The MontyVerse

The peaks and valleys (but mostly valleys) of the unofficially-named DC Extended Universe will soon come to an end as the James Gunn era of DC Studios takes hold in the near future. As a result, the remaining slate of DCEU films releasing this year may seem inconsequential to this upcoming cinematic universe. Shazam! Fury of the Gods, released earlier this year, would do best remaining inconsequential to literally anything; however, we have one film remaining before the DCEU’s swan song, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. That film would be the highly controversial The Flash, having dealt with a litany of behind-the-scenes production issues for nearly a decade, not the least of which is the distrubing behavior of its star, Ezra Miller. However, how does the film hold up in the face of all this production and studio turmoil? Is this film electrifying in all the best ways for this troubled extended universe or does it mark yet another (lightning) strike within a generally disappointing slate of films?

The film centers around speedster Barry Allen (Miller) in his first big screen solo outing after a few cameos and a supporting role in Justice League; feel free to pick your preferred cut. As depicted in the latter film, Barry’s father has been incarcerated for years as a prime suspect in the death of Barry’s mother. Barry is determined to help exonerate his father, but a more appetizing opportunity presents itself when he discovers how to travel back in time through the Speed Force, the Flash’s energy field that grants him his speedster abilities. Instead of heeding Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) warnings against this, he travels back in time in an attempt to save his mother. Unfortunately, but inevitably, things go horribly wrong and Barry finds himself having to fix everything, but not without the help of some semi-familiar faces along the way.

For a movie with so much working against it, I’m not exaggerating when I say this movie is easily one of the highest peaks in the DCEU. The film has some of the strongest emotional beats within this franchise; this movie just as easily made me laugh as it made me tear up. Though the film has numerous flashy and grandiose elements that elevate it, especially visually the story remains straightforward. The crux of the film lies in Barry experiencing different stages of grief and inevitability as he strives to fix the messes he causes. Miller’s performance sells all of these moments and endears you to Barry, more so than in any of their previous DCEU outings.

However, Miller not only portrays the Barry Allen leading the film, but a younger, immature, far less grief-stricken Barry that teams up with OG!Barry to save the multiverse. Alternate!Barry comes off a bit grating at the start with Miller playing him as an immature, sheltered college boy who hasn’t experienced the tragedy OG!Barry has, but as the narrative trudges along, Miller imbues further depth and emotion into Alternate!Barry as well. There’s basically not one scene in which some version of Barry isn’t on screen. For the most part, that plays to the movie’s strengths.

For those worried about the film becoming too much of a mishmash of a DC greatest hits compilation at the expense of a true true Flash movie, fret not. Rounding out the cast are a returning Batfleck, easily giving his best performance of the caped crusader so far. His role isn’t large, but he delivers exhilarating and fun action in possibly one of the best openers in a comic book movie ever, as well as the heartfelt camaraderie he shares with Miller, even if ever so briefly. However, making a far larger impression is the highly anticipated return of Michael Keaton, who last graced the DC silver screen in 1992’s Batman Returns. He isn’t short on the snappy quips and throwbacks to his prior two outings in Batman films, but doesn’t solely rest on the laurels of nostalgia. This version of Bruce in the universe Barry ends up in has a bit of a manic energy and hesitancy to help the pair-y of Barrys, but like Batfleck, meets Barry on the same emotional and empathetic level.

Lastly, we are introduced to Clark Kent’s famous cousin who has graced a smaller screen for the past several years, albeit in a much different interpretation. Sasha Calle brings a great intensity and seriousness to Kara Zor-El to sharply contrast the Kryptonian we’ve gotten to know over the past decade. Her blood curdling scream of “What did you do?!” featured heavily in the marketing hits just as hard in the film proper. The only downside of Supergirl is that we don’t get enough of her. We learn a modicum about her backstory and witness a pretty awesome, albeit short, display of her powers, so one can only hope James Gunn will bring her back in his own universe.

The film also has an incredible aesthetic. Though the DCEU has not always won in the effects department, including a specific film previously featuring Barry involving a “non-existent” mustache, this film takes home the gold. The overall design and interpretation of the Speed Force is breathtaking and unique from any other depiction of a speedster’s ability I’ve ever seen in a movie. The portrayal of time travel and alternate dimensions proves mesmerizing, showcasing each layer of time and event stacked one upon the other. This visual further emphasizes the gravity of Barry’s situation, as it perfectly depicts the domino effect of his actions and the multiversal consequences of his actions on literally all of existence.

For all the film’s strengths though, it is far from cinematic comic book perfection. Much of the film’s humor hits, but a few moments are eye roll-inducing, especially involving Alternate!Barry. Ezra Miller’s earlier outings as the speedster exhibited some over-the-top awkwardness and corniness that left the character more cringey than charming. Alternate!Barry amplifies that even more than the old Barry at his worst, particularly when the dick jokes start coming out. I counted at least three. Additionally, the runtime drags noticeably. For a film with some of the most well-shot sequences in comic book movie history, it weirdly focuses on some of the weirdest scenes to suddenly drag out that contribute little to the story or characters. One scene focuses on the bizarre differences in this new universe, but begins to devolve into some cheesy pop culture jokes whose sole purpose is to irritate OG!Barry (and the audience by extension).

That being said, The Flash ultimately rises far above its shortcomings and has easily propelled itself into the highest echelon of the DCEU. Regrettably, many of its past installments could not rise to the quality of this film, and the DCEU as a whole would have benefitted from the kind of filmmaking on display here. While we will soon bid this incarnation of DC Comics in film “adieu,” it’d definitely behoove you to say “hello” to this one and check it out, preferably on the biggest screen possible.

Be sure to check out our video review with Monty and Nicki here!