Worlds collide when the Flash uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change the events of the past. However, when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, he becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation. With no other superheroes to turn to, the Flash looks to coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian -- albeit not the one he's looking for.
Director: Andrés Muschietti
Cast: Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Michael Keaton
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity
Runtime: 2h 24m
Andrés Muschietti's The Flash is cornucopia of superhero wackiness powered by a manic energy that makes the whole thing incredibly watchable. Muschietti takes a kitchen sink approach by staging some inventive action set pieces which ranges from charmingly goofy early on like a "baby shower" rescue or a bit of mayhem that plays more like a circus parade before we move to the requisite superhero action. The variety in these sequences keeps the entire thing from feeling stale since each sequence offers up it's own sort of energy. These set pieces, as fun as they are, wouldn't work as well as it does if Ezra Miller didn't deliver a strong performance. Miller's, legal issues aside, is a talented performer and this role allows him to really flex his acting muscles as he plays two different versions of the titular character at different stages in his life. He balances the more mature, damaged central character with the more carefree and naïve iteration of himself with impressive ease. In both cases, he brings a grounded, authentic emotional center to the characters even amongst the increasingly insane situations splashed on screen. The character's arch through the multiverse differentiates itself from other film using the trope by centering it around the character's personal growth and acceptance, Star Trek: The Next Generation fans might get echoes of the episode Tapestry which used a similar approach. Its a smart approach which centers the film even as a bevy of cameos and Easter eggs are thrown onscreen. The most substantial of these is Michael Keaton donning the cape and cowl once again, something he does with his general ease as he brings back the same Burtonesque energy that's sure to thrill children of the 80's. Once Keaton shows up on screen the film does lean heavily into fan service which will make a portion of the fandom very happy and will likely be lost on people under a certain age. Sasha Calle joins the film roughly around the same time as she brings a quiet ferocity to her character that the film would have benefited from exploring. Instead her character feels rushed and underserved which is a shame. Michael Shannon returns as General Zod in what amounts to a thankless role since its little more than an extended cameo that there simply to set up Barry's internal conflict. While it makes sense in terms of the story being told you can't help but think there had to be a better way to use both Calle and Shannon. Its a minor quibble especially when you step back and look at the amount of juggling Muschietti is doing to make The Flash work as a fun and engaging superhero story centered around a personal journey about growth.
B
