The Flash

Director: Andrew Muschietti 
Starring: Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Jeremy Irons, Temuera Morrison, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Rudy Mancuso 
Running Time: 144 min.
Rating: PG-13

**The Following Review Contains Major Plot Spoilers For 'The 'Flash' **

★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

Contained within director Andrew Muschietti's The Flash are glimpses of the project Warner Bros. hoped could give DC's Extended Universe the ammunition it needed to redefine an overexposed genre and finally compete with Marvel. And despite roadblocks like its lead star's highly publicized legal troubles and the announcement of this as a closing chapter of the current DCEU, a genuine sense of optimism did surround that very real belief.

Using the 2011 comic crossover "Flashpoint" for inspiration, this was touted as a sci-fi driven time travel story marking the triumphant return of Michael Keaton as Batman, as well as a handful of other familiar faces. It's also a tale of two movies, as its emotionally resonant central plot is derailed by what sometimes feels like committee-approved fan service. That would be its biggest flaw, if not for the spotty visual effects that take over a memorable final act bustling with AI generated cameos of legends past. 

While there are still some really good ideas in here, it probably comes as little surprise that the film's biggest assets aren't a pair of bickering Barry Allens around which the majority of the action revolves, but Keaton's Batman and an impressive new Supergirl. It might be worth seeing just for their performances, even if each would be better served by a standalone entry of their own. But now, given The Flash's underwhelming reception and a misjudged ending, it's possible neither actor gets an opportunity to play these characters again. And that's the biggest disappointment in what turns out to be a fascinatingly mixed bag. 

In present day, forensic investigator and Justice League member Barry Allen/The Flash (Miller) still carries the trauma over his father Henry's (Ron Livingston) wrongful imprisonment for the murder of his mother Nora (Maribel Verdú) when he was young. Desperately trying to clear his dad's name, a conversation with former college crush and current journalist Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) gives Barry the idea to use the Speed Force to travel back in time and prevent his mom's death. Dismissing dire warnings from friend Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) that changing this could carry disastrous consequences, he goes anyway, attempting to save her in the least disruptive way possible to the timeline. 

Barry's trip is wrought with complications, as he's suddenly stuck in an alternate 2013 with mother Nora still alive, but coming face-to-face with his college-aged self the day he gained the Flash powers. Trapped in an alternate universe without the Justice League, both Barrys must work together to thwart General Zod's (Michael Shannon) invasion of Earth. But they'll need help, which may come from an older version of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Keaton), who they coax out of retirement in hopes of locating Superman. But after instead discovering his imprisoned cousin, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Sasha Calle), all four must work together to topple Zod and undo the catastrophic damage Barry accidentally caused.

There are definite parallels to what Marvel recently did with 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home in incorporating multiverses and various versions of canonical characters. But in some sense, this contrasts what Marvel usually gets right, with DC buckling under the pressure to adopt that model rather than chart a different course. But while this plot draws from a highly regarded comic, a more noticeable influence is Back To The Future, or more directly, the paradoxical Part II. And even as the screenplay fully acknowledges its debt to the trilogy with a number of shout outs and a clever gag involving the aborted casting of Eric Stoltz, we're reminded just how high a bar this is trying to clear.

That Barry's well-intentioned quest involves a parent's death only compounds the butterfly effect, adding personal weight to Batman's involvement since it's a tragedy he knows all too well. Where problems arise are in execution, or rather the mind-numbing interaction between the two Barrys, which becomes the definition of beating a good joke into the ground. The idea of current day Barry showing his reckless and irresponsible younger counterpart the ropes after losing the powers his past self gains does work in principle. But present Barry must have the patience of a saint since this kid's unhinged behavior really tests the nerves, turning a situation initially ripe for comic possibility into the lost Multiplicity sequel no one wanted.

Though Miller excels at playing both and it's the least jarring effects work in the picture, you'll still be counting down the minutes until Keaton arrives. Until then, get used to seeing Barry stuffing his face with calories to maintain his super speed and arguing with the older doppelganger. And there's a nauseating amount of running inside, outside and everywhere else before the two arrive at Wayne Manor to find a reclusive, unkempt Bruce, who clearly hasn't seen much crimefighting since 1992. Initially showing little interest in donning the cape and cowl once more, his change of heart is unusually sudden, but welcome, since the over 70 year-old Keaton slides back into this iconic role as if no time passed at all. 

Not only does the entire film temporarily improve ten-fold with Keaton's arrival, the feuding Barrys become more tolerable when he subtly steps in as a mediator and guiding force. The best scenes take place within in the desolate batcave as the three formulate a plan to retrieve Superman in Siberia and restore older Barry's powers. Of course, it all provides the opportunity to again witness Keaton believably kick ass in the batsuit, putting to shame Affleck's sleepy performance from earlier. 

Michael Shannon looks bored to tears, possibly because the Zod plot feels shoehorned in as an excuse to tie the DC universe together and bring in auxiliary characters. Thankfully, we have Supergirl, played by an actress who redefines the big screen presentation of Kara. From the short pixie cut to that stone cold death stare, Sasha Calle is a real find, conveying an ideal combination of grit and vulnerability, more than proving herself deserving of another shot at this. Unfortunately, due the film's performance and DC's pigheaded future plans to recast every role in sight, she may not get it.

The visual effects do few favors for anyone, but as insane as the last act is, it at least differs from your usual 40 to 45 minute CGI superhero slugfest by centering around an Edge of Tomorrow-like time loop. And it might be fun to poll fans still sore over Luke Skywalker's treatment in The Last Jedi to find out if they're just as disgruntled about how Keaton's arc wraps. It's unlikely they'll care since anything that happens (or doesn't) in superhero multiverses can usually just be wiped out in the blink of an eye. Let's hope that's the case with this Batman and Supergirl, possibly keeping the door open for future appearances after all.

When Barry regains his powers and reenters the Speed Force alongside his 2013 self, this hurls toward a trippy ending that speaks to obsessing over what wasn't. Put in an unenviable position of accepting the lowest moment of his life in order to selflessly prevent worse, the two Barrys get a whirlwind tour of DC's past. This includes the likes of George Reeves and Christopher Reeve's Superman, Helen Slater's Supergirl, Adam West's Batman, audio samplings from Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson's Joker, and in the deepest cut, Nicolas Cage's Superman from Tim Burton's unproduced Superman Lives. 

Though a few of these appearances bring back bad deepfake memories of Princess Leia in Rogue One, the technology has improved since, with the noticeable exception of a scarily de-aged Cage. Still, it's a moment, in addition to the powerful one Barry shares with his mom that shows how involving this story is when staying the course. The final scene exemplifies that mishmash of tones, with the filmmakers going for a self-referential joke that's not quite as amusing as they think. Supposedly, the original plan was for Keaton to step out of that car instead of Clooney, which would have resulted in a far more satisfying payoff. But at least the latter makes the most of his admittedly goofy Bruce Wayne cameo.

It may be messy, but Keaton and Calle shine, which isn't a knock on Ezra Miller, who excels in a tricky dual role that the writers go comically overboard with. And you start to wonder if those accusations about DC's lack of direction are true and whether this was worth the studio suffering through all that bad press. Superhero fatigue or not, the stakes seemed higher than usual, reinforcing how difficult it is to unlock an event movie's fullest potential. Extended portions of The Flash come close, providing a valuable look at what could have been under better circumstances.