I’ve got to start by restating that my policy has always been to judge a film based on what’s thrown on the screen and not on the personal lives of those on or behind the camera. Yes, you can find instances where I violate this policy, but go with me on this. There has to be a line between art and politics. So, how do Andy Muschietti and Ezra Miller fare in The Flash as the B-Tier heroes in a world wanting A-Tier stories?
The story of The Flash is pretty much in the trailer. Barry Allen works as a forensics specialist for the district attorney and uses these resources to find evidence to exonerate his father, who was falsely convicted of his mother’s death.
In a rage, Barry runs and runs to discover that he can move fast enough to travel through time. He goes back to prevent his mother’s murder, and upon returning to his present, a mysterious figure knocks Barry into a different timeline, where he meets his now alive mother and his younger self.
“…a mysterious figure knocks Barry into a different timeline, where he meets his now alive mother and his younger self.”
Here’s where the Butterfly Effect takes hold. Barry’s meddling made it so the only member of the Justice League to exist is Batman…the Michael Keaton Batman. Soon General Zod arrives, and there’s no Superman to save the day. With Batman like a twig between two Barrys, our trio must find a way to save the world against Zod.
Let’s just get my cred out of the way. I’m not a DC fan, having grown up with Marvel all my life. I’m also not a fan of the Zach Snyder’s films…none. That said, boy did I love The Flash.
I’ll start by saying this is the first time in a long time that I felt like I was watching a comic book movie from start to finish. It opens with Flash doing Flash things by saving Metropolis. This simple sequence establishes Barry’s human persona and gives us the full spectrum of his abilities. Now add a sizable appearance by Batfleck and just enough of Wonder Woman to remind up why we love Gal Gadot. You have a movie.
The next segment grounds us in the human story. Barry is working feverishly to get his father out of prison while discovering that he can time travel and make it so his mother never dies. From here, the wheels fall off the car, and Barry creates a mess he must fix.
