Courtney Howard // Film Critic
THE FLASH
Rated PG-13, 2 hours and 24 minutes
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle, Maribel Verdú, Ron Livingston, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue
It’s a tall order to balance genuine heart and uproarious humor, not only with cleverly deployed fan service, but also with the wants and needs of a comic book adaptation. However, THE FLASH does just that, conducting its electrifying current of heightened comedy, potent poignancy and bold, innovative storytelling. Its ambitious aims don’t always work to their full magnitude, but when they do, it cooks with gas. By incorporating the eponymous hero’s origin story into a BACK TO THE FUTURE-inspired superhero mashup, director Andy Muschietti finds new territory to explore. It plays the correct notes and is ingeniously outlandish in the right ways (including a perfect drop of its one allotted f-bomb), but excels when leading with its heart.
The Flash (Ezra Miller) is growing tired of playing clean-up crew for the Justice League’s rescue mission shenanigans. Though he’s more than happy to lend his superhero capabilities to save the world from impending doom, he’s having a tougher time finding a healthy work-life balance as his socially awkward, everyday persona Barry Allen, working at Central City’s crime lab. He’s ironically always pressed for time and wishing he could use more of it to properly complete his job. He’s also facing mounting pressure to help exonerate his mild-mannered father Henry (Ron Livingston), who was incarcerated years prior for killing Barry’s caring mother Nora (Maribel Verdú).
One night, when Barry is trying to outrun his problems, he unwittingly discovers he can travel back in time. Confidante Batman/ Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) cautions that, by doing so, Barry could cause a harmful ripple effect, acting on his yearning to change the events of his mother’s murder and his father’s subsequent wrongful jail sentence. But Barry, being the impetuous scamp that he is, does so anyway, taking the proper precautions into consideration. Yet he doesn’t bank on being tossed by a mysterious force into a different timeline – one where his mom and dad are alive and where his younger, dorkier self also lives. As future Barry scrambles to set things right again, tailoring this timeline to suit his needs, everything goes catastrophically wrong, leading the two Barrys to seek help from that reality’s Batman/ Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) and Supergirl/ Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle).
Muschietti and screenwriter Christina Hodson (working from a story by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold) do daring things crafting their intriguing multiverse. However, its most audacious aspect is the amount of pathos driving its propulsive energy. Enlightened sentiments within the narrative – that learning to let go of a plaguing problem is the best solution and to not let trauma define us, but rather, use it to enhance our latent strengths – feel heartening, especially for those who’ve lost loved ones.
The alternate timeline movie history of a few 80s classics and the big nods to BATMAN ’89 (from its production design to the referential dialogue pulls and solid sight gags) serve to put slap happy grins on audiences faces. Chronobowl scenes are spectacle-driven and immersive, envisioned as a kaleidoscopic zoetrope stadium where the Flash can reverse time traveling to the past and fast-forward to the present, blazing through milestone events.
The Flash’s powers like speed force, where he runs lightning fast, and phasing, where he warbles through any hard surface, are brilliantly showcased, utilized best for comedic purposes as well as indelible narrative impact. The Gotham City baby shower and Young Flash’s disastrous virgin venture through Central City are standout sequences in their construction and execution, both mounting in hilarity and thrills. Editors Jason Ballantine and Paul Machliss cut with a sharp mindfulness towards the characters, perfectly timing the comedy, action and heartrending emotions. Composer Benjamin Wallfisch does a yeoman’s job of blending comforting, familiar superhero themes with Alan Silvestri-stylized flair to concoct a refreshingly vibrant soundscape that augments the heroic antics.
Not only does the narrative lift from the BACK TO THE FUTURE franchise, Miller’s dual role seems very much influenced by Crispin Glover’s dorky portrayal of George McFly, right down to the physicality and dweeby laugh. Because of their (Miller goes by they/ them pronouns) precise performances tapping into their characters’ nuanced vulnerability, intelligence and irreverence, we’re able to chart the unique character growth in each of these distinct roles. Keaton finds new shades in which to color his evolving Bruce Wayne/ Batman. His portrait of an aged retiree grappling with forced obsolescence makes for a compelling arc. Though a tad underutilized, Calle’s captivating presence is forceful.
That said, the picture gets a little shaggy in the 3rd act. Kara’s confliction about saving humanity is far too fleeting. Her change of heart happens in whiplash fashion, lacking a properly fleshed out motivation to make her emotional decision land successfully. While old Barry and Kara share a sense of grief over their inability to save innocents and loved ones from harm, there’s no concerted effort made by the filmmakers to give their clear connection added emotional weight. The climactic showdown with Zod (Michael Shannon), whose world engine machinations from MAN OF STEEL pose this film’s dire threat, happens in a ho-hum, low-stakes CGI-enhanced desert environment. On the whole, Bruce and Kara’s inclusion is warranted, aiding in Barry’s hero’s journey and ultimate wake-up call. Yet when it comes to their sacrifices, Bruce and Kara’s are dealt short shrift rather than being integrated in a more meaningful manner.
Despite its imperfections, THE FLASH holds a heap ton of inspired awe, vision and spectacle that amount to a wild, fun ride.
Grade: B
THE FLASH opens in theaters on June 16.
