ReelBob: ‘The Flash’ ★★
By Bob Bloom
A lot of baggage needs to be unpacked in “The Flash.” Among the items, your tolerance of star Ezra Miller’s hyper performance, your patience with another plot device dealing with the multiverse and, most of all, your forbearance for nostalgia.
Sometimes “The Flash” is a fun movie, but it’s also too busy. The script by Christina Hodson throws too much at its audience. It’s like the magician who uses flashy diversions to distract while doing the trick.
Plus, at 144 minutes, “The Flash” is padded with cameos, as well as scenes that are repetitious and go nowhere.
The weakest link in the movie is Miller’s Barry Allen. The problem with Allen is that, as created in this DC cinematic universe, he is obnoxious, socially awkward and selfish. Unlike fellow superheroes, he seems more concerned with himself than mankind.
It also doesn’t help that Miller portrays two Barry Allens, the second from an alternate timeline in which his mother — for whose murder his father was convicted — is as annoying as his older counterpart.
The killing of Barry’s mother is the hinge that the movie’s plot rests on. Barry accidentally discovers that if he runs fast enough, he can go faster than the speed of light and travel back in time. Bruce Wayne-Batman (Ben Affleck, with little screen time in his farewell turn as Batman) warns him against it — pointing out how he could damage the fabric of time and cause irreparable harm.
But Barry pays no heed; he selfishly wants to see and talk to his mother again. In his mind, the needs of the one outweighs the needs of the millions — to paraphrase another movie franchise.
Well, you can guess how Barry mucks things up. He winds up in an alternate universe in which he then proceeds to involve his younger self in his quest. He also learns that this world has no superheroes or Justice League — which proves dire when our old friend General Zod (a dismal and tired-looking Michael Shannon) shows up, threatening — again — to terraform Earth so Krypton can be reborn.
So, Barry starts scouring the Internet for allies. He does find Bruce Wayne, but not the one he expected. It is nice to see Michael Keaton reprise his turn as Batman — this time an older and wiser version of the character. And while it provides some nostalgic sentiments, Keaton’s performance is toned down from his features with Tim Burton, and they are not enough to carry the movie’s overblown load.
Even the appearance of Kara Zor-el a k a Supergirl (Sasha Calle) only adds a little spark and spunk to the proceedings.
I have been wrestling with my feelings about “The Flash” since I saw it. Parts of it I enjoyed; other sections were cringe-worthy.
The overall problem, I believe, is that the movie, like other films in the DC Universe, takes itself too seriously.. Sure, bits of humor pop up here and there, but they fail to balance the overwhelming weightiness of the project.
It fails to tie up loose ends, and a surprise cameo at the finale is a total bust.
“The Flash” is a superhero defined by his speed, yet his starring vehicle lumbers along like a 200-car freight train straining to climb a steep grade.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
THE FLASH
2 stars out of 4
(PG-13), sequences of violence, action, partial nudity, language
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.