The Flash

The summer film season is upon us so we can feel the barrage of big-budget and animated flicks by the truckloads. This week alone, both Pixar's "Elemental" and "The Flash" have been released. The latter is yet, another of DC Comics superhero films replete with not only the Flash, but two different Batmans, which means two different Bruce Wayne's, Supergirl and a Wonder Woman cameo for good measure. And even with all of this going on, this was still able to be an interesting film.

Worlds collide in "The Flash" when Barry Allen/Flash (Ezra Miller) uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past, much to the chagrin of the present's Batman (Ben Affleck). But when his attempt to save his family, his mom, Nora (Maribel Verou) and dad, Henry (Ron Livingston), inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman (Michael Keaton) out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian, Supergirl (Sasha Calle)...albeit not the one he's looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry's only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Others to round out the cast are Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Antje Traue as Paora-Ul, Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Patty Spivot, Rudy Mancuso as Albert Desmond and Ian Loh as young Barry.

As compared with many of the 'comic book films' previously, this film was directed with a good amount of heart and soul by Andy Mushietti ("Historias Breves 3" '99, "Mama" '13, "It" '17, "It Chapter Two" '19) plus shorts. Really, the last superhero film with as much heart and soul was "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3". Sure, this certainly incorporated the usual stunts, explosives and visuals we all come to expect which makes them thrilling, but the heart of the film threw me off--I didn't see it coming. This director certainly knows how to combine the heart-pounding  intensity while also giving us the heart that gives it that amazing escapism it houses. if you like his brand of directing, his "The Brave and the Bold" is in pre-production. It was also written with two seasoned writers, Christina Hodson ("Shut In" '16, "Unforgettable" '17, "Bumblebee" '18, "Bird of Prey" '20) and Joby Harold ("Awake" '07,"King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" '17, "Army of the Dead" '21, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" (story) '23) plus TV, based on characters created by DC Comics. One of the reasons why this script was as taught as it was, was the fact that the film being written by two entirely different writers, they were able to pull from each other different ideas considering their diverse experience. Were there issues with this ? Sure, there were a couple of places that either couldn't be explained or there was a bit of choppiness, but considering they were having to cope with two Batmans, two Barrys, and so many other characters, this story simply moved right along even with it having a 144 minute running time. The visual effects predominantly designed by Scanline VFX, Double Negative and Weta FX were seamless and creative, especially when the Flash was running--what an absolutely cool effect.

Hold on to your theater seats, I know this is going to be a shock to you, but if you wait until the entire end credits roll, there is a small segment indicating that it looks like there will be another incarnation. What a shock! If you like 'comic book films' in general, you'll love this--it has it all: action, explosives, amazing stunts, adrenaline, heart and some humor all rolled up in a great escape film that screams popcorn when you walk into the theater. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG-13                                         144mins.