It's been a long road, fraught with numerous setbacks and a lot of controversy, but The Flash finally arrives in theaters this week, and Warner Bros./DC Studios will be hoping they've done enough to offset the negative press brought on by star Ezra Miller's recent brushes with the law.
As promotion for the movie revved up over the past few weeks, it became clear that the studio was doing everything in its power to hype-up the Scarlet Speedster's first solo outing as a must-see event, with some big names gushing over the film on social media (Tom Cruise loved it so much he called director Andy Muschietti... apparently), and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn hailing it as one of "the greatest superhero movies of all time."
The problem with this sort of bold claim is, people are eventually going to see the movie, and if it doesn't live up to the lofty expectations set, word will spread.
Honestly, it's difficult to blame those involved with bringing this project to the screen for doing what they could to distract from Miller's (allegedly) appalling behaviour, but their efforts may only end up doing the film a disservice, because The Flash is good enough to stand on its own merits without being oversold as something it's not.
The story deals with Barry Allen's attempt to prevent his mother's death and father's incarceration by using his super-speed to travel back in time (against the advice of Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne). He's successful, but by changing just one seemingly minor event, he creates an alternate reality with no Justice League... and his timing couldn't be worse, because General Zod's (Michael Shannon) attack on Earth is imminent.
Barry joins forces with a younger - and much more irritating - version of himself, and manages to put together a makeshift team which includes Michael Keaton's long-retired Dark Knight and Superman's cousin Kara (Sasha Calle) to stand in the way of Zod's invasion.
It's a relatively simple premise (a lot less complex than the Flashpoint comic arc it takes influence from), and, to the movie's credit, it doesn't get bogged down in the Multiversal madness to any great extent. Christina Hodson's script wisely chooses to focus on Allen's heartbreaking plight, and the film really comes alive in the more emotional moments Barry shares with his mother. It's also very funny... at times.
As is so often the case with these movies, an overabundance of humor means that some gags inevitably miss the mark, but, for the most part, it's a pretty successful balance, and the dramatic scenes are at least given time to register before the next quip.
Unfortunately, things begin to fall apart a bit in a rushed third act, and way too much is crammed in to the last 30 minutes or so. The final action set piece is reasonably well-orchestrated in a vacuum, but isn't given nearly enough set-up, and the FX are pretty shoddy - especially in one particular sequence which features characters who all look like they've stepped out of a PS3 cut-scene (no spoilers, but if you've been keeping an eye on the leaks, you'll know which one).
Moving on to the volatile elephant in the room. We're not going to dwell on the Miller situation too much, because there isn't really any point. You're either someone who is able to separate the art from the artist or you're not, and if you’re not, an actor's performance is never going to be good enough to make you forget what they've been accused of. With that being said, Miller does a fine job here in a dual role, delivering two very different takes of the title hero.
Younger Barry is obnoxious and annoying (yes, he is supposed to be... but that doesn't stop you wanting to throw him through a window) at first, but he does become more endearing as the movie progresses. As "Barry Prime," Miller gives easily their best turn as the character yet. A lot of Flash fans feel Miller was always a miscast, and while that's obviously debatable, it's difficult to fault their work as this interpretation of the Fastest Man Alive.
Keaton's return as Batman is the real draw for many, of course, and he does not disappoint. Some of his dialogue feels a little shoehorned in for fan-service's sake (did we really need the "let's get nuts" line?), but Keaton overcomes it to prove why he is still (arguably) the most popular big-screen Batman of all time.
Sasha Calle is also a standout, but her screen-time is criminally short, and it feels like some of her scenes were left out of the final cut (she doesn't have a single interaction with Batman, for example). Hopefully, Calle will be given the opportunity to reprise the role for the planned DCU Supergirl movie.
One of the greatest superhero movies ever made? The Flash isn't even the best superhero movie released this month, but that doesn't mean it's not worth your time. A few missteps and some dreadful CGI aside, the Scarlet Speedster's solo adventure is a highly enjoyable experience, and easily one of the best shared universe DC movies since the first Wonder Woman.