The Flash (2023)

I think pertaining to the aspects of different universes with different versions of characters seen and how saving just one life—someone who unfortunately is meant to die regardless of who they are, especially to the hero—runs the risk of breaking everything and destroying every single reality in existence. While they're story points that are probably common among many superhero movies, them happening to be released only weeks apart from each other was still something pretty noticeable.

While I like that George Clooney cameo, not using that original planned ending with Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle though was a mistake.

Edited by futuremoviewriter on Aug 4th 2023 at 10:22:50 AM

Agreed. The concerning part is that apparently James Gunn decided to go with the (sigh) Clooney ending.

If they had to end on a funny note, it would have made more sense to use Wil Arnett, since his Batman was widely beloved, is fresher in everyone's minds and works as a callback to that Jimmy Kimmel sketch.

It was Gunn throwing away the DCEU with a punch line. That is ballsy considering people still love the Snyder Verse. Stupid maybe but ballsy.

Huh. That makes more sense as a Take That! or Biting-the-Hand Humor. Does that make using Clooney!Batman an example of Fridge Brilliance because Batman & Robin (and the failure to launch Superman Lives) put DC's movie ambitions on ice (no pun intended ) for almost a decade? Equating the Snyderverse with B&R? At least rebooting DC's movies won't take that long this time.

Edited by BearyScary on Aug 4th 2023 at 4:20:07 AM

Gunn's going for a soft reboot rather than one that outright starts from scratch, so we'll see what we'll see. While Batman & Robin's beloved as a So Bad, It's Good movie, The Flash invoking it for a jokey ending is probably not appreciated by many though.

So, got around to watching this.

It's... yeah, it's a mess.

Now, I wasn't really the biggest fan of Ezra's Millar's Flash, even before the controversies surrounding them surfaced. But I thought they were okay in Zack Snyder's Justice League. But man, I just found them annoying in this. Especially the 2013!Barry. He's just acts obnoxious through most of the story, seeming to not take the situation as seriously as he should. And I get that's the point, but it didn't endear me to that version of Barry. Seeing Ezra Millar argue with themselves for a good chunk of the movie just starts to grate after a while. It didn't help that a lot of the humour fell flat to me. There's a couple of jokes a thought were okay (like the shitty Flash suit made from the Batman outfit), but most of just felt like they were trying too hard to be awkward in order to make it funny.

Zod's invasion is basically the overhanging threat for most of the movie, and yet it doesn't feel anywhere close to as dire as it felt in Man of Steel. I didn't like Man of Steel either, but Zod was easily one of the best parts of that film. So, it's a shame he seems like such a filler villain in this. There's some attempt to give him a brief character moment with Kara, but that's like one scene before he becomes a generic bad guy the heroes (try) to stop. You could've replaced him with Steppenwolf for all the difference it made. His scenes are basically banking on nostalgia points for Man of Steel, but if you liked that movie, you would hate the lackadaisical tone most of the movie has. The world is potentially at an end, and there's no sense of scale to convey that. We see Metropolis briefly being destroyed, but most of the fight with Zod's army takes place in an open desert.

Batman and Kara were big draws for the movie and they're... okay? I feel Keaton's Batman is a bit off, maybe a bit too quippy at times. But I know he had those moments in the Burton films, so it doesn't bother me too much. It's a bit odd to see him so agile, when he's supposed to be in his seventies. But maybe it's just whiplash from seeing him turn into CGI during those scenes. I do like some moments, like Bruce patching himself up after getting back from Russia. We needed more scenes like that. Kara didn't leave much of an impression on me. She's there to be the Superman stand-in, we get one scene to set-up that she was there to save Kal-El, she helps Barry get his powers back, and then she dies again and again. It's just kind of an unceremonious exit for these characters, since their sacrifices really meant nothing because the timeline got reset anyway.

The Dark Barry twist... almost works. I like the idea of the less experienced Flash gaining this power, knowing what he'll lose if he helps his other self, and becomes deluded enough to try and fix everything at the expense of destroying everything in the process. But in practice, the twist is kind of rushed. The Dark Flash is barely a presence before the final act of the movie, so it's not emotionally satisfying to see that payoff. Zod is the villain we spend most of the film trying to stop. Barry just has one nightmare after encountering his alternate self for the first time before the climax. I also find the idea that he's basically fused with all the Kryptonian weapons that have impaled him to form his costume to tread deep into "Ow, the edge" territory. And it's kind of amusing this film basically acts as an anti Across the Spider-Verse, having the exact opposite message that "Yeah, you should let your loved ones die, because the multiverse will collapse otherwise". I will say the final scene with Barry and his mother is well-done. If only it was in a better movie.

And those CGI effects were... wow. I knew they were bad, but I didn't realize how consistently bad they were throughout the film. I don't blame the animators, I'm sure post-production must've been hell on them. But man, everything felt like rubber a lot of the time. The way they depicted Barry entering the Speed Force is just unpleasant to look at. Just a nasty orange filter applied over everything with uncanny textures and models. Using AI to recreate long dead celebrities (and Nicholas Cage) has already been covered in detail, and it's not even served for a half-way decent story purpose. It's just empty fanservice that could've easily been cut. It's saying something when the best action scene I can think of is when Bruce first fights the two Barrys in his kitchen, because it's so much more restrained.

Overall, what a sad way to try and close out this universe. All I can think is how much better films were made with similar premises. Avengers: Endgame was better at revisiting past films, Spider-Man: No Way Home was better at crossing over other film universes, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox was a better Flashpoint adaptation, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse approached the themes in a more interesting way, etc. There's probably a better film in here somewhere, but this was not the way to do it.

And just keep Ezra Millar away from this franchise going forward.

Edited by chasemaddigan on Aug 26th 2023 at 11:26:54 AM

Like even Multiverse of Madness for all its faults kinda showed how to do the mistakes of a hero's actions slightly keyword here better.

Edited by Mizerous on Aug 26th 2023 at 12:16:57 PM

It's gonna eventually be a fascinating rewatch to say the least. I was willing to forgive the movie a lot of its poorer choices. Let's see what that means with the eventual second viewing though.

Considering the alternate timeline has a teenage speedster, a Gotham vigilante and a solar-powered alien with Victor Stone and possibly Wonder Woman exisiting on the fringe, they could have easily set up a Titans movie.

Alternatively, a timeline where Barry didn't become the Flash could have potentially shown Central City overrun by the Rogues or even showed humanity being invaded by super-intelligent gorillas.

I wouldn't give MOM that much credit. That movie was a mess with less controversial actors.

The Flash's troubles going into the one or two movies before it and the one after it is probably what worked against those films and prevented them from being financial successes as well. I think it had many great ideas and plenty of times, I could separate myself from the Ezra Miller situation and perform Death of the Author. Doesn't mean the weight was lifted in any way shape or form though.

Sorry to revive the topic, but there is one aspect that continues to bother me.

How the heck did they evade the guards, after young Barry got powers?

Old Barry was powerless, while the young one was unconscious, but somehow they managed to get out, with guards at the entrances.

Did he ride the young Barry out? Then again, maybe the whole building was evacuated when the lightning struck and the power went out. Seems like it could be the case.