Andy Muschietti’s ‘The Flash’ delivers a refreshingly unique take on multiverse films
Fresh, fast, and funny
‘The Flash’ is definitely a good time at the movies, bringing a lot of what comic book fans and movie lovers are looking for. DC Films’ latest outing offers electrifying action, trippy time travel, humor, loads of Batman, fan service, and of course, heart.
But with all of these factors that are put into one film, it never loses sight of the main character’s powerful emotional journey.
A loose adaptation of the comic event ‘Flashpoint’, Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash (played by Ezra Miller) uses his superpowers to travel back in time to save his mom and undo the most traumatic event of his life. In the process, he inadvertently alters the future. Even though some factors were altered for the film, the main gist remains.
This film version also showcases a lot of Batman sequences and references but never overshadows Barry’s story. Being a perfect pairing to The Flash’s history, the two Batmen (played by Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck) offer two contrasting views on how to cope with being orphaned by violence as a child. Another superhero that shines in this film is Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, one of the altered characters from the source material.
There are surprisingly many jokes in this film, but it does a very good job with the humor. It knows how to be funny and when to be funny. The film brings a perfect balance of comedy and drama. As for the CGI, it may not be perfect and is sometimes noticeable, but some “flawed” graphics are compensated by a huge amount of fan service, which viewers will surely cheer for.
This movie feels a lot like a parting love letter to the Snyderverse as it plays with different plots and characters from past films yet adds a new layer to that foundation. And if it is indeed a swan song to the Zack Snyder universe as fans know it, this film really brings it full circle.
The film culminates with an overwhelming third act, being one of the most ambitious and unwieldy third acts that fans will see in a superhero movie in quite some time. But it ultimately succeeds because it manages to keep Barry Allen’s arc at the heart of it all.
Distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is set to open in theaters across the Philippines starting June 14, 2023.
