THE FLASH

US, 2023, 144 minutes, Colour.

Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Antje Traue, Jeremy Irons, Tam Yuri Morrison, QC Clemence, Sir Simon Jackson, Maribel Verdu, Gal Gadot, Jason Miller, George Clooney. Archival footage: Christopher Reeve, Helen Slater, Adam West, George Reeves, Nicolas Cage.

Directed by Andrew Muschietti.

The Flash, Barry Allen, is a character from the DC world, from the comic, Flashpoint. He has appeared in television films. And, with Ezra Miller in the title role, has appeared in several of the DC films of the Justice League.

One of the difficulties for the film is audience response to Ezra Miller as an actor. He has appeared in quite a number of films, including, significantly, We Have to Talk about Kevin. But, generally, he is not a sympathetic screen presence. (Not enhanced in audience minds who know something about his real life and his misdemeanours, charges…). However, he does have an opportunity here to show his talent, having to be Barry Allen in the present, something of a geek, awkward, always hungry, a researcher, but who has his superpower of transforming himself into The Flash, moving beyond the speed of light, something illustrated almost immediately in the film and getting the audience onside. But Miller also has the opportunity to be a younger version of Barry Allen, different haircut, different gait, often awkward and ingenuous. And, at the end, a third Barry Allen appears from the future, darkly sinister looking but convinced that the past can be changed.

There is a rather ordinary human story at the basis of the film, Barry as a boy, his devotion to his mother, his love for his father, his father going to the supermarket to buy a can of tomatoes for his wife, returning to find his wife had been murdered. He is then arrested, in court, his face looking down in the supermarket surveillance camera, not corroborating this as his alibi. Barry is determined to help his father.

But, with this determination, comes his urge to use his super powers, especially in terms of flashing back in time, discovering his younger self, interacting with him, the younger self getting the Flash powers, and, lightning strike, they are both going back not only in the past but into part of the multi-verse.

Initially, in a saving episode where The Flash intervenes, the audience has seen Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne and Gal Gadot as Diana, Wonder Woman, all coordinated in omission by Alfred, Jeremy Irons again. But, in this alternate world, after there has been a discussion about Back to the Future, Bruce Wayne is an old recluse, but, happily for the audience, Michael Keaton reprising his role from his Batman films. Both Barrys are wondering about this multi-verse and Bruce then gives them, and the audience, an explanation of time changing by using dry spaghetti sticks which can crack and can be reshaped, as well is the cooked spaghetti with its parallel strands, mixed up strands, a mess, and tomato sauce on top! It serves the purpose for this film.

And, the special effects then come into dominance, news that General Zod is on the attack again, that he has imprisoned Superman. So, Bruce is persuaded to get out the Batmobile, and they go to rescue Superman, only to find his cousin, Supergirl – and an alternate story about what happened to Kal El on his way to earth. Michael Shannon reappears as General Zod. So, lots of confrontations, fights, time switches, and the need for Present Barry to regain his powers, Bruce willing to pull the electrical levers.

Eventually Barry arrives back in the present, but does go into the time where his mother is in the supermarket, a loving encounter with her though he poses as a young man concerned about his mother, finds that he needs to restore what really happened and believe, as his mother said, every problem does not have a solution. But, he can’t resist the temptation to alter something for his father.

So, after all the adventures, in the spectacular scenes of collisions of worlds, the use of film footage to remind us of Superman (archival scenes of George Reeves, Adam West, Christopher Reeve and even Nicolas Cage in Superman costume in the film that was never made, and Helen Slater is Supergirl), he wants to get back in touch with Bruce Wayne, bringing the film to a humorous close for those who remember all the Batman films!

1. The role of The Flash in DC comics? In the DC world, with the Justice League?
2. The development of this film, the many ideas, potential directors, writers? Gathering the themes into an action adventure? But with the humorous, tongue-in-cheek dimension? The overall success of the film?
3. Lavish production, the ordinary opening, Barry Allen at home, going to work? The interruption with the special effects of The Flash, costume, acceleration, the action sequence, on the bridge, with Bruce Wayne, with Diana, and returning to the diner? The ordinariness of the court case, the sadness of his mother’s death, the arrest of his father, prosecution, phone call to him in prison? Barry, at work, the investigations, his awkwardness, always hungry?
4. Barry on the motivation to save his father, the possibilities of time travel, altering time? Going back to his younger self? The older Barry very serious? The past Barry, young, brash, vocabulary, attitudes, hairstyle…? Meeting with friends, the discussions about Back to the Future? The movie references throughout?
5. The younger Barry, his interventions, playing with time, the lightning strike, falling through the hole? Into the different universe? Barry, wanting to get the help of Bruce Wayne? Their going to the house, younger Barry and his taunting, the encounter with the older Bruce Wayne, Michael Keaton instead of Ben Affleck? The story, the cooking of the spaghetti, Bruce explaining time disruption with the strands of spaghetti, hard and able to be cracked, cooked, mess, parallels, and the tomato sauce on top? A sufficient allegory for explaining the time and universe disruptions?
6. The news, the arrival of General Zod, the threat to earth? Audience memories of Zod in Man of Steel? The imprisonment of Superman? The decision to go to Russia, Bruce Wayne agreeing, getting out the Batmobile? Flying to Russia, the ejection seats, landing? The besieging of the Fort? The fights? The discovery of the young woman, rescuing her?
7. The young woman, Supergirl, her story, as chaperone to the baby, the story of its being killed by General Zod? The recovery, teeming with the group, the confrontations with Zod and his subordinate? And the shifting of times, the many deaths of Supergirl, the deaths of Zod?
8. The arrival of the Older Barry, confronting the other two, the discussions, whether time could be changed or not, the older Barry still believing in change, the younger Barry fiery, the ordinary Barry, lacking the powers, reminding the younger Barry of their mother, that not every problem solution, but devotion is important?
9. The possibility for reviving Barry’s powers, Bruce offering to work the electric charge, the effect on Barry, the second charge, gradually reviving his powers, his racing with the younger Barry to illustrate?
10. The visuals of the world’s colliding, the different worlds, the footage showing George Reeves and Adam West, Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater, even Nicolas Cage dressed as Superman? (And the absence of Henry Cavill and the story of the young baby being killed?)
11. The return, Barry meeting his mother at supermarket, the tender talk, his replacing the can of tomatoes so that history would not be changed? Yet the technology with the surveillance camera, enabling his father to tilt his head and provide the truth for his alibi? The court sequence, the use of the footage, his father vindicated, Barry leaving the court, with Iris West, his babble to the reporters, but the arranging of the date with her?
12. The return to the world, the contact with Bruce Wayne, and its not being Ben Affleck? Audiences enjoying the humour of George Clooney turning up at the end?
13. The final credits, and Barry talking with Arthur Curry, the future of Aquaman?