The Flash is a 2023 superhero action film directed by Andy Muschietti (IT films, Mama), from a screenplay by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, Bumblebee), with a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Joby Harold (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Army of the Dead), based on characters from DC. The film is the first standalone film for The Flash character.

Worlds collide when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

The cast includes Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.

The Flash made its debut in theaters on June 16th, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

Alright so DC has had its fair share of issues serving up some duds while in pursuit of big brother Marvel, but of course as we got closer to the release of The Flash actor Ezra Miller was like “Hold my beer!”. This dude has so many screws loose it is incredible that his head hasn’t come completely loose from the rest of his body. Miller has been building a solid resume since a prominent role in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), a big role in The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), and finally his debut as the DC Comics character The Flash in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Now that movie had issues for so many different reasons, but Miller’s role was seen as a bit of a bright spot. He would go on to appear in Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017), all as The Flash/Barry Allen, as he cemented himself as a great casting choice for one of DC’s more intriguing superheroes. His biggest impact was felt in 2021 when Zach Snyder’s Justice League was released and he seemed to be on the trajectory as a polarizing new face in DC with an impact similar to Marvel’s Tom Holland as Spider-Man. But, due to seriously erratic and self-destructive behavior from Miller after filming concluded, the release of The Flash was in doubt. Ultimately the studio decided it made sense to release the film which received positive early screenings, and deal with the issues surrounding the star later. Did Miller’s black cloud rain on what has been a highly anticipated release for DC and Warner Bros. Pictures, or was The Flash still the film I was hoping it would be? Keep reading to find out!

Quick answer, I really enjoyed this movie and felt like for the most part, it did live up to my high expectations. I’m not going to sit here and act like everything going on with Ezra Miller wasn’t a distraction, but I will talk more about that later in the review. Bottom line, The Flash is a high-powered superhero film packed to the brim with eye-popping CGI, intense action sequences, the great one-liners we have come to appreciate from big brother Marvel, some incredible cameos, and just an all-around entertaining experience from start to finish. The film was never boring and I thought the story, which really did a nice job tugging at the old heartstrings, was well-executed and immersive.

What intrigued me most about The Flash originally was the “Butterfly Effect” element of the story. Just touching on the basis of the film without spoilers, Barry Allen/The Flash inadvertently discovers that his superpower allows him to time travel. Now needless to say, due to his own tragic past he immediately considers the possibility that he can go back and alter events in the past to in turn create a better future. He shares his ideas with Bruce Wayne/Batman who has his own tragic past, but Wayne is quick to warn Barry about the negative ramifications of altering the past, which would surely create problems they couldn’t even imagine. Barry has proven that he isn’t one to take advice and actually listen, so he takes it upon himself to do what he believes to be the right thing. This is where things start to get interesting, and I thought the story made for a unique layer of intrigue with an emotional element, combined with all of the great superhero action and humor that gets us in the door in the first place. The emotional element hit me pretty hard on a personal level as well which had a lasting effect on me well after leaving the theater so I have to offer up a well-deserved kudos to the writing team for all of their hard work paying dividends.

Just to piggyback off the story a bit, Barry’s superpowers made for some incredible and extremely stimulating CGI. Barry’s unique abilities allow him to move so fast that everything else around him seems frozen in time, making it so he can save the day in a way unlike any of the other superheroes. The film’s opening sequence is an absolute blast giving viewers a heavy dose of what to expect, and I was on the edge of my seat right from the start. Now granted it may seem a bit over the top at times because they really did not hold back on the CGI, but for me, it added something extra making it so The Flash sort of stood out with its own signature in a way. As the film progresses the CGI continues to play a big part and for me, it never disappoints. If you are expecting a more realistic or grounded film, you may want to reconsider seeing this movie. Just saying.

All the drama aside I really liked the cast, including Ezra Miller continuing as Barry Allen/The Flash. Miller was perfect for the role from the beginning as he embodied that unique balance of awkwardness and confidence, and just like he did in the previous films mentioned earlier in the review he delivered yet again. Unfortunately, he is likely out after this film but at the end of the day, he only has himself to blame. Ben Affleck has limited screen time but it worked as it was one of his better performances as Batman, but the cherry on top of the film for me was the legend himself, my man Michael Keaton. Keaton first played the Caped Crusader back in 1989, just think about that for a second, just a year after he blew people away with his role in the 1988 classic film Beetlejuice. With 90 credits according to his IMDb filmography with a few projects in the works, he will go down as one of the greatest and certainly more underappreciated actors ever.

The other Michael, Michael Shannon that is, returns to play villain General Zod. I enjoyed his character but I do wish the writing team would have added a bit more depth. Go ahead and put the earmuffs on the kids because man was I feeling Sasha Calle as Supergirl. I think we can all appreciate a good solid balance of sexy and badass, and she tipped the scales in the right direction for both. But seriously, the actress best known for The Young and the Restless took full advantage of this golden opportunity and I look forward to seeing her in future roles. I enjoyed the supporting cast too, particularly a few awesome cameos that I won’t spoil.

THE BAD

I really enjoyed The Flash and felt like it met my expectations after what I felt were some really awesome trailers prior to its release in theaters. Interestingly enough, some of what I loved most about the film will also be criticized by some viewers, mainly the CGI element. Within the first 5 minutes of the film, you will be well aware of what to expect, and that is some very creative but extremely over the top at times special effects. I was personally impressed with just how great it looked and the film’s willingness to pull out all of the stops, but that won’t be the reaction of every single person who sees this movie. I can confidently say that some people will consider the CGI to be a bit much or maybe even cheesy, and although not a universal outlook I do think the criticism would be warranted. It can feel like a lot at times, so my suggestion would be to go in with that expectation and you will be just fine. As I made very clear earlier in the review the story was a massive bright spot for the film, but it wasn’t perfect. In particular, I would have loved to have seen a bit more backstory for the other characters, but I also understand that some scenes were likely cut to make sure the film wasn’t 3-hours long.

I have to talk about Ezra Miller and the fact that he tried his absolute hardest to make sure this movie never saw the light of day, getting shelved similar to the Batgirl film which was considered “not releasable”, but for entirely different reasons. The Flash was essentially completed when Miller was arrested multiple times in 2022 for various reasons, but he eventually issued a public apology citing mental issues and the motivation to “get better”. It seems like Miller likely burned his bridges when it comes to his role as Barry Allen/The Flash especially considering he clearly can’t be trusted to stay out of trouble, but if he really does clean up his act I’m sure he will get other opportunities in the future. But with all of this being said, the drama surrounding the film was definitely a distraction for me and it did take away from the overall experience.

THE VERDICT

If you can set aside the questionable antics of actor Ezra Miller and focus on the immersive and emotional story, epic cameos, and jaw-dropping CGI, The Flash brings more than enough to the table making for an experience well worth a trip to the theater. I’m actually hoping to see this in theaters at least once more prior to the eventual VOD and streaming release. The CGI may prove to be a little much for some viewers hoping for more of a balance, but for me, it worked. I hope the film does well at the box office because it simply deserves to be seen, but I do feel like the drama surrounding it may keep some people away. If you want an action-packed theater experience to help kick off the summer movie season, The Flash will without a doubt satisfy that craving.