Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Flash.
The Flash, featuring Ezra Miller in the title role, marks one of the final outings of the DCEU before the Superman film which, according to Empire Magazine, will be the true beginning of the DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran's leadership. While the DCEU as a whole has been less than successful, this film has opened with a decent audience and critical reception, with an audience score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A lot of this positivity comes from the actors' masterful performances, smart writing, and a surprising amount of heart for a superhero movie, all coming together to win audiences with a genuinely fun film. However, The Flash isn't without its own stumbling points. Just as there are amazing high points in this time travel tale, so too are there disappointing lows that hold the film back from being considered a true masterpiece of the genre. Let's take a look at some of these soaring successes alongside the missed opportunities.
Perfect: A Fun, Entertaining Trip for DC
The DCEU has a reputation for being dark, grim, and having a strange aversion to lighthearted fun, even with later films working hard to combat this image. Given the Flashpoint comic that inspired much of this film's story, there was a possibility that this film would return to that formula of gritty and serious storytelling. Fortunately, that was nowhere near the case.
The Flash is flat-out fun. Jokes fly as often as superhero punches, and there are some laugh-out-loud moments in this film that are a genuine treat for audiences, giving a break from the more serious sequences and making this trip through the DC universe one of the most enjoyable in the entire franchise. Not only is this film not afraid to tell a joke, but it actually knows how, and the humor really elevates the viewing experience.
Not Perfect: The CGI Falls Literally Flat
Computer generated images and effects are just a part of modern movies, and superhero films especially rely on CGI. However, this reliance on digital images means that the images in question need to be well executed to avoid detracting from the movie. This is something that The Flash does not pull off.
In this film, there are several computer generated images that simply lack texture. Stranger still, this apparent error is consistent enough to come across as a stylistic choice. Considering the amount of criticism that certain other franchises get for poor CGI, such a deliberate move would be baffling, and the odd lighting and smooth textures of the baby models from the opening in particular really could have been less nightmarish in their execution.
Perfect: Bruce Wayne the Bat-Mentor
The pairing of Barry Allen and both versions of Bruce Wayne in The Flash creates an excellent dynamic that pays off beautifully in the film. Both Affleck and Keaton play versions of Batman that have been in the superhero game for quite some time, granting them maturity and wisdom that they both then pass on to the much younger Flash.
The older Batmen have learned to move past their tragedies. In their conversations with Barry, they express the importance of accepting the past and growing beyond the desire to "fix" things that had already happened. These versions of the character give audiences a version of the character that is uncommon among his many cinematic adaptations, and through their interactions Bruce contributes to Barry's development as a character, development that feels natural and delivers a well-earned payoff.
Not Perfect: Cameos
Being a part of the DCEU, it is expected that there will be appearances from other DC superheroes. However, some appearances, including a Deus Ex Machina from Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, ultimately chew up screen time that they really don't need to.
This is especially disappointing when considering that the film also includes several nods and cameos that actually do help add to the story, such as Temuera Morrison's appearance as Thomas Curry. A good cameo that doesn't slow down or distract from the overall story can be great, but a lot of the appearances and nods used here are simply there for their own sake, and really could have been handled better.
Perfect: Messing With Time — Again
Movies dealing with time travel, especially superhero movies, are very, very common lately. The consequences of tinkering with time have been dealt with so extensively, especially the potential for creating branched universes, that it can be easy for audiences to assume, like Barry, that they are experts in the field of temporal travel.
This film, though, takes that idea of linear time and tears it apart. In a scene that subtly snipes the MCU's explanation of branching realities, the more complex mechanics of time travel in The Flash are explained using spaghetti as a visual aid. In one scene, the film rewrites the audience and Barry's preconceptions about time travel and makes the rapidly aging plot device fresh and entertaining again.
Not Perfect: Barry
In The Flash, Ezra Miller plays not one, but two versions of Barry Allen. While one of these characters has been a superhero for some time, the other is much younger and brand new to the whole concept. Without the experience and maturity that comes with it, the younger Barry is much more chaotic, and brings a lot of humor to the film.
Having young Barry be comic relief was a good idea. Making him an idiot, on the other hand, was not. While many of his zany antics make sense for the character, this version also has moments of sheer stupidity that are not only unnecessary, but don't make sense when viewed alongside his achievements. Consider that young Barry only needed a single vague explanation of his "phasing" trick, which his older counterpart described as difficult, before he could perform the act just fine. Not long after this, though, he bought into a painfully obvious bluff about a cousin's dinner.
Perfect: Every Second of Michael Keaton
Nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool, especially when it comes to long-running franchises that expand beyond a single generation of viewers. However, bringing back a beloved character like Michael Keaton's Batman is a delicate balancing act that can easily be disastrous if it isn't handled well.
Director Andy Muschietti understood this, and utilized the Keaton version of Bruce Wayne in a way that went above and beyond simple nostalgia. Rather than simply dressing Keaton back up in the cape and cowl and setting him loose on faceless bad guys, the film places him in the role of mentor to the young Barry Allen, helping guide his development over the story and having much more to do than just draw audiences in with nostalgia alone.
Not Perfect: So Much Movie, So Little Time
The Flash is a big movie. There are several different stories in play, including Zod's invasion, Supergirl, and Barry's own story. With so much to do and only so much time to do it, the finished product ends up struggling under the weight of the characters and events that it features.
There are moments that this film sets up that it simply doesn't have time to explore. Of particular note here is the whiplash quick change of heart that Supergirl has when it comes to fighting Zod, and the complete lack of any discussion of the monstrous Dark Flash, whose payoff would have been better if the movie cared to remember that he was there for more than a single appearance and a nightmare before the final act.
Perfect: The Heart of a Superhero
In many superhero films, the motivations of the protagonist often center around enormous, high-stakes conflicts. While The Flash does involve a multiverse threatening conflict, that plot is kicked off by Barry's much more relatable desire to undo the death of his mother combined with his powers actually making that desire a possibility.
Throughout the film, every action that Barry takes is informed by this need to correct the tragedy in his past. Rather than simply throwing the hero into CGI battles over and over, Barry's emotional journey is explored in intimate detail that connects with the audience. Through this more grounded handling of the character the film sets itself apart from many other examples of the genre and tells a more compelling story than many audiences may have been expecting.
Not Perfect: Super Disposable
While Barry, Barry, and Batman are all well handled characters that get plenty to do, and the actors in the roles turn in great performances, one character in the film suffered from the writing. Sasha Calle's Kara Zor-El has genuinely beautiful moments, and the portrayal is excellent. In her few scenes, Calle's acting is excellent. It's a shame, then, that there is so little of it.
Not only does Supergirl's attitude change so quickly that it can give the audience whiplash, but her actual purpose in the third act ultimately doesn't even have anything to do with her confrontation with Zod. There were many opportunities for the character here, and she could have been used much better. However, Kara is not really a character as much as she is a MacGuffin, and that underutilization is tragic.
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