The Flash: superhero movie, a Mark Kermode movie review (video format).
Our man-of-many movies, aka one Mark Kermode, moves in like a whippet to give us his take on the new DC superhero flick, The Flash. Watch the film to find out his thoughts.
And ours? Well, The Flash, a $200 million budgeted bundle of manic energy, paradoxes, and Ezra Millers, accelerates onto the scene as the 13th film in the DCEU (the “DC Extended Universe” for the superhero neophytes among us). Lest we forget, The Flash – whose alter ego is a forensic scientist named Barry Allen, played by Ezra Miller – is renowned for his super-speed. However, this film takes us on a trip that outpaces even our hero’s lightning-quick agility: a whirlwind tour through time.
Ezra Miller, a shining beacon of mercurial talent (pun fully intended), shrouded in his personal life controversies, delivers a performance as Barry Allen that seems determined to prove that quantum mechanics has nothing on Hollywood. The film tantalizes us with a peek into Miller’s nerdy forensic scientist persona before plunging into a daring rescue mission involving airborne newborns, a cheeky homage to the Odessa Steps sequence of Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin.”
Our heroic speedster then hurls himself into a time-warp to save his dear mama from her tragic fate. He ignores Batman’s (Ben Affleck, brooding as ever) words of caution about temporal tampering, diving headfirst into the past. Barry stumbles upon his younger self, inciting a hearty dose of dual-Miller screen-time and a flurry of comic shenanigans. If you thought one Miller was complicated enough, then buckle up!
The film morphs into a parade of multiverse exploration. We see nostalgic callbacks to previous Supermen and Batmen, both physical and spectral. Our collective hearts skip a beat when Michael Keaton, the ‘Batman of yore,’ graces the screen again.
However, “The Flash” also offers its share of headaches: a dizzying plot, dubious CGI, and a particular focus on General Zod (Michael Shannon) that feels as heavy-handed as his on-screen persona.
Yet, amid the chaos, Ezra Miller’s twitchy charisma becomes the gravity keeping this overflowing comic cosmos from collapsing onto itself. Hollywood may be teetering on the edge of a major strike, with AI waiting in the wings to sweep away the complications of human actors, but films like “The Flash” remind us that the ineffable, occasionally problematic, star-power of actors like Miller is what often saves the day.
The film’s journey echoes its chaotic development history, which started back in the late 80s and saw a revolving door of creative heads before landing in the hands of director Andy Muschietti and screenwriter Christina Hodson. The influences of the Flashpoint comic storyline are evident, as are the hurdles faced from directorial changes to the global pandemic.
“The Flash” premiered on June 12, 2023, and despite the rollercoaster of events leading to its release, it has been praised for its plot, humor, and action sequences. However, the quality of its visual effects did not escape harsh criticism.
Barry Allen may indeed have saved the day on-screen, but off-screen it’s Ezra Miller’s performance that’s turned “The Flash” from a potential washout into a must-watch. Not bad for an actor who was almost invisible in the film’s pre-release promotional material.
So if you have a soft spot for the DCEU, time-travel paradoxes, or just Ezra Miller in various stages of nerdy charm and antagonistic duality, “The Flash” is worth the watch. It might not redefine the superhero genre, but it’s a wild ride through a universe that feels like it’s unraveling and reweaving itself every minute.
Finally, a word of advice: don’t leave when the credits roll. A sloshed Arthur Curry and Barry’s multiverse experiences make for an interesting conversation in a post-credits scene that just might hint at things to come.
