Would they? Won’t they?
These are the two questions that have been circling around The Flash movie in the last few years.
COVID and the legal woes of the lead Ezra Miller, then the subsequent take over of the DC movie universe, now called the DCU instead of DCEU, by James Gunn, have all cast different shadows on the movie. With the Batgirl movie completely canned and written off for tax purposes during the Warner Bros and Discovery merger, they all seemed like parallel timelines that collided together, bringing down unsuspecting victims in this troubled cinematic universe.
Just when most of us thought this movie is not going to see the day of light, it went into the cinema with some muted real-life fanfare. So, is The Flash, flashy enough to warrant this cinema release, or is it just nothing but some dampened fireworks that sparkles a little and fizzles out?
The movie is marketed as the movie that reboots the DCEU into the new DCU, so in that sense it created huge expectations for the release.
Probably a lot of people know by now The Flash is adopting part of the Flashpoint story in the comics. Without entering the spoiler territory, this allows Michael Keaton to come back and wear the Bat Suit again. The recreation of Michael Keaton’s Batman and his gadgets was quite on the point, as compared to Ben Affleck’s version. But all eyes were on Ezra Miller at this point.
Without a doubt Ezra Miller is a one-of-a-kind actor. His approach to characters allowed him to bring out the layers of emotion that is three dimensional, adding much weight to the characters’ arch, making The Flash more than just a superhero movie. I think that’s partly why after James Gunn saw the first cut, insisted on releasing it, despite Ezra Miller’s ongoing legal and image issues.
The movie took place a few years after Justice League, and they are working as a ‘team’ while Ezra’s Barry Allen is also working as a forensic investigator hoping to acquit his dad of murdering his mum, because that’s the truth he knew. By accident he realised that he can go back in time in any point of his own history. Despite the fact that Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne caution him about doing that, which might completely break the time and reality, Barry did it anyway. One thing I do not understand though is that I thought Ben Affleck’s Bruce already knew that Barry can do so because he did saw Barry all the way back in Batman V Superman (?) to warn him about keeping Lois Lane save? Or he actually thought that it was a dream back then? Anyway, of course things went wrong from that point onward and it is up to the current Barry and the younger Barry to work together to fix it.
Despite all the superhero actions, there was a coherent theme throughout – learning to let go. Ben Affleck’s Bruce told Barry to do so, Barry’s mum taught him to do so, and his dad at one point also asked him to do so. For Barry, letting go was hard because he knew the truth and nobody believed that he knew the truth. And for that thought, he turned reality into a bowl of spaghetti. And he had to fix it.
The Flash cracked open the multiverse, hence it is no surprise that it became a cameo and easter eggs galore. Apart from the heavily advertised Michael Keaton’s return, there are surprises after surprises. But I cannot get into them as that will be heavily spoiling the fun for everyone.
The biggest surprise for me was how good Ezra Miller was as Barry Allen. He made The Flash such a humane character, and within the progress of the movie, you witnessed both Barry’s growth, though in separate ways, into the person the realised they need to grow into – and all that rests on the thought of letting go. Ezra Miller deeply layered performance was what made The Flash became so engaging, despite all the comic relief he exhibited. At the end of the movie, he certainly has changed, both as a person and as a superhero.
People might be put off by The Flash simply because of Ezra Miller, but to be honest with you, it is a very well-done movie with some really great performances. Ben Affleck said he finally nailed the Bruce Wayne character in this movie, and he was not wrong. He no longer looks and sounds like a wooden golem, but someone who embodied that character.
If you can, give The Flash a chance.
