THE FLASH
I watched the movie, and it has some good parts, but it expects you to not think about it much, which isn't true when analyzing it.
I need to start with the most glaring problem. This movie is incredibly unattractive, possibly the ugliest ever. The visuals are so bad. The computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the Flash scenes resembles something from the old Nintendo 64 games. I can't recall a time when I was more distracted by such awful visuals. Usually, I can overlook VFX problems as most movies meet a certain level of quality, but this is just terrible.
CGI artists usually aren't at fault for poor visuals. Constraints like high demand, budget, and time often lead to lower-quality work, and it's evident they had to redo numerous scenes multiple times. I genuinely sympathize with them. Astonishingly, the director recently claimed that the bad effects were intentional. Yes, he actually said that. It's hard to comprehend the level of foolishness required to entertain such an idea, let alone express it publicly and maintain seriousness. Essentially, it's akin to the nonsensical storytelling methods I enjoy mocking. It's like thinking that if we highlight the story's stupidity, it suddenly becomes clever. No, it remains unintelligent. Objectively speaking, The Flash is a poorly written movie, though it does possess a few redeeming aspects.
Perhaps because I really dislike the Cinematic Universe that this movie is part of, called the Snyder verse, I'm a bit more forgiving of its flaws. The humor in the movie, even though it's sometimes annoying, fits with this version of The Flash. They use clever techniques in how they show the main character, Barry Allen, as both annoying and likable by having different versions of him. The best part of the movie is the ending, which is messy overall, but it does a great job with Barry Allen. It even handles the emotional moments really well.
However, it uses all the trendy filmmaking techniques that many people are tired of, such as using nostalgia to attract millennials. Personally, I think The Flash movie is the one that ended my interest in Multiverse films. I really hope this trend fades away slowly. I know I can't avoid it, but I never want to watch another Multiverse movie again in my life.
Oh goodness, I'm aware that a few movies have managed to do it right recently, but so many others have done it very wrong. And I don't mean just a little wrong, I mean horribly wrong, to the point that it's completely damaged the whole idea. The concept is now ruined, and it's time to move on. Apart from that, this movie faced a lot of challenges during its production, and I'm surprised it was even released. I can't blame people for not wanting to watch it based on what they've heard from others. All the criticisms you've heard are true, and I'm not sure if this movie had a lower budget, let's say around a hundred million dollars like the Batgirl movie, that it wouldn't have been canceled as well.
Just so you know, it's pretty clear that there was money behind the excessive promotion of this movie by Tom Cruise, James Gunn, and Stephen King. I find it hard to believe that someone actually claimed this is the greatest superhero movie ever. No, it's just not as terrible as movies like Thor: Love and Thunder, Ant-Man 3, or Justice League, which, considering the current standards, might be considered okay.
The story follows Barry Allen, who discovers he can travel through time, even though he already did so in Justice League. There are some contradictions in the movie, but let's overlook those. Batman, played by Ben Affleck, warns Barry that changing the past could have big consequences, and their scars shape who they are. However, Barry's dad is wrongly accused of his mom's murder, and he decides to prevent it, despite the risks. He succeeds but ends up stuck in a different timeline, losing his powers. He teams up with his past self and this timeline's Batman and Supergirl to return home.
Unfortunately, he's trapped during Zod's attack from Man of Steel and realizes that some things are unavoidable.
The movie did a great job with Barry's relationship with his parents. While many character motivations in the film are confusing or forced, the core of the story, which revolves around Barry wanting to prevent his mother's murder and father's imprisonment, makes sense. Even though the audience might not fully agree with his choice, we understand it. The scenes where he reconnects with his mother are emotional and the best parts of the movie. These moments are the heart of the story and form the foundation of the film. This is crucial because many Multiverse movies forget to focus on their main character and get lost in flashy effects.
Although we unfortunately get more of that than necessary. Let's be real, what really got everyone hyped about this movie was Michael Keaton returning as Batman from the 1989 classic. I'm in the same boat – I've been hopeful since the trailer dropped, thinking this might be DC's version of balancing nostalgia and moving the story forward, like Spider-Man: No Way Home did. But they didn't even come close. In fact, they didn't even try.
Nostalgia can't make up for poor writing, and when it comes to a superhero Multiverse movie, there are three important issues that need attention. First, a nostalgic character should truly contribute to the story to prevent a shallow impact on the script. Second, the script should consistently revolve around and connect with the main character. In this movie, it succeeds in staying focused on Barry's goal and his relationship with his parents. However, when it comes to the other two points, it falls short.
Batman doesn't have a unique moment with Barry that couldn't have been done by another character. He's basically here for applause from the audience who adore Michael Keaton's Batman.
There's an overwhelming number of cameos in this movie, and it's surprising that films are still attempting this tactic.
Supergirl, Keaton's Batman, and the other cameos could be replaced by anything without changing the story. Only Maguire and Garfield's Spider-Man truly connect with Peter, understanding his struggles. Keaton's Batman, however, is simply there because he's cool. It's disappointing how they handle Keaton's character multiple times, highlighting another problem with Multiverse stories. Is this the same Keaton from the '89 Batman series, or just a similar version from a different world?
If this is indeed the '89 Batman, why make him go out in such an unimpressive and abrupt manner? His destiny is to be defeated by a lesser opponent from one of the least-liked cinematic universes in movie history. At least they didn't make Supergirl overpower Zod, credit to them for that. Talking about Zod, the movie strangely respects the Snyder verse a lot, which is ironic because Snyder's Justice League indicated he doesn't care about other directors in that universe. He went against elements established by Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman and James Wan's Aquaman.
I get the appeal of nostalgia for general viewers, but this movie is entirely focused on a DC and WB world that they're not confident in – hence the upcoming full reset. So, why the strong attachment? It's quite strange.
The movie follows a similar approach as the Loki TV series. Since the Aquaman sequel hasn't come out yet, they include him briefly so Barry can tell us that this Aquaman is kind of different, but also kind of the same as what we know. They want us to overlook the fact that the sequel might not have the same character as before, but they want us to think it does. It's like, don't question it, just watch and be ready for the next thing.
Even with some of the worst CGI in recent cinema history, nostalgia that doesn't quite pay off, and many overused Multiverse story elements, The Flash does manage to have emotional moments and character interactions that lead me to believe it's not the absolute worst superhero movie ever created.
However, it's not a game-changer. While it does establish and conclude various elements, it's not the kind of movie you'd want to watch repeatedly. Despite all the hype from Tom Cruise and Stephen King, it's not something you'd keep coming back to. Good game, but not great.
What do you think?