Fathers, Bubbles And Spaghetti Logic

“The Flash” (2023) – movie review
Today’s review is for the multiverse-hopping, comic-book adaptation / superhero action flick:  “The Flash”  (2023), starring Ezra Miller as Barry Allen (a forensic scientist turned speedster who breaks time to attempt to save his mother), Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne (retired Batman from an alternate timeline), Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El (a Kryptonian refugee held captive in Siberia), Michael Shannon as General Zod (returning villain with genocidal ambitions), Ron Livingston as Henry Allen (Barry’s wrongly imprisoned father), Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen (Barry’s mother whose death sets the plot in motion), Kiersey Clemons as Iris West (Barry’s journalist friend and potential love interest), and Antje Traue as Faora-Ul (Zod’s ruthless second-in-command).
Background:  I heard this was a terrible movie, so I was not particularly interested in getting it nearer it’s release date or its streaming date.  I’m not thrilled by the idea of a “multi-verse” in either the DCU or the MCEU, but I thought I’d give this a chance.  I watched it over a year ago streaming on cable, but never got around to reviewing it.  I wasn’t impressed on the first viewing, but the film dropped down to my price range several months ago, so I decided to pick it up and give it a second viewing.  Clarification:  I “like” the concept of a multi-verse.  I’m just not satisfied with any of the comic-book / superhero depictions of it (so far).
Plot Summary:  Barry Allen (Miller) discovers he can run fast enough to travel backwards through time.  Haunted by his mother’s murder and father’s wrongful conviction for the crime, he decides to change the past — saving his mom and creating a world where she lives.  But in doing so, he “fractures” the timeline and ends up in an alternate 2013 where “some” meta-humans don’t exist, and Earth faces annihilation from General Zod’s forces.  Barry meets his younger self (also played by Miller), who hasn’t yet gained his speed powers, and together they seek help from the only hero left — Keaton’s “Batman”.  They rescue Kara Zor-El (Calle), who’s been imprisoned by humans, hoping she can stop Zod.  But the battle goes sideways (multiple times).  Kara dies.  Batman dies.  Barry keeps trying to fix it — again and again — until he realizes some events are fixed points in time.  Ultimately, he restores the timeline, but not quite:  the film ends with a new Bruce Wayne (George Clooney) greeting Barry, implying he’s still in an altered reality.
So, is this movie any good?  How’s the acting?  How about the filming / FX?  Are there any problems?  And, did I like the film?  Short answers:  Yes-ish;  mixed bag;  visually impressive to a fault;  multiverse logic fatigue;  mostly, yes.
Any good?  It’s ambitious.  It’s messy.  It’s emotionally resonant in parts and bloated in others (most others).  The “Flashpoint” story-line is inherently interesting (to me) — what would you sacrifice to save someone you love?  The film leans into that, but also tries to juggle fan service, cameos, franchise resets and to set up a sequel.  It doesn’t always succeed, but it’s not a total misfire either.
Acting:  Miller plays dual Barrys with surprising nuance — one mature (but geeky), one naïve / silly.  Keaton slips back into the cape like he never left (but he looks ancient, not “just” geriatric), delivering dry wit and weary gravitas.  Calle’s Supergirl is fierce but underused.  She’s the best part of the movie (IMHO).  Shannon’s Zod is… Zod.  He glowers.  He threatens.  He dies (sometimes).  Clemons is okay as Iris, but the romance subplot feels like an add-on.  Livingston and Verdú bring warmth to Barry’s family dynamic, establishing the film’s emotional core.
Filming / FX:  The time-travel sequences are poorly done in CGI but try to be visually inventive — Barry runs through a chrono-bubble that sometimes resembles a digital coliseum and other times a spherical Rubic’s Cube of memories.  The multiverse cameos (some controversial) are hit-or-miss – lacking explanation and (again) with poorly done CGI.  The final battle is chaotic, but well choreographed.  The FX are required, but most are poorly done in CGI.  Most cameos look more animation than live action.
Problems:  Let’s start with tone.  The film swings between heartfelt drama and borderline slapstick comedy and back again.  The younger Barry is borderline annoying until he matures.  The multiverse logic is convoluted — fixed points, alternate selves, collapsing timelines — it’s a lot and it doesn’t follow it’s own internal logic, whether realistic or not.  Some of the cameos are fun, but they made me pause to think (particularly Nicolas Cage), so they risk interrupting / overshadowing the story.  Also, the ending twist (Clooney) is clever but confusing — are we resetting the DCEU or just winking at it?  MY biggest issue with the movie is that EVERY one of Zod’s soldiers is a Kryptonian “superman”.  Not a single one of them would have been impacted, let alone injured by any weapon the human army threw at them – let alone Batman or the Flash.  And they would not have needed shuttles and attack ships to fly as that is a “given” power for all Kryptonians on Earth.  In other words, the big battle looked good, but was complete BS.
Did I enjoy the film?  Yes.  Despite its flaws, I found myself emotionally invested in the characters / story and intellectually interested in what CGI could make seem real.  Barry’s arc — learning to let go, to accept loss, to grow — is a compelling story.  The film doesn’t quite earn all its big swings, but it tries.  And sometimes, trying is enough.  I’ve not read much of “The Flash”  comics in many years (except one compendium book my son loaned me) and I never considered him an interesting superhero growing up, so I have no personal idea how close this story is to the comics.  My son says the movie is “crap” and misinterprets both the story and the character from the actual comics.
Final Recommendation:  Moderate to strong.  “The Flash” is a film that tries to blend heart, humor, and high-speed heroics.  It’s not perfect, but it’s better than most of DC’s (and Marvel’s) recent outings.  If you’re a fan of time travel, alternate realities, or just want to see Keaton back in the cowl, it’s worth a watch.  Just don’t expect all the timelines to make sense — and try not to blink during the cameos.  I didn’t expect a full-on nostalgia trip with Keaton’s Batman, nor a surprisingly poignant meditation on grief, choice, and the consequences of rewriting history.
Final thoughts:  I am always interested in Hollywood’s interpretation of “timelines” and “multi-universes”.  I particularly liked this film’s depiction of them being like a plate of spaghetti.  My own thoughts lean more to a multi-verse of chaotic fractals where the image (timeline) keeps repeating regardless of whether you focus in or pan out on any particular multi-verse.  I don’t think this would make for a very good superhero movie, though.  LoL
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Click here (5 September) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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