The Flash (2023)
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 This is the Flash running back in time to prevent Ezra Miller's legal history, which makes this movie's title rhyme with "trash".
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"I'll be so disappointed in anyone who watches this, I don't mean morally I just mean it would forever brand you as someone who obligation-watches every superhero movie even though I believe there's no possible way you're actually interested in it"
— Jenny Nicholson on X (Twitter)
The Flash is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and a story by Joby Harold and the writing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, is the 13th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), produced by DC Studios, Double Dream, and The Disco Factory, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Ezra Miller stars as Barry, who travels back in time to prevent his mother's death and becomes stranded in an alternate past. Sasha Calle also stars in her film debut, alongside Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.
Development of a film based on the Flash began in the late 1980s, with multiple writers and directors attached to the project through 2014. The film was then redeveloped as a part of the DCEU, with Miller cast as the title character. Multiple directors were attached to the film over the following years, with Seth Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, and the duo of Daley and Goldstein all departing the project over creative differences. Muschietti and Hodson joined the film in July 2019, and pre-production began in January 2020. The film is influenced by the comic book storyline Flashpoint (2011) and features other DC characters, such as Calle's Supergirl and multiple versions of Batman, including Keaton's portrayal. Filming took place from April to October 2021 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden and on location around the United Kingdom.
The Flash premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 12, 2023, and was released in the United States on June 16, following multiple delays caused by the director changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its humor, action sequences, and the performances, but criticized the visual effects and third act. It was also a box-office bomb, grossing $271.3 million worldwide against a budget of $200–220 million. Its box office performance was attributed to factors such as Miller's legal issues and controversies, the franchise's imminent reboot with the DC Universe (DCU), an overall decline of the superhero genre, and the film's mixed reception and marketing practices.
Plot
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?
Qualities That Went Out in a Flush
- For starters, long before this movie even premiered, there was severe controversy surrounding leading actor Ezra Miller and their legal history. This includes strangling a woman in Iceland, grooming a then twelve-year-old girl Tokata Iron Eyes, and robbery of alcohol. More information can be found here.
- Extremely inconsistent tone. One minute, it's serious in that it revolves around Barry dealing with his mother's death, and then it becomes goofy with Barry having to eat snacks to keep his calories up.
- Atrocious CGI comparable to that of an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 game. This is obvious in the third act and the scene of the Flash taking out the baby in the microwave, In the scene where the Flash travels through time there is a fair share of atrocious CGI, which looks more like a PS3/XBOX 360/PC cutscene or some movie from the 2000s, or worse, the 1990s, which became a meme.
- Still in the Flash's time travel scene, in one part you will notice that Batman is without his iconic ears, as if the "Man" appeared in that film.
- The third act is just non-stop action with little room to breathe. Also like in most bad movies, the final battle takes place on an open plain with no plants or dunes in sight.
- Tons of fan service in the film, such as in the CGI sequence where we see the late Christopher Reeve's Superman, Helen Slater's Supergirl, the late George Reeves' Superman, the late Adam West's Batman, and even a Superman played by Nicolas Cage. (It should be worth noting that this version of Superman was from a canceled movie from the 1990s by the name of Superman Lives, but even that still doesn't excuse how problematic this is) To add insult to injury, they even used dead actors in the form of CGI characters, which can be seen as extremely disrespectful since they didn’t consent to being in the film, nor were they even able to.
- To continue with the topic of consent, even Christopher Reeve's family stated they had no involvement in that cameo of his version of Superman.[1]
- Andrés Muschietti did a terrible job when he directed the film. considering how he directed much better movies, such as the It duology and the upcoming prequel series Welcome to Derry. There are messy camera choices and random zooms that suggest Andrés didn’t know what he was doing half of the time.
- The screenplay is very messy, with a very unconvincing setup and no logic whatsoever.
- Even if they did give 2013 Barry an arc, his character does not get enough focus, as it's instead directed towards present-day Barry.
- Executive meddling: Before Warner Bros' merger with Discovery, originally the film was meant to end with Ben Affleck's and Henry Cavill's roles as Batman and Superman erased while keeping Michael Keaton's role intact along with Supergirl, also setting up Batgirl before that movie with her in the starring role was canceled. It was then decided to keep Cavill in along with an ending with Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. But after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as leads of the DCU, the ending was yet again reworked.
Qualities That Went Out in a Flash
- It's great to see Michael Keaton back as Batman after over 30 years (following this, he would later reprise his role as Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), despite his talent being wasted. Likewise, the performances are also good as well.
- It does have some unintentionally funny moments at times, mainly the baby in the microwave and Flash's face, both in the same scene.
- The chemistry between the two Barrys is okay, and it can be quite enjoyable at times.
- The characters are still likable, Such as The Flash himself.
- Despite being poorly executed, the storyline of Barry having to prevent his mother's death is a great idea. There's even a touching moment where Barry realizes that he cannot change the past and says goodbye to his mother.
- The characters' costumes look very nice.
- Despite its flaws, some DC fans might enjoy the movie.
- The concept of a theatrical Flash movie can be awesome, despite all of the flaws that the movie is pretty much an average movie to watch.
- The first few minutes were okay.
Reception
The film has received much mixed to negative feedback, making it the most controversial movie of 2023 yet, which led to the film flopping hard at the box office. WatchMojo put it the "Top 10 Movies That BOMBED In 2023 So Far"[2], with The Flash being the number 1 movie on the list. It currently has 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.8/10 on IMDb.
Harry Thomas Pictures give the movie 5/5 stars, saying it was the best DC movie of all time.