Spoiler Alert
Even without the publicity surrounding Ezra Miller before the release of The Flash, I wasn’t keen on the story. Turning back time and more multiverse stories is not a good idea to regurgitate. This character is well known because of his involvement in Flashpoint, any version, and he’s just as important to help end the Crisis on Infinite Earths. In the latter, he saves the omniverse from full implosion, and what’s teased for the movie says enough.
It’s also unlikely writers John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold planned a full wipe prior to the hire of James Gunn. The only parts of the film I liked was a look at what was talked about but never executed: From giving Nick Cage the cape to show Chris Reeve and Helen Slater together, the homage generally worked.
I found Batman’s story arc more enjoyable and director Andrés Muschietti certainly made sure to make that the highlight. That’s because there’s a bit of closure concerning what happened to Bruce (Michael Keaton‘s version), and to hear that iconic score is far more exhilarating than the other music used. Had the idea been more about continuing the 90s series, I’d be all for it. That also includes making either Grant Gustin or John Wesley Shipp as the definitive Flash. They’re better defined characters.
As for who will forever be The Flash, my money is on Michael Rosenbaum (from the animated Justice League). He set the bar for comic relief, which later other actors tried to imitate. Not everyone can pull it off. Miller is not funny. Not even the youthful version that he plays comes off well since there’s a Buster Keatonesque approach to distinguish between the two. It takes skill to honour this silent film star’s chops.
This movie bombs because it never explains his first apperance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He appeared in a dream sequence, warning Bruce Wayne about some future threat. Just where Flash can do that in this film is explained, and an oppportunity is missed. There’s also the problem of it stealing from X-Men: Days of Future Past in many levels. Not only is time travel defined by the transfer of consciousness but also Quicksilver performed the rescue better than this Scarlet Speedster in the film’s opening act.
Had there been more original moments, The Flash might have fared better. The fault isn’t with the actor. Had there been another defining story arc from this character’s history to adapt, I’m sure his solo outing would be better. Also, anyone who knows what the butterfly effect is can easily predict how this film ends. Whether this film is a setup for Gunn’s reboot of the DCU, all we know is that the multiverse is no longer the same. What’s explained is gladly different–not based on the theory from Back to the Future–and of all that can be unwound and rethreaded, only a movie featuring Destiny from the Vertigo (Sandman) comics can tell.
2 Stars out of 5
The Flash Final Trailer
