Film Review: THE FLASH (2023): Ezra Miller Stars in a Film that is a Superhero Movie Buff’s Dream Come True Despite Some Minor Flaws

The Flash Review

The Flash (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Andy Muschietti, written by Christina Hodson and Joby Harold and starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Maribel Verdu, Helen Slater, Jeremy Irons, Temuera Morrison, Christopher Reeve, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Adam West, George Reeves, Rudy Mancuso and Isabelle Bernardo.

Director Andy Muschietti’s The Flash has a lot of humor and quite a bit of heart integrated into its complicated story line. It’s a DC superhero movie that actually works despite the fact there have been one too many multiverse movies lately. Ezra Miller could be a tad annoying to watch in the beginning stages of the film but he, ultimately, becomes more than tolerable as the audience becomes accustomed to the character’s very distinct quirks. As Barry Allen/The Flash, Miller ends up creating one of the most entertaining superheroes in the DC world. There’s two of him in this picture and it’s fun comparing both versions of Barry that the movie presents.

It could be argued that some of the most awe-inspiring scenes come early on. This film opens with Barry trying to get a sandwich at a coffee shop in a scene that plays rather dumb but, soon, The Flash has to save some babies who are falling off of a building wing that is crashing down. It’s easy to think the fact that babies in jeopardy is a little bit offensive here, but Muschietti makes it all work quite interestingly. There’s even a dog falling from the sky as babies fall down and The Flash microwaves his food to get energy in slow motion before storing one of the little tykes safely in the microwave. This picture is taking big risks and the audience should enjoy it all the more as a result. Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) even appear in the early scenes to add personality and familiar faces to the film. Affleck’s Bruce Wayne warns Barry not to mess with the past, though which may be a good piece of advice for Barry.

The plot of The Flash revolves around the attempt to set Barry’s dad, Henry (Ron Livingston), free from jail as Henry was wrongly accused of murdering Barry’s mom, Nora (Maribel Verdu). Barry wants his mom to be alive again, too, which sets off a chain of events where Barry tries to go back into time through the multiverse to add the singular grocery item that Henry left to get that ended up leading to Nora’s death.

Barry goes back in time and doesn’t expect to run into his old self. The old version of Barry needs to get hit by lightning and chemicals in order to become the Flash or the older Flash will not exist which will cause tremendous problems in the multiverse. When the defining event re-happens in the past, the Barry from the new world and Barry from the old world both get hit by lightning but while the old one gets the powers he needs, the new one is stripped of his abilities which leads to Barry trying to seek out other members of the Justice League to get help. Especially when the evil General Zod (Michael Shannon) re-surfaces to wreak havoc on the world.

Barry hunts down Batman (now Michael Keaton) who has plenty of cool gadgets and supplies that will help our Flash characters out a bit. Superman doesn’t exist in the changed world of the past, however, but Supergirl (Sasha Calle) soon emerges as a force to contend with and a superhero like no other. Don’t expect to see Aquaman around anytime soon, though.

In the early scenes of the film, we meet Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) who was Barry’s old classmate and the two of them reconnect. This is light material that helps to streamline the movie and make it more accessible to people who aren’t necessarily fans of The Flash but end up at this movie anyway.

It’s great to see Keaton back as Batman again after the actor’s long absence from the role. Keaton is always terrific and his work here is solid. Calle steals the show as Supergirl, though, with Calle giving her character a distinct personality and brave persona which makes Supergirl ready to take General Zod on in battle. Calle takes this character and runs with it brilliantly.

Ezra Miller will make you forget about all his off-screen difficulties with his tremendous double-duty work in The Flash. It’s a remarkable dual characterization by one of the most underappreciated actors working today. Miller’s scenes with another version of his character are done in such a seamless way that there should be some technical rewards for the picture in terms of at least a nomination for its Visual Effects.

The scenes of the two Flashes running through the multiverse can feel repetitive. Our main character (in both his lives) tries to find the perfect moment to change everything for the better so certain people can live, especially the mother character, Nora. This makes the movie sometimes feel like the Groundhog Day of superhero pictures. It’s more sensitive than that, though, with a scene at the end that should bring on tears from the audience between Miller and Verdu. Clemons also shines as Iris though she basically just exists for a love interest for Barry. Jeremy Irons even appears as Alfred from the Batman world right at the start of the new picture.

The Flash works as well as it does because of the fun the scriptwriters and the actors are having with the material. It’s a merge of different DC worlds in such a way that the creativity involved comes out victoriously with the knowledgeable movie-goer being the biggest winner. This picture also pokes fun at casting choices with Eric Stoltz actually having gotten to play Marty McFly in Back to the Future and a certain actor who was supposed to play Superman in the 1990’s comes into the film in perhaps the most exciting choice the movie makes. Audiences will enjoy Ezra Miller’s charismatic Barry and The Flash characters all throughout the extended 2-hour plus running time. The Flash is nothing short of awe-inspiring as you’ll wonder what characters and worlds will come together while watching the film. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what happens in the picture.

Rating: 8/10

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