beginning really didn't sound like Affleck to me. They gave their Batman a healthy dose of Christopher Nolan Batman that I could've done without (what possible reason is there for having vents on your breastplate. Do his pectorals generate too much wind resistance when he flexes?)
Anyway worth seeing. Stands up well with the other DC movies, such as they are. I really don't see what the problem is if you liked all they other stuff. This is easily better than Aquaman and Justice League and Snyder-bloat Justice League. Yeah Ezra Miller is going through an annoying as all hell/total trainwreck phase lately. But hey, who hasn't sorta kidnapped an Indian and hoarded guns and acted like a total b!#h@$$ after they got arrested for something stupid and avoidable.. yet again, then whined about it/their/thouest pronouns to someone that made the mistake of addressing them with respect? That old chestnut. Just a steaming hot mess of human being but considering all that he's gotta be pretty talented since I was still able to enjoy his character in the movie.
I wouldn't be expecting a sequel though. Oh yeah, Michael Shannon was predictably good also, though not utilized all that much.
Saw reviews complaining about inconsistent CGI quality. For most of the movie I couldn't figure out why; clearly an artistic choice. But then Chris Reeve pops up and yeah, that was pretty bad. I think it's the result of applying the stylistic effects they'd been using on the still-alive actors to an already not awesome deepfake but whatever the reason it was jarring and not necessary. There were a lot of nods and Easter eggs they would've been fine skipping.
So not perfect but nothing ruined it for me. Batman in the beginning really didn't sound like Affleck to me. They gave their Batman a healthy dose of Christopher Nolan Batman that I could've done without (what possible reason is there for having vents on your breastplate. Do his pectorals generate too much wind resistance when he flexes?)
Anyway worth seeing. Stands up well with the other DC movies, such as they are. I really don't see what the problem is if you liked all they other stuff. This is easily better than Aquaman and Justice League and Snyder-bloat Justice League. Yeah Ezra Miller is going through an annoying as all hell/total trainwreck phase lately. But hey, who hasn't sorta kidnapped an Indian and hoarded guns and acted like a total b!#h@$$ after they got arrested for something stupid and avoidable.. yet again, then whined about it/their/thouest pronouns to someone that made the mistake of addressing them with respect? That old chestnut. Just a steaming hot mess of human being but considering all that he's gotta be pretty talented since I was still able to enjoy his character in the movie.
I wouldn't be expecting a sequel though. Oh yeah, Michael Shannon was predictably good also, though not utilized all that much.
When Justice League hit theatres in 2017, I'll admit that Ezra Miller's rendition of The Flash wasn't my favourite, but his version grew on me over the years. The DC films in the last ten years have been hit or miss though. You could never tell if a film was going to be good or not. Well, hearing everything that could happen in DC's latest release, The Flash, I had to see it for myself. I'm happy to report that after seeing it and sitting on my thoughts for a couple of days, I can confidently say that this is one of DC's better films in the last 5-10 years and the emotional core packs a great punch.
Having lost his mom in the past, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) decides to use his super speed to run back in time to prevent her death and prevent his father from being wrongfully accused of her murder. In doing so, he ends up in another reality where he meets another version of himself, another version of Batman, and another version of an alien from Krypton. Also returning is the villain Zod, from the film Man of Steel. This was a fun ride to take and the action is great, but the storyline involving his mom is what worked the most for me and brought me to tears by the end. If for nothing else, the writers cared very much about the mother-son relationship.
Everyone seems to be talking about how awful the CGI is as well, but I personally found certain sequences were meant to feel like an animation instead of looking realistic. Maybe that's just me, but I was able to forgive most of the effects because I felt that way. Still, I do agree some more polishing may have been needed. Still, the CGI did not take me out of the movie as some critics have been stating. In fact, without giving anything away, certain elements needed CGI that could only be done so well in the first place, so I gave them a bit of a pass. The furthest thing to think about when talking about this film is the visual effects though, so let's move on.
I must say, yes it was cool to see Michael Keaton with the cape and cowl once again, but with all the cameos sprinkled throughout this film, I am starting to think I'll miss this world a bit as they get moving in another direction with DC. Although funny, this film felt most like Man of Steel in terms of care and effort being put into the story and tone. This film set out to be an emotional story before being a fan service fest, which I appreciated. All the cameos throughout the film just felt like the icing on the cake.
The Flash is a film that I pretty much had no expectations for so I am surprised how much I enjoyed it. Ezra Miller carries this film with a very solid performance, Andy Muschietti delivered as director, and Christina Hodson and Joby Harold truly wrote a compelling story arc for Barry Allen. Does the film get a little much by the end and overstay its welcome in terms of bombastic visuals? Maybe, but if I'm going to nitpick that, then I have a lot of things to nitpick as well, but none of them really bothered me. I was here for a good time and I got a little more than just that, which put a big old smile on my face. If you're thinking you're interested at all based on what you've seen so far, I think you'll like this one. I recommend it.
Having lost his mom in the past, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) decides to use his super speed to run back in time to prevent her death and prevent his father from being wrongfully accused of her murder. In doing so, he ends up in another reality where he meets another version of himself, another version of Batman, and another version of an alien from Krypton. Also returning is the villain Zod, from the film Man of Steel. This was a fun ride to take and the action is great, but the storyline involving his mom is what worked the most for me and brought me to tears by the end. If for nothing else, the writers cared very much about the mother-son relationship.
Everyone seems to be talking about how awful the CGI is as well, but I personally found certain sequences were meant to feel like an animation instead of looking realistic. Maybe that's just me, but I was able to forgive most of the effects because I felt that way. Still, I do agree some more polishing may have been needed. Still, the CGI did not take me out of the movie as some critics have been stating. In fact, without giving anything away, certain elements needed CGI that could only be done so well in the first place, so I gave them a bit of a pass. The furthest thing to think about when talking about this film is the visual effects though, so let's move on.
I must say, yes it was cool to see Michael Keaton with the cape and cowl once again, but with all the cameos sprinkled throughout this film, I am starting to think I'll miss this world a bit as they get moving in another direction with DC. Although funny, this film felt most like Man of Steel in terms of care and effort being put into the story and tone. This film set out to be an emotional story before being a fan service fest, which I appreciated. All the cameos throughout the film just felt like the icing on the cake.
The Flash is a film that I pretty much had no expectations for so I am surprised how much I enjoyed it. Ezra Miller carries this film with a very solid performance, Andy Muschietti delivered as director, and Christina Hodson and Joby Harold truly wrote a compelling story arc for Barry Allen. Does the film get a little much by the end and overstay its welcome in terms of bombastic visuals? Maybe, but if I'm going to nitpick that, then I have a lot of things to nitpick as well, but none of them really bothered me. I was here for a good time and I got a little more than just that, which put a big old smile on my face. If you're thinking you're interested at all based on what you've seen so far, I think you'll like this one. I recommend it.
Best DC film by a mile..
Funny, endearing, finally a DC film with pretty good special effects too and although a bit silly in places it ultimately has got almost everything right.
Ezra Miller is quite convincing and it's great to see Michael Keaton back as Batman but almost in a "Hugh Jackman as Logan" kind of role.
There's quite a lot of this multiverse stuff these days and whilst this will never be as good as the Spiderverse take it's still good and serves very well to underpin the tragic human story element of the film.
As good as most of the Marvel stuff and way better than the recent Marvel stuff..
Recommended, go see it!
Ezra Miller is quite convincing and it's great to see Michael Keaton back as Batman but almost in a "Hugh Jackman as Logan" kind of role.
There's quite a lot of this multiverse stuff these days and whilst this will never be as good as the Spiderverse take it's still good and serves very well to underpin the tragic human story element of the film.
As good as most of the Marvel stuff and way better than the recent Marvel stuff..
Recommended, go see it!
- mpowelluk-91933
- Jul 28, 2023
- Permalink
The Flash is a junk food movie, but sometimes junk food hits the spot. I think in this case, it kind of did, and I had fun. There are problems here for sure, and maybe it'll all fall apart in my mind the more I think about it. But I had a pretty good time with this, and while it might not have been as filling or satisfying as a proper piece of cínèmá, I feel like as far as unapologetic crowd-pleasers go, this is one of the better ones.
It has fun with a time travel plot, and also dives right into all that multiverse stuff that's all the rage at this point. We may be at a breaking point soon with movies that spiral off into different universes/timelines, in the process bringing back actors to roles they haven't occupied for years or even decades, but I know I still get some enjoyment out of this kind of thing. In a couple of years, who knows - there's a good chance fatigue will set in around this latest trend, but unlike a lot of cinematic trends/sub-genres, this one has at least inspired universally loved movies and even Oscar winners (like Into the Spider-Verse and of course Everything Everywhere All At Once).
The Flash is a movie that's desperate for you to like it, and I can see that turning some people off. But others are probably going to like it a lot, and I imagine it'll do well at the box office. As for the future of DC, that's all up in the air, it feels. Anything can happen now, and we'll see whether that's a good thing in time. I'm also interested to see how fans of previous DC movies react to this, given how divided the fanbase is (and how fractured all the different DC universes are, what with the extra worlds of Robert Pattinson's Batman and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker).
But The Flash? It's fun. It's entertaining. It panders sometimes. It looks a bit like a video game at points (also plays out like one at times). Its humour generally lands, but not always. I'll probably never watch it again, but I had a good time watching it just this once.
It has fun with a time travel plot, and also dives right into all that multiverse stuff that's all the rage at this point. We may be at a breaking point soon with movies that spiral off into different universes/timelines, in the process bringing back actors to roles they haven't occupied for years or even decades, but I know I still get some enjoyment out of this kind of thing. In a couple of years, who knows - there's a good chance fatigue will set in around this latest trend, but unlike a lot of cinematic trends/sub-genres, this one has at least inspired universally loved movies and even Oscar winners (like Into the Spider-Verse and of course Everything Everywhere All At Once).
The Flash is a movie that's desperate for you to like it, and I can see that turning some people off. But others are probably going to like it a lot, and I imagine it'll do well at the box office. As for the future of DC, that's all up in the air, it feels. Anything can happen now, and we'll see whether that's a good thing in time. I'm also interested to see how fans of previous DC movies react to this, given how divided the fanbase is (and how fractured all the different DC universes are, what with the extra worlds of Robert Pattinson's Batman and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker).
But The Flash? It's fun. It's entertaining. It panders sometimes. It looks a bit like a video game at points (also plays out like one at times). Its humour generally lands, but not always. I'll probably never watch it again, but I had a good time watching it just this once.
- Jeremy_Urquhart
- Jun 13, 2023
- Permalink
The Flash is a goofy movie. Not only is it much lighter in tone than most of the DC Extended Universe, but it's also wildly uneven, unsuccessfully trying to balance dramatic moments with constant attempts at lowbrow humor. The computer graphics are shockingly bad and are, at times, reminiscent of 2004's The Polar Express. There are some genuinely dramatic parts, when Ezra Miller isn't mugging for the camera, and I'd be lying if I said my childhood heart didn't surge with joy almost every time a Tim Burton's Batman reference was made, but The Flash was, for the most part, a disappointing fizzle.
- cricketbat
- Jun 13, 2023
- Permalink
Finally, The Flash. After all the silenced controversy of its protagonist, one of the most promising films of the last stage of DC comes to light. The film was quite promising, and on balance... it falls short. Join me to find out why without stripping a single spoiler.
Let's start from the essential: the script. The story is basic to be a contemporary superhero movie. It contains humor, which feels excessive in the middle of the film. It has a lot of action, from the very beginning of the footage, which is appreciated. But eventually we get to the topic of fashion. On a personal and subjective note, I'm already sick of the multiverse. At least be original and rename the concept! The next movie that dares to close down and make fun of this concept will have my wholehearted support. Anyway, this applies to using time travel of course, and showing a couple of rather impressive cameos.
The direction is quite interesting. It has very daring use of angles and lenses that work very well with the story. The photography is effective and the edition is quite precise. The soundtrack is one of the great elements of the film that knows how to deal with nostalgia, but at times it feels too patchy. The acting is decent, as is the costume design.
The controversial element of this film is undoubtedly the visual effects. Surely the effects are present in almost the whole movie and almost half of them are pretty bad. The human figure has no real references neither in movements nor in logical details. I have seen video games from outdated consoles with a better visuals than The Flash.
Anyway. The Flash is a basic, action-packed movie that tries to be fun and emotional but fails too much in VFX, an element that its target audience is unforgiving in the year 2023.
I end by saying that if Muschietti had come even a little closer to The Flashpoint Paradox, this movie would have been a masterpiece.
Let's start from the essential: the script. The story is basic to be a contemporary superhero movie. It contains humor, which feels excessive in the middle of the film. It has a lot of action, from the very beginning of the footage, which is appreciated. But eventually we get to the topic of fashion. On a personal and subjective note, I'm already sick of the multiverse. At least be original and rename the concept! The next movie that dares to close down and make fun of this concept will have my wholehearted support. Anyway, this applies to using time travel of course, and showing a couple of rather impressive cameos.
The direction is quite interesting. It has very daring use of angles and lenses that work very well with the story. The photography is effective and the edition is quite precise. The soundtrack is one of the great elements of the film that knows how to deal with nostalgia, but at times it feels too patchy. The acting is decent, as is the costume design.
The controversial element of this film is undoubtedly the visual effects. Surely the effects are present in almost the whole movie and almost half of them are pretty bad. The human figure has no real references neither in movements nor in logical details. I have seen video games from outdated consoles with a better visuals than The Flash.
Anyway. The Flash is a basic, action-packed movie that tries to be fun and emotional but fails too much in VFX, an element that its target audience is unforgiving in the year 2023.
I end by saying that if Muschietti had come even a little closer to The Flashpoint Paradox, this movie would have been a masterpiece.
- Movie_Rating_n_Ranking
- Jun 15, 2023
- Permalink
The Flash has finally arrived, a film I've been looking forward to since it came to fruition back in 2019 after many years in development of different directors/writers. Flashpoint would be the inspiration behind the film and that got me excited as I love the graphic novel, this isn't a direct adaption, its inspired and has Barry Allen traveling back in time to save his mother as the plot point but after that, everything is different and honestly it works quite well in how you'll be in for a ride that you'll be unprepared for like The Flash in the film. Ezra Miller has been a topic of controversy for two years and I understand why someone would choose not to watch it for him but his performance is great in this and he's better than ever as The Flash. Then came the marketing, making Michael Keaton the main Batman with him reappearing as his character from Tim Burton's two Batman films, Sasha Calle as Supergirl and the first trailer brought back Michael Shannon as General Zod and Antje Traue as Faora-Ul which was the villains for "Man of Steel" which was the start of the DCEU, it feels fitting that they're back for the ending (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be the true conclusion). It also stars Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú and Kiersey Clemons. With Ben Affleck along with other actors from the DCEU making cameos.
Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, she wrote Birds of Prey prior to this so she has knowledge of the universe. Henry Braham served as a cinematographer for the film and shot The Suicide Squad prior to this aswell for the last two volumes of Guardians of the Galaxy. Benjamin Wallfisch did the musical score for the film and it's a good soundtrack, music fitting each scene both light hearted and darker, also the more suspenseful scenes. I think it was nicely edited. Andy Muschietti's direction was great, I really liked his vision for the project and how he wanted to make the project his own and fitting to the DCEU. I don't have any criticism towards him, great visual storytelling and it felt like he gave great direction to the actors.
The Flash met my expectations, it was a great superhero film which brought plenty of satisfying and joyful moments. I love the characters and DCEU, I think they did a good job at putting an ending to it. With the speed force and time traveling, we got the multiverse in film format (after seeing it in Arrowverse and Titans before), and I don't want to spoil anything but you'll surely find it worth sitting through. The Flash offers a lot of things to like, the visual effects could and should have been better though, the final battle sequence against General Zod deserved ten times better effects and a more detailed location. I also understand why Michael Shannon didn't quite like it in this film just because of how one-dimensional Zod is and how there are almost no deep themes, I wouldn't say there are no themes though as there's one strong theme that's executed perfectly on screen and in writing, the theme of loss. There was emotional depth in the film through the loss of Nora, Barry's mother, it was executed perfectly and performed perfectly by Ezra Miller. The writing offered some great comedy, plenty of laughs from me and the others in the audience on the premiere, Ezra Miller had that comedic timing. Overall, I think the writing was great, much better than her work on Birds of Prey. The dialogue was great and so was the characterization. I really enjoyed the first and second act, they were golden. The third was fine but could have been better. The action sequences were great, all of them! Again, here the visual effects could have been better, but the action sequences were well thought out. It was also nice to see Michael Keaton back as Batman, he was great! I also liked Sasha Calle as Supergirl, good performance. This is a film I'll rewatch, without a doubt. Great superhero film!
Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, she wrote Birds of Prey prior to this so she has knowledge of the universe. Henry Braham served as a cinematographer for the film and shot The Suicide Squad prior to this aswell for the last two volumes of Guardians of the Galaxy. Benjamin Wallfisch did the musical score for the film and it's a good soundtrack, music fitting each scene both light hearted and darker, also the more suspenseful scenes. I think it was nicely edited. Andy Muschietti's direction was great, I really liked his vision for the project and how he wanted to make the project his own and fitting to the DCEU. I don't have any criticism towards him, great visual storytelling and it felt like he gave great direction to the actors.
The Flash met my expectations, it was a great superhero film which brought plenty of satisfying and joyful moments. I love the characters and DCEU, I think they did a good job at putting an ending to it. With the speed force and time traveling, we got the multiverse in film format (after seeing it in Arrowverse and Titans before), and I don't want to spoil anything but you'll surely find it worth sitting through. The Flash offers a lot of things to like, the visual effects could and should have been better though, the final battle sequence against General Zod deserved ten times better effects and a more detailed location. I also understand why Michael Shannon didn't quite like it in this film just because of how one-dimensional Zod is and how there are almost no deep themes, I wouldn't say there are no themes though as there's one strong theme that's executed perfectly on screen and in writing, the theme of loss. There was emotional depth in the film through the loss of Nora, Barry's mother, it was executed perfectly and performed perfectly by Ezra Miller. The writing offered some great comedy, plenty of laughs from me and the others in the audience on the premiere, Ezra Miller had that comedic timing. Overall, I think the writing was great, much better than her work on Birds of Prey. The dialogue was great and so was the characterization. I really enjoyed the first and second act, they were golden. The third was fine but could have been better. The action sequences were great, all of them! Again, here the visual effects could have been better, but the action sequences were well thought out. It was also nice to see Michael Keaton back as Batman, he was great! I also liked Sasha Calle as Supergirl, good performance. This is a film I'll rewatch, without a doubt. Great superhero film!
I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of the best DC movies so far. It perfectly adapts the source material to the current characters of the Snyderverse and bridges the gap between the old and the new DC universe that began with a more colorful and characteer-driven Aquaman and Wonder Woman movies (in spite of the flaws these may have).
The screenplay in this movie, that is the story and character arcs, is absolutely gold. It is witty, funny and splendidly well-rounded. All the jokes land perfectly and it is all thanks to the great performance of Ezra Miller, which would be more acclaimed if it weren't for the bad reputation that preceeds him.
And perhaps a bit surprisingly, every other character introduced and "returning" do a fantastic performance, elevated by their characterization. Audiences should be really satisfied with the directions they took every main character in this film.
I don't want to get into spoilers so I will just mention that the costume and set design is incredibly imaginative. The story is inspired by a famous Flash comicbook but it is modified enough to be more relevant to the current iteration of the Flash while maintaining the core messages and themes. And in some aspects, actually improve the story itself. All amounting to a climax where the emotional payoff is earned.
It is obvious the care and effort that was put into this movie in almost all aspects except one. One that seems to be the weaker link in all DC movies: the subpar CGI. I don't doubt the talents of the CGI artists at Warner Bros, but there's something happening behind close doors. Either time constraints (which seems unlikely given DC doesn't pump out as much content as Marvel), lack of workforce or simply budget constraints? (again, highly unlikely given the budgets these movies have). It's unfortunate because it is subpar enough to break the illusion (is very noticeable when you see shots of Flash's costume switching from CGI to physical costume on a close-up). But is imaginative enough to be overlooked.
And again, the heavy lifting is done by the story and characterisation, which is stellar. Add there the performances and visually stunning action set pieces and you have great entertainment. The relationships between the characters is well defined and come full circle in the end, I applaud the use of every character and their comic book iteration and I thank the good and restraint use of the easter eggs and references which the nature and trailer of this movie clearly disclosed there would be (so that wasn't really a spoiler)
All in all, this is a great direction to take DC on and in some ways, this movie feels kind of James Gunn-y: the characters are compelling, some wacky and hilarious, others more subdued but also witty; the relantionships between them are earned and emotionally satisfying and the story is character driven; and things like the editing and music-heavy montage scenes (not saying they are uniquely Gunn, but they reminisce of GUnn). And most importantly: the movie has something compelling to say. Which may sound obvious, but a lot of superhero movies lately have lost track of it. Surely they are visually stunning and action driven, but we can't forget the characters and their flaws and strengths, and exploring both is always a great idea! So more, please, more of this quality of DC.
The screenplay in this movie, that is the story and character arcs, is absolutely gold. It is witty, funny and splendidly well-rounded. All the jokes land perfectly and it is all thanks to the great performance of Ezra Miller, which would be more acclaimed if it weren't for the bad reputation that preceeds him.
And perhaps a bit surprisingly, every other character introduced and "returning" do a fantastic performance, elevated by their characterization. Audiences should be really satisfied with the directions they took every main character in this film.
I don't want to get into spoilers so I will just mention that the costume and set design is incredibly imaginative. The story is inspired by a famous Flash comicbook but it is modified enough to be more relevant to the current iteration of the Flash while maintaining the core messages and themes. And in some aspects, actually improve the story itself. All amounting to a climax where the emotional payoff is earned.
It is obvious the care and effort that was put into this movie in almost all aspects except one. One that seems to be the weaker link in all DC movies: the subpar CGI. I don't doubt the talents of the CGI artists at Warner Bros, but there's something happening behind close doors. Either time constraints (which seems unlikely given DC doesn't pump out as much content as Marvel), lack of workforce or simply budget constraints? (again, highly unlikely given the budgets these movies have). It's unfortunate because it is subpar enough to break the illusion (is very noticeable when you see shots of Flash's costume switching from CGI to physical costume on a close-up). But is imaginative enough to be overlooked.
And again, the heavy lifting is done by the story and characterisation, which is stellar. Add there the performances and visually stunning action set pieces and you have great entertainment. The relationships between the characters is well defined and come full circle in the end, I applaud the use of every character and their comic book iteration and I thank the good and restraint use of the easter eggs and references which the nature and trailer of this movie clearly disclosed there would be (so that wasn't really a spoiler)
All in all, this is a great direction to take DC on and in some ways, this movie feels kind of James Gunn-y: the characters are compelling, some wacky and hilarious, others more subdued but also witty; the relantionships between them are earned and emotionally satisfying and the story is character driven; and things like the editing and music-heavy montage scenes (not saying they are uniquely Gunn, but they reminisce of GUnn). And most importantly: the movie has something compelling to say. Which may sound obvious, but a lot of superhero movies lately have lost track of it. Surely they are visually stunning and action driven, but we can't forget the characters and their flaws and strengths, and exploring both is always a great idea! So more, please, more of this quality of DC.
- quiqueperezsoler
- Jun 13, 2023
- Permalink
The movie is desperately trying to mimic the flashpoint paradox with some tweaks and cameos. The movie included some unfunny scenes and bad CGI. The director said that they purposely made special effects look weird but it's rather distracting how some scenes look. Sometimes it feels like the film purely relies at nostalgia rather a good plot. Acting is rather sub par and unexciting, Ezra's character was pretty annoying compared to other character depictions in tv shows and DC animations. Spider-Man across the spiderverse is much better at utilizing the concept of a superhero multiverse and variety of characters.
Such a good movie! Great pacing all the way through, character development was perfection. Yes there is a little too much reliance on CGI but it's a roller-coaster ride. Ezra Miller is just perfect in this role, as always. I've been a fan of the Flash tv series from the beginning and I think that helped me understand some of the concepts in this movie but I don't think it's a requirement to have seen it.
Some of the cameos brought a tear to my eye and I found them to be very respectful of the franchise. Some are so subtle that I'm sure I missed them so keep your eyes peeled.
Overall a fantastic movie, highly recommended.
Some of the cameos brought a tear to my eye and I found them to be very respectful of the franchise. Some are so subtle that I'm sure I missed them so keep your eyes peeled.
Overall a fantastic movie, highly recommended.
- rachellhogan
- Apr 19, 2024
- Permalink
No matter how many times you read about how awful this thing looks, trust me when I say it's worse than you're imagining. Some of these visual effects are absolutely abysmal, potentially the worst I've seen in a movie of this scale. It's honestly on the level of 'Son Of The Mask (2005)' or 'The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl 3-D (2005)' at times. Truly, truly terrible stuff. There are some sequences that are more convincing than others, but too many of them are legitimate eye sores. That's not a dig at the visual effects artists, by the way, who were all very likely doing their best with the time they were given and were also very likely underpaid for their work. It's more of a dig at the studio and its odd decision not to grant the VFX houses more time despite the fact that production on this film spanned the entire nine seasons of CW's 'The Flash (2014 - 2023)'.
After a bafflingly bad opening movement, the movie does admittedly settle into its own somewhat entertaining rhythm. The second act of 'The Flash (2023)' is surprisingly successful. It isn't great, of course, but it's relatively pacy and features a handful of enjoyable action scenes. The two cameos that are spoilt in the marketing work fairly well, with a certain someone proving he's still got it even after all these years (though the actor in question has been doing good work for his entire career). Ezra Miller turns in far better work then when they played that wizard with the rubbish hair cut, somehow making Barry more irritating than before but also imbuing him with a new semblance of responsibility that ties in nicely to the story's fairy potent emotional underpinning. However, their efforts aren't quite enough to make you forget all the awful things they've done in real life (nothing would be), so there is a strange sort of second-hand guilt that arises from watching them on screen.
Where the picture starts to falter once again is in its final third, which starts out modestly enough but eventually escalates into all-out insanity and begins to awkwardly explore the morally iffy side of its multiversal premise. Again, the ugly visuals rear their even uglier heads here and the very fabric of the film itself starts to (admittedly somewhat appropriately) unravel. The frustrating finale reminds you that the movie has been about IP all along, not genuine storytelling, and that any success its second act may have is either accidental or a result of it being the segment that the DC suits meddled with the least during production. Ultimately, the affair's potential is all but entirely stifled by studio-mandated audience pandering and a callously dismissive approach to the importance of a well-considered narrative.
Again, some of the picture really isn't all that bad. In fact, it's actually pretty good; I honestly can't say that I didn't enjoy parts of the middle portion. However, it's bookended by some really poor storytelling and contains more than one laughably bad set-piece. The visual effects are sometimes so poor they look like they've been rendered for a cheap PlayStation 3 game. The movie just feels fairly soulless, too.
If you want to see a far, far better adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline, just watch 'Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)' instead.
After a bafflingly bad opening movement, the movie does admittedly settle into its own somewhat entertaining rhythm. The second act of 'The Flash (2023)' is surprisingly successful. It isn't great, of course, but it's relatively pacy and features a handful of enjoyable action scenes. The two cameos that are spoilt in the marketing work fairly well, with a certain someone proving he's still got it even after all these years (though the actor in question has been doing good work for his entire career). Ezra Miller turns in far better work then when they played that wizard with the rubbish hair cut, somehow making Barry more irritating than before but also imbuing him with a new semblance of responsibility that ties in nicely to the story's fairy potent emotional underpinning. However, their efforts aren't quite enough to make you forget all the awful things they've done in real life (nothing would be), so there is a strange sort of second-hand guilt that arises from watching them on screen.
Where the picture starts to falter once again is in its final third, which starts out modestly enough but eventually escalates into all-out insanity and begins to awkwardly explore the morally iffy side of its multiversal premise. Again, the ugly visuals rear their even uglier heads here and the very fabric of the film itself starts to (admittedly somewhat appropriately) unravel. The frustrating finale reminds you that the movie has been about IP all along, not genuine storytelling, and that any success its second act may have is either accidental or a result of it being the segment that the DC suits meddled with the least during production. Ultimately, the affair's potential is all but entirely stifled by studio-mandated audience pandering and a callously dismissive approach to the importance of a well-considered narrative.
Again, some of the picture really isn't all that bad. In fact, it's actually pretty good; I honestly can't say that I didn't enjoy parts of the middle portion. However, it's bookended by some really poor storytelling and contains more than one laughably bad set-piece. The visual effects are sometimes so poor they look like they've been rendered for a cheap PlayStation 3 game. The movie just feels fairly soulless, too.
If you want to see a far, far better adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline, just watch 'Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)' instead.
- Pjtaylor-96-138044
- Jun 24, 2023
- Permalink
It's a fun movie with great performances.
Conceptually it's a knockout film. Dealing with love and loss ... and time travel (you know, the important stuff). But the script and execution seemed a bit, dare I say it rushed.
If I were to wax lyrical, which I will, might I say that there's one key lesson to be learned from the theme of this movie that perhaps wasn't followed by its makers?
It's no spoiler to note that the idea of going back in time to adjust the past and thereby repair the present is a sweet temptation. But when we remove that limitation of linear time, binding us to our past mistakes, trouble seems to stem out in all directions. OK, so my analogy is that by relying heavily on CGI to theoretically create anything that one's imagination can conceive, the temptation is to consciously turn everything up to 10 (or 11 if you're in Spinal Tap) and conjure up endlessly amazing experiences. But we're linear beings, for the most part. We need common reference points to know where and who we are. Otherwise, we go off the rails.
That's what I felt was absent from the The Flash movie. Too much of what could be but not enough of what is. We're left disoriented and, ultimately, a bit disengaged.
If I were to go back in time and change something I would have spent more time focusing on the drama of having two Barrys in existence - excellent FX work and acting here. But that'd mean less time for Batman (good stuff) ... and Supergirl (more good acting) and less of the smaller character parts (funny performances, all). OK. Let me readjust. If I was to change something it'd be just to ...
Conceptually it's a knockout film. Dealing with love and loss ... and time travel (you know, the important stuff). But the script and execution seemed a bit, dare I say it rushed.
If I were to wax lyrical, which I will, might I say that there's one key lesson to be learned from the theme of this movie that perhaps wasn't followed by its makers?
It's no spoiler to note that the idea of going back in time to adjust the past and thereby repair the present is a sweet temptation. But when we remove that limitation of linear time, binding us to our past mistakes, trouble seems to stem out in all directions. OK, so my analogy is that by relying heavily on CGI to theoretically create anything that one's imagination can conceive, the temptation is to consciously turn everything up to 10 (or 11 if you're in Spinal Tap) and conjure up endlessly amazing experiences. But we're linear beings, for the most part. We need common reference points to know where and who we are. Otherwise, we go off the rails.
That's what I felt was absent from the The Flash movie. Too much of what could be but not enough of what is. We're left disoriented and, ultimately, a bit disengaged.
If I were to go back in time and change something I would have spent more time focusing on the drama of having two Barrys in existence - excellent FX work and acting here. But that'd mean less time for Batman (good stuff) ... and Supergirl (more good acting) and less of the smaller character parts (funny performances, all). OK. Let me readjust. If I was to change something it'd be just to ...
- Phil_M_A_Kerr
- Jun 13, 2023
- Permalink
- kuner-59029
- Jun 16, 2023
- Permalink
It's bad enough I had to put up with one Ezra Miller, but two of them was just two characters and double the cringefest, as the banter between the two characters was more annoying than fun. This film seems like it was targeting a teenybopper demographic that enjoys this type of nonsense.
It was all middle-school humor, tacky special effects, silly plot twists that spent all its time racing from one poorly-thought out story element to another, from one only modestly satisfying nostalgia shout-out to another, yet ends up as rewinds of movies you've already seen, but with appalling VFX and a messy story that even the amazing Michael Keaton couldn't save. It was repetitive and underwhelming, and full of narrative inconsistencies and unjustifiable leaps of characters' logic.
The multiverse's bottomless stockpile of do-overs and variant replacement characters was already getting on my nerves in the Marvel films, and this DC film suffers from the same bad case of multiverse overkill, instead of telling an original or thrilling story. The stormy seas of production hell are clearly evident as this blur of nonsense runs out of steam as it drags to the nearly two-and-a-half hour mark, that the end result barely feels like a final draft. It's easily the weakest of the recent movies about multiple universes. It's a generous 6/10 all for Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle's screen time and outstanding performances.
It was all middle-school humor, tacky special effects, silly plot twists that spent all its time racing from one poorly-thought out story element to another, from one only modestly satisfying nostalgia shout-out to another, yet ends up as rewinds of movies you've already seen, but with appalling VFX and a messy story that even the amazing Michael Keaton couldn't save. It was repetitive and underwhelming, and full of narrative inconsistencies and unjustifiable leaps of characters' logic.
The multiverse's bottomless stockpile of do-overs and variant replacement characters was already getting on my nerves in the Marvel films, and this DC film suffers from the same bad case of multiverse overkill, instead of telling an original or thrilling story. The stormy seas of production hell are clearly evident as this blur of nonsense runs out of steam as it drags to the nearly two-and-a-half hour mark, that the end result barely feels like a final draft. It's easily the weakest of the recent movies about multiple universes. It's a generous 6/10 all for Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle's screen time and outstanding performances.
- Top_Dawg_Critic
- Jun 19, 2023
- Permalink
A little of bit of a disappointment, but at this point this is what we are used to.
The whole film felt very one note, from the very first 5 minutes into the film we are thrust straight into the journey and there's no point at which we can take a breath, just gives the film a very uneven feeling.
On top of that, it attempts (badly) at the balance of humour/emotion, I.e it try's too hard, half the time it feels like either a kids film or a video game!
Please DC just take a beat and revert back to the principles of 'DC Comics' maybe make a few origin stories that are grounded - instead of trying to copy whatever marvel is doing!
The whole film felt very one note, from the very first 5 minutes into the film we are thrust straight into the journey and there's no point at which we can take a breath, just gives the film a very uneven feeling.
On top of that, it attempts (badly) at the balance of humour/emotion, I.e it try's too hard, half the time it feels like either a kids film or a video game!
Please DC just take a beat and revert back to the principles of 'DC Comics' maybe make a few origin stories that are grounded - instead of trying to copy whatever marvel is doing!
- sia_hamwala
- Jun 15, 2023
- Permalink
I am not sure why everyone is so harsh on this movie or why this is bombing in the box office. The movie is a good super hero movie. The storyline is simple to follow, the cool fighting scenes are there and all the DC Characters.
The drawbacks, yes the Visuals are cartoonish, Erza has real life issues and the story was very simple and basic.
If you watch the recent Marvel Movies, this was much better than Antman, Dr Strange and the Last Black Panther.
If only they called this a Batman movie, this would of done much much better but sadly it seems DC can not do any movies other than Superman and Batman.
The drawbacks, yes the Visuals are cartoonish, Erza has real life issues and the story was very simple and basic.
If you watch the recent Marvel Movies, this was much better than Antman, Dr Strange and the Last Black Panther.
If only they called this a Batman movie, this would of done much much better but sadly it seems DC can not do any movies other than Superman and Batman.