The Flash: A very good outing from DC but not perfect
The Flash is fast enough to spike your interest. Do watch it if you are a fan of comic book cinema.
Published Date - 16 June 2023, 06:21 PM
Hyderabad: In the universe of superheroes, there is seldom a character that has a personal loss in life and then again nature strikes to change the persona. The Flash is one of those characters.
To the uninitiated, Barry Allen’s mother is killed when he was a child, and his father is wrongly accused of murder. In his teens, he is stuck by lightening that gives him superpowers and making him his alter ego, the Flash.
Like most superheroes, he is a reluctant one. Unlike most superheroes, he is quirky and tech savvy and is also afraid of getting his hands dirty. What makes Flash stand out is the attitude of he assuming that he can save everyone. He shows, despite all that he has been through, he still has ‘hope’.
Director Andy Muschietti gives you a trippy take on multiverse bringing back comic to the comic book movies that most in recent times have been missing out on.
The film starts off in a post ‘Justice League’ era with Barry (Ezra Miller) being called in by Albert (Jeremy Irons) to save Gotham as Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and Superman (Henry Cavill) are both busy elsewhere and Batman (Ben Affleck) is chasing the goons.
After a successful trip, Barry is back where he belongs – a police forensic investigator from Central City. His dad Henry Allen’s (Ron Livingston) case is up for appeal and Barry realises that he cannot help his father. Barry runs fast enough to realise that he can travel faster than light and as such travel back in time. He shares the idea with Bruce (Batman) who advices him against travelling back in life to save his mother. Bruce tells him not to mess with the timeline for that may lead to adverse effects.
Typical of a teenager, he ignores the advice and travels back in time and saves his mother. Bruce’s prediction comes true and the timeline falls apart. Barry is now in a universe where there is no Superman and a different Bruce/Batman (Michael Keaton). He also runs into another Barry and it is up to them and Kara Zor-El, alias Supergirl (Sasha Calle) to save the Earth from General Zod (Michael Shannon).
Coming from DC, this is a very good outing. It is not perfect. However, it does make for a good roller coaster ride. A shout out to the CGI team. It is as good as it comes, especially the scene where he battles the Speedster. The refreshing thing about the movie is the honesty that Andy Muschietti gives us. His portrayal of a reluctant superhero realising his mistake and his attempt to correct his mistakes is good.
This is a good beginning for the DC Universe. I was just a kid when Keaton portrayed the caped crusader. It is good and refreshing to see the greats (the other Batman) on screen too for a cameo. Though a lot is happening on screen, there are very few dull moments and most times, you are captivated at the happenings.
Scenes where the original Barry tries to research the presence of the Justice League members and his workplace scenes could have been better shot. The comic relief comes in the form of the dual role Ezra Miller. Both goofy, yet one is sophisticated. One having friends and other a loner. Their interactions tickle your funny bone. Sasha Calle as Supergirl does a decent job in the limited screen time that she is presented with. One major drawback of the film is the 144-minute running time. It could have been at least 20 minutes shorter.
This Flash is fast enough to spike your interest. Do watch it if you are a fan of comic book cinema.
— Abhinav