Review: The Flash
2/5 – The Most Bewildering Superhero Film Yet
By Tim Robey, Film Critic
The latest DC instalment, The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, is a film that leaves you questioning the sanity of all involved. The film tries to incorporate the multiverse concept again, which may not seem as cool after being flogged to death a year ago. The success of this film is hinged upon the audience’s ability to withstand Ezra Miller’s sprinting and the appeal of the multiverse concept. Unfortunately, the film fell short on both counts, leaving behind a confusing plot and bewildering visual effects, including bizarre cameos that lacked a real purpose.
The doubts about the release of the film were rife last year when Miller was arrested for his chaotic behaviour off set and sought mental health treatment. Nevertheless, Warner Bros opted to move forward with the film even after spending $200m. To make matters worse, the film’s opening scene involved one of the ugliest effects sequences since the film ‘Cats’ – an eye-scarrring set of neonatal babies plummetting out of a hospital window, with one being shoved into a microwave for safekeeping. It’s visually clear that no real infants were endangered, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.
The film follows Barry Allen, the protagonist played by Miller, whose backstory is that his mother was killed when he was a teenager, and he himself was struck by lightning and gained superhuman speed. Barry learns that he can outpace the speed of light to race backwards through time and create a new timeline when his mother survives. However, this also means running into his younger, more obnoxious, and giggling self, having never experienced trauma or responsibility. The majority of the film involves double Miller, which includes Miller-on-Miller sexual tension and is challenging to watch.
The only merciful distractions are the ripples in the space-time continuum. For example, Barry confronts a Batman he doesn’t recognise, a tribute to the Tim Burton era. The scenes featuring fan-service cameos, such as Michael Keaton and Danny Elfman, are more enjoyable than the actual plot. Supergirl, played by Sasha Calle, and General Zod, portrayed by Michael Shannon, are extra characters whose purpose is not well-explained, leaving the audience confused and uninterested.
The Flash has a parade of in-jokes that makes it seem like the opposite of a reset. The movie’s attempt to be a reset fails miserably, resulting in a scratched record. The film lacks logic and coherence, and the cameo appearances, which are supposed to be a tribute to the franchise, seem senseless and add nothing of value to the movie.
The Flash may have audience members who enjoy the superhero genre, but it does nothing to preserve or elevate the genre. In reality, it appears to undermine the genre’s fun, originality, and wonder, making it the most bewildering superhero film yet.
<< photo by Ryan Klaus >>
