The Flash (2023) Movie Review by Connor Petrey : Pop Culture Leftovers

The Flash (2023) Movie Review by Connor Petrey

June 14, 2023 9:32 am |

The Flash is the beginning of the end of the DC Universe as we currently know it, and they accomplish this with one of the best DC films (within the primary timeline) in nearly a decade. Unbelievably fun, and filled to the brim with snappy humor, The Flash is a delightful feature that brings both the nostalgia and the smiles for what’s yet to come. The film is filled with cameos, but at the forefront we get the key team of Ezra Miller’s two alternate versions of The Flash, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and Michael Keaton’s Batman rivaling the return of Michael Shannon’s General Zod.

Miller absolutely dominates the screen, working with themselves fluently and without any doubt of the two sincerely sharing the screen with one another. Ben Affleck is briefly in the film and brings with him, his most thrilling and riveting performance as the dark knight. Keaton fans will be delighted as he reignites and immediately extinguishes the conversation of, “Who is the best Batman?”. While we may not get a return of Cavill as Superman, we do receive an alternate timeline Kara Zoe-El played by the alluring Sasha Calle and she honors the marker of hope on her chest with a triumphant performance.

When it comes to anything involving Kara and her powers, The Flash executes its visuals wonderfully and with enthusiasm. When showcasing The Flash’s slow motion powers or their use of this interpretation of the “cosmic treadmill” to go back in time, the effects struggle. Seeing the film twice now, the effects had a much stronger hold on me during the initial watch, and once I got used to the Zemeckis’ Polar Express style of character design, I rolled with the style choice. Effects-wise the film is all over the place, but it has a particular charm to it and alongside the awkward moments we receive some fantastic Batman fight choreography that should make director Andy Muschietti a top contender to direct The Brave and the Bold.

While the pacing may seem a bit confused on first watch, with the second viewing, things begin to piece themselves together and knowing where the story is headed, makes the direction of the storyline all the more intriguing on rewatch. Having the opportunity to see it twice, I can confidentially say that The Flash is the most fun, action packed superhero film of the year. Where Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 brought the serious emotion, The Flash delivers the nostalgia and the fun that DC fans have been waiting so long to witness on the big screen again. Ezra Miller is phenomenal in their role, playing dynamically with their multiverse-self. Keaton’s Batman is a true badass that dawns the cowl like no time has passed. Affleck is the best he’s ever been as the caped crusader and Calle is a fantastic Supergirl, it’s unfortunate that her time may have come and gone here. While controversy may surround the title online, if you’re able to separate yourself from the madness, then The Flash is one of the first DC films in the recent main timeline that’s genuinely worth getting out to the theater and witnessing on the biggest screen possible (with a full crowd if possible).