‘The Flash’ Review – An Unfunny, CGI Monstrosity Of A Superhero Film
In The Flash, Barry Allen’s (Ezra Miller) current existence has left him craving his past. As The Flash, Barry feels like he’s only relied upon to clean up the messes of the Justice League; specifically Batman (Ben Affleck). With the death of his mother at a young age, the authorities believed that evidence proved that Barry’s father, Henry (Ron Livingston), murdered her despite Henry being innocent. With his latest appeal coming up, new evidence isn’t enough to prove his innocence.
Despite knowing that altering the past could and probably would disrupt the present for the worst, Barry allows his emotions to get the better of him. He returns to the past to save his mother, Nora (Maribel Verdu).
However, Barry ends up in an alternate timeline right before his 18-year-old self is about to get his powers.
As Barry reluctantly attempts to train his younger self how to use his newfound powers, General Zod (Michael Shannon) suddenly returns to Earth to terraform the planet and make it a new Krypton. While searching for help, Barry discovers that nearly all meta humans and the Justice League don’t exist in this timeline.
Barry crosses paths with an older Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) that has retired from being Batman. While Kal-El, the Kryptonian we know as Superman, never made it to Earth. His cousin, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Sasha Calle), is their only hope of standing a chance against Zod.
Directed by Andy Muschietti (the It films, Mama) and written by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee) and Joby Harold (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), The Flash is a superhero film that’s written in a way where the main story is decent enough and yet everything seems to be bogged down by exceptionally unfunny humor.
Both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton returning to the Batman role are the most worthwhile moments of the film. Affleck’s time on the Batcycle as he zips through the streets of Gotham as Flash deals with the crumbling and deteriorating hospital is fantastically exhilarating.
Keaton has some of the best hand-to-hand action sequences in the film as Batman. His performance relies a bit too much on nostalgia, but Keaton’s Bruce Wayne seems more sympathetic in his old age and he’s more memorable because of it.
Before Ezra Miller was cast as The Flash, he seemed to have a ton of potential as a talented actor. He is hokey as hell as Barry Allen; both young and old(er). Miller portrays emotion incredibly well, but anything that is meant to be comedic falls flat.
Writing of the character and maturity levels aside, it feels like the special effects were rushed when attempting to show two Barry Allens on screen. Whenever both of them are together in the same shot, you can clearly see the outline of the digital replacement over whichever one Ezra Miller isn’t playing at the time. For a film that has sat on the shelf for nearly two years, it feels like the special effects shouldn’t be this bad or feel this rushed.
As a big budget film that cost over $200 million, The Flash looks horrendous. The CGI and special effects are awful. The worst culprit is when Barry runs back in time. He runs backwards as memories and events from the past surround him. Instead of using actual footage for these sequences, everything is computer generated. Everyone looks like they were generated on a PlayStation 2 though; skin is shiny and rubbery while emotions are wooden and statuesque.
The opening of the film sets the groundwork for the crapshow you’re about to witness, as well. Newborn babies fall out the window of a Gotham hospital whose foundation has just shattered. The Flash, who hasn’t eaten anything, has to save all of the babies while battling his hunger. He throws a baby in a microwave, allows a flaming oxygen tank to zip past another, and takes the time to get a snack from a vending machine. It also doesn’t help that these babies look like computer generated turds.
The Verdict
The main story of The Flash regarding time travel and how it all plays out is solid even if everyone, including the audience, knows it’s the dumbest thing in the world to do. But the film is overwhelmingly goofy and the jokes never land properly. The film is special effects heavy and yet most shots involving an adequate amount of CGI are abysmal.
Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton look like they’re having fun, but Ezra Miller is obnoxious as the focal point of the film. There’s no sincerity in his performance even when it seems like he’s being genuine. The Flash is a superhero film that prioritizes silliness with a cheese factor of gargantuan proportions, but no actual entertainment values whatsoever.
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