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One of the most spectacular and frustrating mixed bags of the superhero blockbuster era, "The Flash" is simultaneously thoughtful and clueless, challenging and pandering. It features some of the best digital FX work I've seen and some of the worst. Like its sincere but often hapless hero, it keeps exceeding every expectation we might have for its competence only to instantly face-plant into the nearest wall.

Then it hits the reset button and starts again—which, come to think of it, is what "The Flash" keeps doing over and over again narratively, with time, parallel universes, and the question of whether "canonical" events in the life of a person or a whole dimension can be altered. From start to finish, it suffers the double misfortune of being its own worst enemy, despite real thoughtfulness and an intriguingly unstable cocktail of genres (slapstick comedy, family drama, heavy metal action flick, philosophically driven science fiction adventure); and also arriving on screens right after the release of "Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse," a high watermark for both superhero movies and major studio animated features that explores most of the same concepts as "The Flash" in a more aesthetically innovative way.

Ezra Miller , whose offscreen brushes with the law make some of the film's raunchier comedy land poorly, stars as twentysomething forensic scientist and secret superhero Barry Allen, who feels like the "janitor" of the Justice League and is still grappling with the impact of his mother's murder and his father's wrongful imprisonment for the crime. Here, again, in this very review, we encounter a double bind characteristic of "The Flash": it's poor form to discuss the meatier parts of the movie because you can't do that without describing the plot in detail, and yet at the same time, a lot of it has already been "spoiled," not just on social media and online forums but in the film's own trailers and marketing material (Warner Bros. supplied the photo at the top of this review) and on Wikipedia. If you read all that, you know whether to keep going or put the rest of this piece aside for later.

For those still reading: Remember the ending of the original 1978 "Superman: The Movie," where Christopher Reeve's Superman has to choose between stopping a nuclear missile headed for Miss Tesmacher's home state and preventing his great love Lois Lane from getting killed by an earthquake, tries to do both, loses Lois, then turns back time to resurrect her? Well, that sequence has been expanded into an entire film and merged with the " Back to the Future " series, courtesy of Barry's decision to try to go back in time and change one detail on the day his family was destroyed. Mom ( Maribel Verdú ) sent Dad ( Ron Livingston ) to the local supermarket to fetch a can of tomatoes she needed for a recipe. When little Barry hears a commotion and comes downstairs, he finds Mom on the kitchen floor with a knife jammed into her bloody chest and Dad weeping over her corpse with one hand on the hilt. Barry surmises that he can use his Flash powers to return to that fateful day, add a can of tomatoes to Mom's supermarket basket, and save both parents. Anybody who's seen a time travel movie (or read Ray Bradbury's short story The Sound of Thunder ) knows it's not that simple.

Directed by Andy Muschietti (" Mama ," both " It " movies), from a script by ace genre screenwriter Christina Hodson ("Birds of Prey," " Bumblebee "), "The Flash" deserves credit for taking its ideas and the pain of its characters seriously without devolving into glum, colorless machismo. When Miller enters what he believes is "the past" (it's actually an alternate timeline), he not only encounters another version of himself with an intact, happy family but befriends and mentors the other Barry, discovering along the way how annoying he can be to others.

Muschietti over-directs the pre-time-travel version of Barry, emphasizing his anxiety, clumsiness, and facial tics to the point where he seems like one of those schlemiels that Jerry Lewis used to play. But once the original Barry teams up with the other Barry, Miller keeps the schlemiel energy high for the second Barry while dialing it down for the original. This lets the first Barry mature in increments, part of the traditional arc of a young hero. The film showcases its finest effects in these mirror-image duets. The result is the most convincing instance of a leading man playing opposite himself since Michael Fassbender in " Alien: Covenant ." The shots of both Barrys even have a smidge of handheld shakiness that's visual shorthand for "authenticity." Within a scene or two, you'll likely forget that it's one actor playing the same part and instead focus on what Miller does with both incarnations of the character.

The master narrative of the DCEU defines Superman's city-leveling battle with General Zod in " Man of Steel " as a character- and team-defining canonical event for every interlinked feature film in the series. The aftermath of that contest figured into the plots and dialogue of more than one film, most notably "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice." When it's referenced again in the film's first act, you know Barry and Barry will have to deal with it again in another universe. Sure enough, here comes Zod with his villainous teammates, scarab starships, armored shock troopers, and terraforming World Engine.

The problem is, there's no Justice League to team up against him, and only one superhero: the Caped Crusader. Not Ben Affleck's grizzled, Frank Miller-y Batman, but the one played by Michael Keaton in the 1980s Tim Burton films. Only he's older, more haggard, and even more alienated from the society he monitors. As the time-ripened version of Burton's Batman, essentially Bruce Wayne fused with the long-haired hermit incarnation of Howard Hughes, Keaton gives the movie's subtlest performance. He underplays and reacts in a way that adds freshness to a story that's probably too dependent on recycled situations and makes Miller's jumpy, abrasive tendencies easier to take. He's the acting version of a shock absorber, smoothing the ride without slowing it down.

Barry, Barry, and Bruce become convinced that this universe's Superman is trapped in a Siberian prison run by Russian mercenaries and fly there to bust him out. Turns out he's a she: Kara Zor-El, Kal-El's cousin, aka Supergirl ( Sasha Calle , rocking a modified pixie cut and a killer stare). Superman, we're told, might still be out there somewhere, but his cousin (who was sent to protect him) is a powerful ally who can stand up to Zod. When the modified four-person Justice League substitute confronts Zod's invading army, the movie proves that its obsessive referencing of the "Back to the Future" films was not just a running gag.

The reimagining of Zod's attack is this movie's equivalent of the end of the second "BTTF" movie, where time-traveling adolescent Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox in our world, and in Barry's by Eric Stoltz , the actor Fox replaced!) had to attend the same prom that ended the original "BTTF" while avoiding a potentially time/space disruptive encounter with himself. (This movie's decisions about what to save and what to delete from real world history are weird; I'd love to hear the logic behind erasing a lot of the DCEU superheroes from the second Barry's universe while determining that "Back to the Future," "Footloose," and " Top Gun " and the first Chicago album were immutable occurrences.)

The film's big battle is its least convincing sequence (parts of it look like cutscenes from an early-aughts game). It's too bad, because it's the most thought-provoking: as Batman and the Flashes and Supergirl battle Zod, the two Barrys disagree on whether traveling back and forth along dimensional pathways will solve problems or add new ones. Like most science fiction with even the thinnest veneer of seriousness, "The Flash" connects back to the godmother of science fiction, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus . Shelley warned readers that using science to mimic God or defy nature has bad consequences, and it's better for the story's Prometheus figure to give up his illusions than continue traveling a ruinous path. Is this the sort of film that will heed Shelley's warning, or ignore it to give the hero what he wants and the audience the wish-fulfillment fantasies it craves and that superhero films nearly always endorse? Even the first two Reeve Superman films erred on the side of audience wish-fulfillment; the first film lets him turn back time, while the second has him erase Lois' knowledge of his secret identity with a super-kiss. "The Flash" deserves credit for threading the eye of that needle, giving audiences a somewhat hopeful ending without negating the philosophical and scientific issues it raises elsewhere.

Unfortunately, "The Flash" also has a countervailing tendency that undermines its best self. Even as it cleverly translates Shelley's worries into contemporary comic book terms, it serves up callback after fan-wanking callback to other versions of heroes and villains from film and TV, seemingly with no other purpose than to burnish Warner Bros' properties and make the audience point to the screen and whisper the names of actors, characters, films, TV shows, and comic books that they recognize. Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Superman, Superman, Superman, Superman, Flash, Flash, Flash, etc., keep popping up scenes set in the "Chrono-Bowl," a cosmic switching station with a design that alludes to clockwork gears, the concentric rings of chopped-down trees, theater-in-the-round, and a tribunal.

And rather than find an artful, modest way to repurpose library footage from earlier adaptations of DC comics—as, say, "In the Line of Fire" did with footage of a younger Clint Eastwood from " Dirty Harry "—the actors who originally played them, many of whom died long ago, have been scanned (or rebuilt) as vaguely three-dimensional but uncanny grotesques, like Madame Tussaud's wax figures laid over audio-animatronic puppets. Remember the process that "reanimated" Peter Cushing in "Star Wars: Rogue One," and later served up an even more unsettling "young Carrie Fisher " in the climax, paving the way for a nearly expressionless "young Mark Hamill " on "The Mandalorian," and de-aged '70s movie stars for various legacy sequels? It gets trotted out and multiplied ad nauseam here, even though the technology hasn't improved much.

The film's principal cast also gets the zombie CGI treatment in the Chrono-Bowl, to visualize alternate realities. Some of the versions of these real, living actors with SAG cards and regularly updated IMDb pages look faintly demonic. The torsos and hands aren't anatomically credible. One has eyes that point in opposite directions like a gecko. Were the deadlines rushed and the digital effects artists exploited until quality control disappeared— a problem throughout the entertainment industry —or is the technology just not there yet? And even if it ever does "get there," will it ever not seem one (digital) step removed from wrapping a mannequin in corpse-flesh? Doing this sort of thing in a purely animated format moots such concerns. Everything in an animated comics adaptation is a drawing inspired by other drawings, and therefore a representation of a thing that is not meant to seem "real." Not so in live-action. "Hey, that's Actor X!" gives way to, "He looks kinda creepy and unreal," and the spell is broken.

What a mess. And what a shame, because what's good about "The Flash" is very good. The movie puts a lot of thought into what it wants to say and not enough into how it says it. It avidly warns against a thing while at the same time doing a version of that same thing. Barry, driven by a desire to resurrect the dead, grapples with the ethics and advisability of actions that the film constantly performs, in small ways and large, without breaking a sweat.

Opens Friday, June 16th.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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The Flash (2023)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity.

144 minutes

Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash

Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl

Michael Shannon as General Zod

Ron Livingston as Henry Allen

Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen

Kiersey Clemons as Iris West

Antje Traue as Faora-Ul

Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman

Ian Loh as Young Barry Allen

Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Patty Spivot

Rudy Mancuso as Albert Desmond

Andy Muschietti

Writer (story by)

Joby Harold
Christina Hodson

Cinematographer

Henry Braham
Jason Ballantine
Paul Machliss
Benjamin Wallfisch

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The Flash Reviews

For a film about a very fast man, the narrative is slow at times. The tacky CGI and video game artistry make the experience less immersive too.

Full Review | Jun 24, 2024

Michael Keaton is the main reason to see “The Flash” (2023), the 13th film in the DC Extended Universe. Feel free to arrive at the theater under one hour late to see a decent Batman sequel otherwise you will be peeking at your watch

Full Review | May 25, 2024

For 2/3 of The Flash -- and it's too long -- it's kind of fun... in the last sections it becomes slightly video game-ish.

Full Review | Jan 9, 2024

Despite having fun throughout, The Flashisn't flawless, especially in its final act. But Miller as the eponymous superhero is clearly having fun, and so are the other key characters that wouldn't think twice.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 28, 2023

Simply put, this movie is way fun and worth a watch in the theaters, put it on your list of to-do's this weekend.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Nov 13, 2023

Given that seemingly every piece of media is unleashing its perception of whatever the multiverse may be, it’s refreshing that The Flash treats it as more of an existential test.

Full Review | Nov 10, 2023

... fun, generous, and entertaining. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 3, 2023

The Flash may be the most underrated, most underappreciated movie of the year.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 27, 2023

Are multiverses just an excuse for not picking a tone or choosing a story? Our cinema’s flavor of the last few years may just be the child of channel-surfing... The Flash makes you feel simultaneously overserved and underserved.

Full Review | Sep 29, 2023

The Flash creates not just an origin story but lays the foundation for an emotional and layered performance few expect from superhero movies. He can see how things could have been, allowing him to question how he became the man and hero he believes he is.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 23, 2023

The result of literally decades of unsuccessful development, culminating in something that – if not borderline unwatchable – is certainly the most pronounced death throe of Warner Bros’ DC Extended Universe to date.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Sep 18, 2023

Color me shocked.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 8, 2023

Overall, The Flash is one of the better DCEU entries, but that’s not saying much for a universe of films often found thin or clunky. Muschietti focuses on the human side of meta-human Barry and that leads to a solid emotional journey.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 7, 2023

Perhaps the main problem with The Flash is there is too much of everything packed into its not short runtime. By the time we get to the final crisis of universes colliding it seems so inevitable that it’s tiring.

Full Review | Sep 6, 2023

With eighty percent of The Flash devoted to other DC heroes and underwhelming visual effects, the result seems like a foregone conclusion.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Aug 30, 2023

The Flash has about two-thirds of a decent storyline, utilizing a much better characterization of the beloved superhero than we saw previously in the DC cinematic universe, but sadly the film is let down by a final act that unravels into a muddled mess.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 28, 2023

Ezra Miller’s superhero outing has an affecting storyline, fan service aplenty, and an easy-way-out anticlimax; maybe this is a befitting conclusion to the DCEU storyline.

Full Review | Aug 25, 2023

Ultimately, what you want to know, dear reader, is whether or not the film is worth your time? The best answer I can offer is: sorta.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 25, 2023

The characters are so driven that the film’s most earth-shattering moments don’t come during an epic battle, but in quiet moments of reflection and recognition of one’s responsibility. If you can get beyond multiverse overkill, this one is worth watching.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2023

It's an irregular superhero film that, with a handful of cameos and visual pyrotechnics, gets off to a fast-paced start by showing the origin of a solid Barry Allen played by Miller, but whose flashes fade at considerable speed. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Aug 12, 2023

Cast & crew
User reviews

Michael Keaton, Ezra Miller, and Sasha Calle in The Flash (2023)

Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future. Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future. Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.

Andy Muschietti
Christina Hodson
John Francis Daley
Jonathan Goldstein
Ezra Miller
Michael Keaton
Sasha Calle
1.6K User reviews
313 Critic reviews
55 Metascore
5 wins & 6 nominations

Top cast 87

Barry Allen …

Bruce Wayne …

Kara Zor-El …

General Zod

Henry Allen

Alfred Pennyworth

Thomas Curry

David Singh

Sandwich Guy

Henry's Lawyer
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia Michael Keaton was 71 at the time of this film's release, making him the oldest actor to play Batman in a live-action film or TV series. The only actors who were older were Adam West , who was 88 when he voiced Batman for a final time in Batman vs. Two-Face (2017) (released after his death), and Olan Soule , who was 74 when he voiced Batman for a final time in the seventh season of Super Friends (1973) .
Goofs Even though Kara Zor-El has been a prisoner of the Soviets since she arrived on Earth, she loses her Russian accent after her first few lines of dialogue.

Teenage Barry : Oh. You're... You are, you're...

Batman : Yeah. I'm Batman.

Crazy credits Part of the closing credits are set in a slow-motion sequence of the Flash rescuing the falling dog and babies.
Connections Edited from Batman (1966)
Soundtracks If You Leave Me Now Written by Peter Cetera Performed by Chicago Licensed courtesy of Warner Music UK Ltd

User reviews 1.6K

Jun 15, 2023
How long is The Flash? Powered by Alexa
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Will Archive Footage From Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) appear on the movie Since Michael Keaton´s Character is the Same from those Movies
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June 16, 2023 (United States)
United States
New Zealand
Official Flash
Baby Shower
130 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland, UK (Batman chases Falcone through Gotham)
DC Entertainment
New Zealand Film Commission
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$200,000,000 (estimated)
$108,133,313
$55,043,679
Jun 18, 2023
$271,333,313

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 24 minutes
Dolby Digital
IMAX 6-Track
Dolby Atmos

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‘the flash’ review: ezra miller brings kinetic energy to a movie caught up in nostalgic dc fan service.

Andy Muschietti’s stand-alone superhero action-adventure features Michaels Keaton and Shannon reprising canonical roles, with newcomer Sasha Calle as Supergirl.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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EZRA MILLER as Barry Allen The Flash in the action adventure THE FLASH.

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The Flash Review

Flashback to the future..

The Flash premieres in theaters on June 16, 2023.

Fresh, funny, and fast – The Flash is a good time at the movies. Director Andy Muschietti’s clear love of the character anchors the many refreshingly unique action scenes and twisty time-travel plot, never losing sight of Barry Allen’s powerful emotional journey. Though the story doesn’t necessarily justify its excessive fan service and the third act is a bit unwieldy, that doesn’t stop The Flash from being an earnest and entertaining superhero film – and one of the better efforts from DC in recent memory.

In a loose adaptation of the Flashpoint comic event that feels like a more focused version and worthy update to the 2011 source material, Barry rushes to use his newfound time-travel ability to undo the most traumatic event of his life: the murder of his mother when he was a child. Using Back to the Future-esque time travel rules, The Flash becomes a tale of two Barry Allens, two Batmans, and two versions of DC movie continuities colliding. What follows is a sincere and surprisingly humorous morality play where Barry must reconcile what his selfish, grief-stricken actions have wrought. It’s especially effective in telling a story that includes the Flash’s full origin without actually being a typical origin story movie.

It’s impressive that it still manages to get all of that across, because for a film called The Flash, there sure is a lot of Batman in it. Even though it indulges in unnecessarily long Batman action sequences and numerous overt references to the Tim Burton Batman films, they never overshadow Barry’s story. The two Batmans are contrasted to excellent effect to accent Barry’s plight, with Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight lamenting that scars shouldn’t be undone because they make us who we are, and Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader admitting there is an allure to the idea of being able to undo all that pain. As men orphaned by violence as children they have a lot in common and thus provide Barry with juicy philosophical food for thought. For his part, Affleck seems more at home as Batman and Bruce Wayne than ever with a ( very likely final ) performance that’s all business and sadness with a perfectly measured dash of dry humor.

Keaton, on the other hand, portrays an aged Bruce with an understated performance – too understated, at some points, almost as if he’s reluctant to rattle off his character’s most memorable lines (and some not-so-memorable ones seemingly just for the heck of it) for the nostalgia-hungry crowd. Keaton’s action scenes are the exact opposite, as we watch his Batman fight like never before thanks to modern special effects. On one hand, it’s cool to see him fling Batarangs and glide around like a bat out of Hell, but it’s also overly cartoonish when we all know that Keaton is in his 70s. It's enough to make you question why we'd ever need Batman Beyond when Senior Citizen Batman can kick that much ass. It feels like a missed opportunity to not acknowledge and explore how an older Bruce can still be Batman despite his age, especially because there's precious little substance to his character or motivation to begin with.

The Flash Trailer Images

Unfortunately, the Supergirl we meet in this mashed-up world feels more like a plot device than a fully fleshed-out character, and it’s sad to watch as her part in the story veers into cringey cliche territory. That said, actor Sasha Calle shines as much as she can given the thin nature of the role, and manages to make an impression with her disillusioned Kara Zor-El, who holds an understandable grudge against humanity.

All of those characters play major roles, but this is the first time we’ve seen Barry in a movie centered around him, and Muschietti takes care to showcase the hero’s signature powers in true blockbuster fashion. Whereas Zack Snyder rendered super speed in slow motion, Muschietti makes you feel the Gs from the the first time Flash strikes his admittedly dorky sprinting pose and takes off.

At times, there’s an uncomfortable (yet silly) intimacy in how the Flash’s powers are depicted. We quickly see that having that kind of speed isn’t as easy as it looks, and learning how Barry navigates things like friction heat and what happens to your clothes when you phase through solid matter gives you an appreciation for how clever and resourceful he is. The Quicksilver sequence in X-Men: Days of Future Past remains the king of slow-motion speedster sequences, but The Flash offers up a new one that certainly gets credit for its inventiveness. It’s a frankly ridiculous situation, but that doesn’t stop it from having genuine moments of horror among the humorous ones.

While a majority of the visual effects are superb, one in particular is not. Time travel is portrayed using a concept unlike anything we’ve seen before – and credit where it’s due for that originality – but when this “chrono bowl” (yes, that’s what they call it) depicts people, they look like eerie wax dolls with plastic hair, as if the CGI render was shut off halfway through. Given that a handful of important scenes take place there, and they ask for a lot of emotional investment from us, the distracting look ends up robbing certain big moments of their intended impact. Let's just say it didn’t bowl me over.

It’s obvious going in that The Flash deals with time travel, but nothing can quite prepare you for the blast from the past that is returning to the era of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel from 2013. It feels strange revisiting these events 10 years later, yet that ends up working to The Flash’s advantage as Barry begins to notice how things have changed in this timeline. In ways big and small, this story feels like a parting love letter to the Snyderverse, as it plays with the many toys the DCEU has introduced over the years and adds a new layer to that foundational film, and in doing so expands on Barry’s superhero journey in a profound way. Only James Gunn and Peter Safran know what’s in store for the future of the DC Universe, but if this is truly the last in-universe chapter of the Snyderverse as we know it then it’s a fitting swan song because it brings things full circle. (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is technically part of the Snyderverse but comes after what Gunn described as a “reset” of the DC Universe in The Flash .)

Who is your favorite speedster?

All of this leads up to one of the most ambitious and unwieldy third acts we’ve seen in a superhero movie in quite some time. The amount of chaos – both in action and storytelling – that unfolds threatens to overwhelm and confuse, and at times it does, but it ultimately succeeds because it manages to keep Barry’s arc at the heart of it all.

That’s owed to the fact that Barry Allen is the most impressive part of The Flash, and why it all works so well. By having Barry meet his younger self, a version of him who was never traumatized the way he was, it helps us better understand what makes him tick and where his peculiar personality comes from. Barry doesn’t start off as the most likable character, but by the end it’s hard not to root for him. We see the ways in which grief affected his life, from his non-existent social life to the way he defies the system at his forensics job to ensure proper justice is carried out.

Actor Ezra Miller excels in this double role, offering two dramatically different looks at the same character. One of the most affecting scenes of the film is just Barry having a passionate argument with his younger self. Muschietti brings in a delightful, off-beat sense of humor and Miller proves they have the comedic chops to deliver it, taking all-too-familiar superhero story ideas and upending them into laugh-out-loud moments or creative action scenes. Yet the superhero theatrics are all in service of an intimate story about the pain of grief and the strength it takes to find acceptance, and in those moments of vulnerability Miller shines just as bright.

The Flash is an ambitious superhero movie that largely pulls off its tale of two worlds, two Flashes, and two Batmans. The superhero fan service is strong with this one – perhaps too strong at times – but it never fully overshadows Barry Allen’s genuinely tragic and heartfelt story of grief. Though the visual effects aren’t always the best and the third act is a bit overwhelming, strong performances and a refreshing earnestness keep The Flash on track and running circles around many of the recent DC Universe movies. If this is the truly last stop on the Snyderverse express, then it’s a respectable way to go out.

More Reviews by Joshua Yehl

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‘The Flash’ Review: Electric Company

In the latest DC Comics blowout, Ezra Miller suits up as the speedy superhero alongside special guests like Batman (hello, Michael Keaton).

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An open-mouthed person in a high-tech environment is in the foreground while a superhero flies above.

By Manohla Dargis

The Flash, the latest DC Comics superhero to get his very own big show, isn’t the outfit’s usual brooding heavyweight. He’s neither an old-style god nor new (a.k.a. a billionaire), but an electrified nerd who joined the super-ranks by accident, not by birthright or by design. Out of uniform, he is a normie, a goof and kind of endearing. He’s really, really fast on his feet, you bet. But what makes him pop onscreen is that when things go bigger and grimmer here, as they invariably do in blowouts of this type, he retains a playful weightlessness.

That’s a relief, particularly given how the movie tries to clobber you into submission. Big action-adventures invariably give the viewer a workout, smacking you around with their shocks and awesomeness, though it sometimes feels as if contemporary superhero movies have taken this kind of pummeling to new extremes. That may be true, though movies have long employed spectacle — pyrotechnics, lavish set pieces — to bait, hook and bludgeon the audience so it keeps begging for more. If the bludgeoning feels more inescapable these days, it’s partly because the major studios now bank so heavily on superhero movies.

“The Flash” is one of the more watchable ones. It’s smartly cast, ambitious and relatively brisk at two and a half hours. The story tracks Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and his superhero persona, the Flash, as he whooshes, wrapped in tendrils of lightning; traverses space-time continuums; and tries to exonerate his father (Ron Livingston), who’s in prison for killing Barry’s mom (Maribel Verdú). As is usually the case with superhero movies, the story is nonsensical and convoluted — it’s no wonder a character uses a tangle of cooked spaghetti to try to explain a major plot point — but not calamitously so. The overall vibe is upbeat.

Some of that liveliness comes from Miller, a tense and almost feverishly charismatic presence. (Their well-publicized offscreen troubles hang like a cloud over this movie.) Some of the Flash’s appeal, of course, is also baked into the original comic-book character, “the fastest man on Earth,” who first hit in 1940 (via creators Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert) and was revamped (by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino) in 1956. Five years later in Issue No. 123 , these versions of the Flash (there are others) discover that they exist on two seemingly separate Earths, an idea this movie, well, runs with by introducing parallel DC Comics realms.

It’s a conceit that pays off the second a shambolic Michael Keaton makes his entrance as a graybeard puttering about a near-derelict Wayne Manor. Having hung up his Bat-suit in his reality (while DC has repeatedly rebooted the franchise in ours), Bruce appears to have entered the Howard Hughes chapter of his cosseted life when Barry drops by. Long story short, the two rapidly join forces, dust off the Batcave tech, furrow their brows and suit up, as other members of the DC stock company join the party, including Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons), General Zod (Michael Shannon) and Supergirl (Sasha Calle).

The entrance of these company players are timed like special-guest appearances — ladies and gentlemen, Zod the Zaniac! — and they’re obviously meant to delight true believers. To a degree, they also feel like they’ve been brought in to shore up the Flash during his first stand-alone outing. Cramming the screen with established names to hedge their expensive bets is an old-fashioned studio gambit, whether in a 1920s musical revue or 1970s disaster flick. Whatever the rationale here, the results are amusing, and it’s especially nice to see Keaton, who first played Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 film . He seems to be having a good time, and when he looks in the mirror approvingly, it’s easy to share in his self-admiration.

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The Flash is a eulogy for every DC movie that never was

DC runs a victory lap in a race against itself

by Joshua Rivera

The Flash strikes a running pose in a still from the film The Flash

For a movie about a guy who can move incomprehensibly fast, The Flash sure did arrive late. Originally planned for a 2016 release, according to a 2013 DC movie plan that ultimately proved too ambitious, The Flash arrives a full decade later from a chastened DC that’s getting ready to restart its cinematic universe with James Gunn in charge . In 2023, The Flash now serves as one of the final films in the Snyderverse , a eulogy for the Zack Snyder era of DC — but also, surprisingly, for all DC’s page-to-screen adaptations. The result is messy and strange: It’s a bright, breezy film that is overwhelmed by corporate hagiography, a pat on the back for a bunch of movies that never really worked out.

Given all this, the worst thing a movie called The Flash could do is feel slow. To its credit, the movie’s two-and-a-half-hour run time moves at an impressive clip. This is even more astonishing given that it has one of the most convoluted plots in a recent stretch of superhero films that are absolutely lousy with multiversal exposition. While it lacks the clarity or resonance of, say, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , Christina Hodson’s script keeps the story squarely focused on its protagonist’s emotional journey and treats the finer points of its metaphysical world-building as flavor, an excuse to do some extremely comic book things.

The opening briefly reestablishes Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) as a part-time Justice League member and full-time forensics lab analyst on a personal journey to clear the name of his father, Henry (Ron Livingston), who’s been convicted of murdering Barry’s mother, Nora (Maribel Verdú). The plot kicks into gear when Barry learns that the last big potential break in his dad’s case will not exonerate him. In a moment of anguish, Barry discovers that if he runs fast enough, he can surpass the speed of light and travel through time, observing history in a ring of space-time he calls “the chronobowl.” Ignoring a warning from Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) about the perils of altering history, Barry decides to time travel to prevent his mother’s murder and his father’s imprisonment.

Supergirl stands in front of Barry Allen and his younger self, each in their own Flash costume, on a battlefield surrounded by Kryptonian soldiers in the film The Flash

In spite of this angst-fueled premise, director Andy Muschietti ( It and It: Chapter Two ) smartly infuses the film with a Looney Tunes sensibility, reintroducing Barry with one of the goofiest opening sequences in a superhero film to date, and using the time-travel premise to make The Flash a buddy comedy, pairing Barry with a younger, more obnoxious version of himself from the past.

Most of the film takes place in a new timeline Barry creates, where the decision to save his mother ripples outward to create a version of the DC movie universe with no metahumans, on the brink of its foundational disaster: General Zod (Michael Shannon) arriving as he did in 2013’s Man of Steel , but this time, with no one to stop him. Barry is forced to recreate his superhero origin with his younger self, and to team up with the only known superhero in this timeline: Batman, but the one played by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman and its sequel.

This is where The Flash stops being a movie and instead becomes several other things, some of them outright cynical. There is the blatant nostalgia play in making Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman the film’s biggest supporting character — a role Keaton, to his credit, does not phone in. Yet The Flash doesn’t stop there. Like Barry, the filmmakers run too far, too fast, and too wild, until their film nearly spirals out of their control in a confused tangle of meta-commentary and eulogy, contemplating the history of DC movie adaptations as well as the Snyderverse that began it, and that’s coming to a close shortly. (There’s still a second Aquaman movie and Blue Beetle on the way before Gunn’s universe, labeled the DCU, kicks off.)

In pivoting from time-travel caper into multiversal doomsday epic, Muschietti treats Barry’s emotional arc of acceptance less as the heart of The Flash , and more like its bookends, an experience Barry grows from in the hopes that the audience will also find it worthwhile. But so much of the substance of The Flash isn’t for Barry. It’s for the DC stalwarts who’ll get all the meta nods and in-jokes. The movie is a chronicle of corporate synergy, mashing together the old and new in an attempt to lure DC fans from across generations, with the assumption that meaning will emerge from mere recognition.

What’s so peculiar about The Flash ’s version of the multiverse shenanigans that have now taken place across three Spider-Man films, an entire Marvel animated TV series , and a Doctor Strange sequel is that so much of it leans on its audience knowing what might have been, and still craving it. It’s a film full of wistful what-ifs. What if Michael Keaton stayed on as the definitive movie Batman? How would he fit into the modern landscape? What if the Snyderverse wasn’t coming to an end as the James Gunn era of DC begins to lay its plans? What if The Flash could be free of having to address the controversy surrounding star Ezra Miller , and a bankable franchise could be built on their frankly bighearted and earnest performance?

The Flash is a bright, colorful, imaginative film with enough verve to pop off the screen, even though it’s often nonsensical in its wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. But as fun as its imagery can be, it also signals the same priorities Muschietti showed in the It movies. So much of The Flash gives way to computer-generated effects, not just for the depiction of super-people fighting to save the world — Sasha Calle puts in a rage-fueled performance as Supergirl, even though the film leaves her with frustratingly little to do — but for its longing glances at alternate possible pasts, as Barry travels through time and space to see what might have been.

In these glances, the audience is shown a computerized guernica of faces and characters they know, or might have known. Yet disconcertingly, almost none of those familiar faces and familiar properties are played by real people. They’re just likenesses. Brands. A reward to the faithful who have actively followed not just the DC stories that came out in theaters, but the ones that almost did. In this, The Flash is the biggest, the ultimate DC comics movie. And it feels so much smaller for it.

The Flash opens in theaters on June 16.

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‘The Flash’ Review: Ezra Miller Is on a Bender of High Anxiety in a Movie That Starts Strong and Grows Overwrought

Miller's the Flash goes back in time to change the future and connects with Michael Keaton's Batman. But the movie, after a smart and playful first half, gives itself over to comic-book bombast.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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In comic-book movies, when it comes to a hero’s superpowers — flying, lifting objects, repelling bullets, the indomitability of a shield or a hammer — the audience is almost always on the outside looking in. But in “ The Flash ,” when the title character throttles forward at the speed of the hot-singe lightning streaks at his back, or floats through the air in slowed-down motion so that a mere second appears to last forever, the movie makes us part of the experience. We know just what he’s going through, which is why the scene gives you a jolt.

Reviewed at Regal Union Square, June 5, 2022. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 144 MIN.

Production: A Warner Bros. Pictures release of a Double Dream/A Disco Factory production. Producers: Barbara Muschietti, Michael Disco. Executive producers: Toby Emmerich, Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman, Marianne Jenkins.
Crew: Director: Anthony Muschietti. Screenplay: Christina Hodson. Camera: Henry Braham. Editors: Jason Ballantine, Paul Machliss. Music: Benjamin Wallfisch.
With: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Jeremy Irons, Antje Traue.

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The Flash First Reactions: A Winning Mix of Humor, Heart, Nostalgia, and Great Performances

Critics who saw an early screening of the near-completed film at cinemacon say it plays like back to the future meets spider-man: no way home , and it might be one of the best superhero movies ever..

TAGGED AS: DC Universe , First Reactions , movies

Here’s what critics on social media are saying about The Flash :

How does it compare to the other DC movies?

It’s one of DC’s best, and fits nicely as a bridge story between the old and new DCEU franchises. It’s also the funniest DC movie. – Rob Keyes, Screen Rant

By far the funniest DC movie. – Brian Truitt, USA Today

Top 3. – Dan Casey, Nerdist

It’s a real love letter to DC! – Nicola Austin, We Have a Hulk

The Flash is hands down one of the best superhero films of all time. No joke. – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

Is The Flash one of the best superhero movies ever? I dunno, need to think on that… There are a lot of strong ones at this point! But it’s a major standout for DC and feels like a really fitting/poignant way to close out the insane peaks and valleys that has been the DCEU to date. – Eric Goldman, Fandom

The Flash is definitely not the best superhero movie ever made, so let’s get that out of the way, but it’s an impressive DC movie with lots of emotion and loads of surprises. – Jason Guerrasio, Insider

(Photo by ©Warner Bros. Pictures)

So the hype is real?

Yeah, The Flash is legit great! – Eric Goldman, Fandom

The Flash is as good as rumored. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Damn, The Flash is good!…Well done. – Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

The Flash is fantastic… Andy Muschietti has crafted something special. Thumbs way up. – Steve Weintraub, Collider

Yet another winner for Andy Muschietti. – Perri Nemiroff, Collider

I honestly can’t believe The Flash actually exists. It’s magical. It presses every button. I’ll see it 1,000 times. – Sean O’Connell, Cinema Blend

The Flash is very good, especially given how oversaturated we are with multiverse stories. – Dan Casey, Nerdist

This is a film that audiences will be watching over and over again… There are some really incredible surprises that will truly blow you away. I cannot wait to see this again! – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

It has some stuff in it you will not believe. – Rob Keyes, Screen Rant

How would you describe it?

Nostalgic. HILARIOUS… tons of heart. – Sean O’Connell, Cinema Blend

Incredibly satisfying, heartwarming, and fun. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Super inventive both visually and in concept. – Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

Does this movie really have it all?

It has a little bit of everything! Action, emotion, heart, humor, and plenty of nostalgia. – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

It’s a successful mix of heartfelt coming-of-age components, stellar action (really loved the style of Flash’s powers & the creativity in those scenes), and a whole bunch of BIG laughs. – Perri Nemiroff, Collider

The Flash is a compelling, character-driven flick with a real emotional core amd game-changing stakes. With heart and humor aplenty – along with some shocks and surprises – there’s so much to be excited for. – Nicola Austin, We Have a Hulk

It’s got a big heart and is by far the funniest DC movie. Gets a little complicated but Sasha Calle’s a fantastic Supergirl and, hoo boy, Michael Keaton reminds us why he’s the best Batman of them all. – Brian Truitt, USA Today

It delivers some notably thrilling, fun, and creative moments I felt I hadn’t seen in a million other superhero movies. – Eric Goldman, Fandom

Some genuinely delightful set pieces too! – Dan Casey, Nerdist

What else can we compare it to?

Justice League gone Back to the Future . – Brian Truitt, USA Today

It’s Back to the Future meets Spider-Man: No Way Home with all the humor and heart of the former and action and surprises of the latter. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

It’s Spider-Man: No Way Home for DC/Batman fans. – Sean O’Connell, Cinema Blend

Obvious comparison is Spider-Man: No Way Home , but I think this does a better job with similar beats. – Dan Casey, Nerdist

Any word on the actors?

Two outstanding performances by Ezra Miller. – Sean O’Connell, Cinema Blend

I know Ezra Miller has made a lot of mistakes, but they are soooooo good in this movie. Loved Keaton. – Steve Weintraub, Collider

Performance-wise, [Miller is] excellent, and I loved Keaton. Sasha Calle is a very cool, intense presence that feels very much her own Supergirl. – Eric Goldman, Fandom

Sasha Calle is a fantastic Supergirl and, hoo boy, Michael Keaton reminds us why he’s the best Batman of them all. – Brian Truitt, USA Today

If that’s the last we see of Keaton and Affleck’s Batmans they went out on a high. Miller is great. – Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist

Keaton steals the show with a terrific performance. – Nicola Austin, We Have a Hulk

Are there any complaints?

If anything, it might be a tad too ambitious. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Gets a little complicated. – Brian Truitt, USA Today

It’s a lot of movie, and there were moments when I could somewhat feel it caving under the pressure of the mechanics of the concept and the themes it’s exploring. – Perri Nemiroff, Collider

It’s also bloated at times and jam-packed with Easter eggs. – Therese Lacson, Collider

I do have criticisms at times of it… Some stuff along the way didn’t work super well but overall, it gave me a lot to enjoy. – Brandon Davis, ComicBook.com

Sasha Calle is fantastic as Supergirl but unfortunately quite underused (so far!) And yes, I’m aware of – and conflicted by – the very problematic nature of certain stars & elements. – Nicola Austin, We Have a Hulk

Final thoughts?

The Flash is the ultimate movie-going experience. – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

The Flash opens in theaters everywhere on June 16, 2023.

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The Flash review: This superhero movie proves multiverses have outrun their welcome

Ezra Miller does double time as the Scarlet Speedster, while Michael Keaton returns as Batman to help sort out a time-travel mess.

Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled.

The Flash may be the fastest man alive, but DC has been hilariously slow at adapting its iconic characters and stories onto the big screen. To wit: The first time a superhero encountered the concept of a "multiverse" was in a Flash comic (1961's The Flash #123, a.k.a. "Flash of Two Worlds") and yet this new timeline-hopping The Flash movie can only seem redundant in the wake of Spider-Man: No Way Home breaking pandemic box-office records and Everything Everywhere All At Once winning a bunch of Oscars . Rather than the beginning of a cool, new idea, The Flash now feels like it should be the last word on movie multiverses.

The Flash stars Ezra Miller as Scarlet Speedster Barry Allen, reprising their role from the two versions of Justice League . Now, as many are probably aware, Miller (who uses they/them pronouns) has had a weird couple of years, involving arrests and legal complaints in multiple states . But since the actor is apparently undergoing mental-health treatment (which their superhero character implores a traumatized nurse to do within the first scene of this movie, oddly enough) and blockbuster movies like this are made by hundreds of people, it seems only fair to judge the final product by what's on the screen.

The movie begins at breakneck pace, with Miller's speedster being called upon by Batman ( Ben Affleck ) and Alfred ( Jeremy Irons , still cashing checks) to help evacuate a major Gotham hospital that's just been attacked. Here, director Andy Muschietti and the film's writers (the screenplay is credited to Christina Hodson, with story credits for Joby Harold and the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein) actually come up with a clever take on the Flash's powers: He really needs to load up on carbs before superhero activity!

This is a fun idea and matches the visual effects of the new film which actually show Flash running — as opposed to Justice League , where director Zack Snyder preferred to depict superspeed by having everyone else slow down around Barry. Unfortunately, this opening sequence devolves pretty quickly into CGI mish-mash, and Flash's main act of heroism (catching babies as they fall from the hospital's maternity ward) quite simply beggars belief.

The film slows down a bit after that, as Barry catches up with his incarcerated dad ( Ron Livingston , stepping in for Billy Crudup ). As viewers may already know from The Flash TV show , Barry is as defined by a traumatic dead-parent origin as Batman is — which may explain the insistence on using him for both the small- and big-screen versions of the superhero, when the Flash mantle has been held by multiple different characters in DC comics. Barry's mother (Maribel Verdú) was killed when he was a young boy and his father was jailed for it. Barry has always protested his father's innocence and strives tirelessly to prove it. Who killed his mom, you ask? Good question.

Dismayed by the consistent failure of legal appeals to vindicate his dad, Barry decides — after brief conversations with Batfleck and love interest Iris West ( Kiersey Clemons ) — to travel back in time and stop his mother from ever being killed. At first, this plan (adapted from the 2011 event comic Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert) seems to work great! But rather than returning to the present day, Barry ends up stuck in 2013 alongside a younger version of himself.

Viewers who enjoy Miller's take on the character are thus welcome to a double serving (several scenes in the film consist of this one actor talking to themselves), while those who get easily annoyed by performative eccentricities might find it a lot to take. The upside is that, in the alternate reality created by Barry's time travel, Michael Keaton is still Batman.

Keaton was not the very first actor to play the Dark Knight on the big screen, but remains arguably the best (at the very least, 1992's Batman Returns is EW's pick for the best movie ever made to feature Batman and/or Superman ). Thirty years later, he finally gets the chance to play the old man Batman of Frank Miller's legendary comic The Dark Knight Returns , and he breathes a lot of life into the proceedings.

At the same time, Keaton's presence proves how little DC movie history there is to draw from. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hours upon hours of viewer emotional investment to draw from for climaxes like this year's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 , the DC movies can only keep harkening back to the Kryptonian invasion of Man of Steel — and the closest they can get to replicating the multiple Spider-Men of No Way Home and Spider-Verse is by literally duplicating Miller on screen. Some superhero fans will always prefer DC to Marvel, but this doesn't exactly reek of originality.

With all the other heroes of DC's Snyder era — Aquaman ( Jason Momoa ), Wonder Woman ( Gal Gadot ), and so on — erased from existence by time-travel ripples, only Keaton, the two Barrys, and new arrival Supergirl (Sasha Calle) stand ready to protect the Earth from General Zod ( Michael Shannon ). From there, the film's final act takes some twists and turns, and there are a few other surprising multiverse cameos — fun, but also pretty flat. The "Cosmic Treadmill" of the original "Flash of Two Worlds" story — which Barry uses to travel through time — is here described as a "Chrono-Bowl," and looks just as unappealing as that sounds.

The Flash ends on a purposefully open note (and a pretty good joke), so that if the film succeeds at the box office, Miller's Barry can run again another day. If it doesn't, the precedent is set for a full continuity reset. Whatever DC movies await us in the future, let's hope they avoid multiverses. It's well-trod territory at this point, even for a speedster. Grade: C+

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'The Flash' movie review: Ezra Miller's DC adventure puts a superhero spin on 'Back to the Future'

With good guys aplenty and a big heart, “The Flash” pens a love letter to DC superhero movies past, though the film runs around in circles trying to make it all work.

Directed by Andy Muschietti ( “It” ), the multiverse-hopping time-travel adventure (★★★ out of four; rated PG-13; streaming on Max now) has a lot in common with Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” and the recent "Spider-Verse" movies. "The Flash" unfolds a “Back to the Future”-style quest where Ezra Miller's title speedster has to make things right and a bunch of familiar faces return in the process. Michael Keaton back in a Batman cape and cowl, the debut of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and a top-flight sense of humor make “Flash” worth the hype, though trying to do so much also leads to a head-scratching kitchen-sink climax.

Jittery and always hungry, Barry Allen (Miller) works at the crime lab when he’s not cleaning up messes caused by his buddy Batman ( Ben Affleck ). The one person Barry has not been able to help yet is his father Henry (Ron Livingston), wrongly sitting in jail for the death of his wife Nora (Maribel Verdú). When Barry discovers his superpowers can affect time, he decides to take matters into his hands (and feet, as it were) and prevent his mom from being murdered in the first place.

First reactions: 'The Flash' wins raves at CinemaCon for 'nerdy details' and 'big heart'

The gambit works, with a catch: Barry winds up stuck in the past and meets immature college-age Barry (also Miller), who didn’t have to grow up too fast and essentially deal with the loss of both his parents. This reality also doesn’t have a Justice League or other supergroup of heroes, which is a problem when Kryptonian villain General Zod (Michael Shannon, reprising his “Man of Steel” role) shows up and threatens Earth.

After a botched attempt to get main Barry back home, he and his younger self seek out Batman only to find a retired old guy (Keaton) who’s been out of action for 20-plus years. And to combat Zod, their search for Superman finds instead his cousin Kara Zor-El (Calle), imprisoned in an old Cold War military base and not loving humanity all that much.

'We bought him lunch': Why Michael Keaton agreed to play Batman in 'The Flash'

The early part of “Flash” offers a fun scrappiness, and it really cooks when the two Barrys are forced to coexist and the high-stakes bigger picture is set aside to focus on their relationship. Miller's legal troubles might discourage some from watching, and nothing's concrete about his DC future, but as for what's onscreen, the actor is a standout conveying a wide range of emotions and expressions as he plays essentially two different characters.

Affleck’s small part reminds that he never really got a good shot at making the Caped Crusader his own, while Keaton hasn’t lost a step since 1992’s “Batman Returns,” again proving he’s the best Dark Knight of them all. And Calle pulls off a hefty character arc in limited time with her complex heroine. With James Gunn and Co. now resetting the DC universe , and a solo Supergirl film integral in those plans, it’d be a true injustice if Calle isn’t cast because she’s great in the role.

DC Studios: New 'Superman' film set to kick off rebooted DC universe, 'The Batman' sequel arrives in 2025

“The Flash” arrives at a real flashpoint for the DC movies after a decade of ups and downs. This superhero universe has so far failed to figure out the same interconnectivity that rival Marvel did long ago, and the struggles still show: Without saying too much, “Flash” loses its way in the end by bending over backward trying to link a ton of disparate elements.

Meanwhile the movie’s stronger underlying themes, like the importance of living in the present and learning to let things go, are overshadowed by the multiversal gymnastics. And as much good stuff as the "The Flash" features, including a nifty scene where Barry slo-mo saves a slew of falling babies in entertaining fashion, the film can't help but get tripped up by the same old hurdles.

The Flash Review

14 Jun 2023

It’s taken – in a supreme act of Alanis-ing – so long for The Flash to get his own movie that the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe has changed on several occasions. Now that it has arrived, we should address the elephant in the room: yes, Barry Allen does enter the Speed Force.

There’s another elephant in the room, of course: the off-screen behaviour of the film’s star, Ezra Miller, which has often threatened to overshadow the movie. On the thorny issue of separating art from the artist, your mileage may vary, but purely on a performance level, Miller is excellent here. There was a tendency for the actor in Justice League , particularly the Joss Whedon version, to mug relentlessly as the film’s appointed comic relief. Here, Miller benefits from the decision to have not one, but two Barry Allens, which allows the role of jester to go to the younger, more carefree Barry, while the Alpha-Barry gets to learn and grow and glare contemptuously at his idiotic younger self. We spend much of the movie with this dynamic duo, and they’re a joy together, as Beta-Barry gets to grips with entering the Speed Force, phasing through walls, and running around in the nud.

There’s been a lot of focus on the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, but director Andy Muschietti — stepping away from horror after Mama and both chapters of It — makes sure that this is a Flash movie. The breathless first 20 minutes serve as a mini-sequel to Justice League , bringing Barry and Ben Affleck’s Batman together, before Barry — still hurting from the loss of his murdered mother — hurtles back through time.

Keaton fits right back into the Batsuit again, providing a pleasingly cranky contrast to both Barrys.

Naturally, as Batfleck warns, the cure is worse than the condition, stranding Barry in the past with the dawning realisation that fings ain’t wot they used to be. This includes the morphing of Affleck into Keaton, and much talk of Multiverses (aided by a helpful demonstration involving spaghetti, although they could have just bunged on Spider-Man: No Way Home instead). It’s been over 30 years since Batman Returns , and while there is a tendency to use Keaton to dispense a quick nostalgia hit (Danny Elfman’s Batman theme plays seemingly on a loop), he fits right back into the Batsuit again, providing a pleasingly cranky contrast to both Barrys. That can’t really be said, sadly, for the third superhero in the mix, who is introduced far too late to make much impact.

Interestingly, there isn’t really an antagonist. Although Michael Shannon’s General Zod does appear, Muschietti keeps him at arm’s length, recognising that he has all the conflict he could ever need in his guilt-ridden hero. It’s a blockbuster, of course, and by the end there’s CG carnage aplenty, but refreshingly the emphasis remains on Barry, a boy who has been running from the moment his mum was murdered, and who finally starts to realise that it might be time to stop.

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Batman aside, 'The Flash' is far from one of the best superhero movies ever made

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead for "The Flash."
The Andy Muschietti-directed superhero movie has been overhyped by early critics.
Michael Keaton's long-awaited return as Batman/Bruce Wayne is the film's best asset.

Early critics heralded "The Flash" as one of the best superhero movies ever made . That couldn't be further from the truth.

There's a scene early in Warner Bros.' latest DC outing where the titular hero (Ezra Miller) saves a group of babies and a nurse from falling to their deaths.

The dragged out, slowed-down scene involves a baby getting closed inside an unplugged microwave to save its life. Then, Miller's Barry Allen/The Flash offers mental health advice to a screaming nurse who's in shock.

It's supposed to elicit laughter. Yet the fact that these scenes made the film's final cut given Miller's legal troubles , " complex mental health issues ," and accusations of grooming children make it difficult to separate the actor from his superhero facade.

It gets better from there, but "The Flash" isn't the spectacle some critics and celebrities promised months ago.

The Andy Muschietti-directed movie, which has been in development as far back as the '80s, loosely follows the popular DC story "Flashpoint," in which the speedster travels back in time to prevent the death of his mother (Maribel Verdú) during his childhood. Unfortunately, changing the past alters the present.

The Flash finds himself trapped in an alternate timeline where the Justice League doesn't exist and Superman villain Zod (Michael Shannon from 2013's "Man of Steel") threatens to once again take over Earth and transform it into a new home for his nearly extinct Kryptonian race.

Barry runs into his past self, a doe-eyed dingbat sans superpowers, and together they need to stop Zod and send the hero home. Help comes in the form of Supergirl (Sasha Calle) and a blast from the past — Michael Keaton's Batman, a cameo that's strategically been used in marketing, likely to take some of the attention off the film's troubled star.

Stuffed with unnecessary cameos seemingly for the sake of it, "The Flash" contains glimpses of fun, but is tonally uneven. It's often in conflict with itself over whether it wants to be a Batman nostalgia fest or about the fastest man alive.

Michael Keaton's Batman is the best thing about 'The Flash'

Let's be real. Despite being called "The Flash," audiences are likely venturing to theaters to see Keaton's reprisal as the Dark Knight. And Keaton doesn't disappoint.

Every other hero outshines The Flash in this movie.

Miller gets overshadowed in their own film any time a version of Batman shows up (I won't spoil them all here). Affleck's latest and likely last outing as the Caped Crusader delivers an exciting chase scene through Gotham, while Keaton and one other Batman received the majority of the cheers in my early June screening filled with fans and journalists.

At times, it feels like you're watching a follow-up to Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" instead of a standalone about the speedster. Throughout the film, Flash relies on Bats to formulate plans to get them out of trouble, help him restore his powers, and take down Zod.

The result is that The Flash feels more like a sidekick in his own film — even the movie poster has an identity crisis over which hero should be featured more prominently in a film titled "The Flash."

It's not just the Batmen who steal scenes.

Sasha Calle's Supergirl is another bright spot, featured in an adaptation of the popular "Red Son" Superman comic that explores what would've happened if Supes crash landed in Russia instead of a farm in Kansas. Though the film barely scratches the surface of the Eisner-winning Mark Millar story , Calle taps into a darker, more vengeful version of the hero than we've previously seen.

Unfortunately, without giving away spoilers, the way the film wraps up Keaton and Calle's storylines makes it seem likely this will be the last time we see them in live-action.

The film is riddled with awful CGI

Noticeably wonky CGI makes "The Flash" tough to fully enjoy.

The babies Flash saves near the film's start look nightmarish . Any time the hero enters the Speed Force to try and turn back time, viewers see humans who look strangely animated, as if editors didn't have time to complete the film's effects.

Apparently, it was intended to look " a little weird. " Muschietti and his sister, Barbara, who serves as a film's producer, told io9's Germain Lussier the CGI isn't a mistake . The visuals look the way they do on purpose to showcase those moments from Barry's point of view.

Such an explanation would be fine; however, viewers have seen scenes from Barry's POV in previous DC films where his surroundings look well-defined. This jarring new take doesn't match with what's been introduced in the past.

There's a better adaptation of 'Flashpoint' you can watch on Max.

"The Flash" is very good when it's a Batman movie and mediocre when it's about Barry Allen.

The film fails to answer its biggest question: Who killed Barry's mom? Any fan familiar with The CW's nine-season "Flash" series — a show that debuted after WB's 2014 movie announcement and concluded weeks before its release — knows the culprit as Reverse Flash. Here, the question is ignored despite being at the heart of the film.

A Flash baddie could've naturally tied into the film's main story.

Instead, "The Flash" bizarrely reintroduces Zod, a stale but familiar villain from one of DC's most divisive films, 2013's "Man of Steel," with a cliché goal of overtaking the planet.

In doing so, the studio oddly revisits the Snyderverse era of DC that WB refused to continue . (As a reminder, Henry Cavill reprised his role as Superman in October's "Black Adam" only to be kicked to the curb two months later .)

By the film's end, Barry doesn't learn his lesson about fiddling with the past as his selfish actions result in another (less life-threatening) shift to the multiverse. It feels like a rushed sunset and solution to cleanly reset the DC universe moving forward, likely without Miller.

WB already made a more enjoyable Flashpoint adaptation in 2013 called " Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox ," currently streaming on Max . After you get your Keaton fix, watch that.

"The Flash," also starring Kiersey Clemons and Ron Livingston, is now in theaters.

Watch: How superhero costumes have evolved over 80 years in TV and movies

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'The Flash' throws off intermittent sparks

Glen Weldon

Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) is full of running gags. Warner Bros. hide caption

Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) is full of running gags.

In the comics, the character of Barry Allen, aka The Flash, aka The Fastest Man Alive, occupies a specific role.

Whenever there's any kind of confusing and overcomplicated shenanigans going on — the kind that involve parallel dimensions, alternate timelines, irreconcilable paradoxes, etc. — you can generally find ol' Flash at the center of it all. He's the key.

Makes sense: After all, he was the guy who first discovered that alternate Earths exist, replete with alternate versions of our Earth's familiar heroes and villains ( The Flash #123, Sept. 1961). He was also there in the mix when, decades later, DC decided all those alternate realities had grown too confusing and combined all of their multiple Earths into one ( Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12, Apr. 1985-March 1986). In the years since, the publisher has continually relaunched their multiverse and collapsed it, again and again, as if its vast narrative canon were some sort of space-time squeezebox.

The Flash has been there for every expansion and contraction, every cosmic do-over, ever metaphysical mulligan. He signals a cleaning of the slate, a new beginning. He's what biologists call an indicator species, and the precise set of environmental conditions his presence indicates is: Things Are So Screwed Up We Need To Start Over.

So the fact that a live-action The Flash film only arrives in theaters now, even though Warner Bros. Pictures has been trying to make one since the late '80s? And that it comes weighted down with so much baggage, in the form of studio turnover, a ceaseless churn of rewrites and a star surrounded by allegations of abusive behavior and other legal troubles ? And that the state of Warner's superheroic universe is currently so fraught and fractious that it's inspired sweeping regime change, a slate of cancelled projects and promises of a new direction ?

Makes sense. The slate is dirty, it cries out for a dry-eraser.

So does The Flash (the movie) do what the The Flash (the comic book character) famously does?

Yes. Up to a point.

Fast off the starting block

Like most superhero films, The Flash starts off with a drive and focus that inevitably flags over the course of its running (heh) time. This reviewer will confess a weakness for a grounded, hero-rescues-everyday-schmoes-from-danger set piece. I realize that any given superhero film will eventually degenerate into multicolored brawls (or, in the case of mystic superheroes, into actors grimacing at each other across a distance while teams of professionals add Eldritch magicks or laser beams in post).

But show me a character using their powers to whisk a harried restaurant server out of a collapsing building or evacuating a busload of panicking kids off a crumbling bridge and I'm happy. Leave the more esoteric, lore-besotted threats to the very fabric of the multiverse or whatever for another day! Focus on what's in front of you! Save the schmoes!

What if, as is the case in The Flash , the schmoes in question are a passel of CGI babies and a therapy dog hurtling to their deaths? And our hero must figure out a way to pluck them out of the air at super-speed while replenishing his calories such that he's even able to maintain said super-speed? All the better. It's what superhero movies are made for.

On a micro level, screenwriter Christina Hodson's script delivers. Line-by-line, it crackles with nimble jokes, broad winks and clever sight gags. But on a macro level — the level of characterization and character development — things don't so much crackle as fizzle.

The fact that The Flash debuts in theaters so fast on the heels of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is doing the DC film no favors. Leave aside the fact that both movies traffic in multiversal michegoss — that's a surface similarity.

All of the elements that make the Spider-Verse films so memorable and effective — their humor, their heart, their stakes — grow directly out of how real and rounded their characters are depicted. That roundedness and complexity determine the choices they make, and thus drive the plot.

Here, however, it's plot that's paramount, and it kind of forces the characters along for the ride. As a result, there's a flatness to our hero and his allies that precludes us from investing in their fates.

A family plot

The story of The Flash is based on a 2011 comic called Flashpoint (written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert) in which Barry/The Flash goes back in time to save his mother from the home invasion that killed her. That simple act screws up the DC Universe.

The situation's much the same in The Flash . Barry (Ezra Miller) decides to go back in time to save his mother (Maribel Verdú) from a deadly home invasion. This act brings him into contact with a younger, stoner-bro version of himself (Miller again) as well as a Batman from a different Earth (Michael Keaton, reprising his take on the character from the Tim Burton films) and a super-powered cousin (Sasha Calle) of Superman.

They are forced to band together to save this alternate Earth from an attack by the Kryptonian despot General Zod (Michael Shannon, briefly reprising his dyspeptic take on the character from Zack Snyder's Man of Steel ).

Miller's comic timing is solid, and serves the script's many gags well. But Miller's take on adult Barry is one-note, as is their decision to portray younger Barry as your most irritating college roommate. (That's two notes, I suppose — a simple interval). The movie attempts to frog-march both Barrys through a pair of purely perfunctory, emotional-growth-and-development narrative arcs, but Miller never manages to make either one register onscreen.

Neither does the film accord Calle's Supergirl enough space to become someone we can be bothered to care about; her screen time is given over to Keaton's Batman. It's hard to complain about what Keaton does with that stolen spotlight, but it does reflect the film's willingness to coast on the familiar in favor of putting in the work necessary to create something new.

CG Ay-yi-yi

The film's keystone digital effect, that of both Barrys sharing the screen and interacting with one another, works more seamlessly than it has in any film to date. Credit Miller, sure, but let's also note that the level of technical precision in those scenes — with respect to camera blocking and frame-matching and a slew of other cinematographic factors — are so effortlessly accomplished that you instantly forget you're watching one actor acting against themselves.

When it comes to the film's time-travel CGI, however:

Here's where we are forced to address the (checks notes) "chrono-bowl."

The "chrono-bowl" is an invention of the film, a visual device to depict Barry's time-travel. Basically, he starts running and a series of images begin to rotate around him — scenes and characters from his past. These scenes look as if a Playstation 2 were struggling to render a Caravaggio painting; characters depicted therein regard the viewer from across an uncanny valley that quickly widens into a terrifying canyon. This disquieting effect extends to the glimpses we eventually get of alternate worlds and their alternate heroes.

Now: It's possible, I suppose, to believe this is purely intentional, a stylistic choice on the filmmakers' part. After all, these alternate timelines and universes are comparatively insubstantial, compared to Barry's actual reality, so perhaps it makes sense that The Flash would signal to viewers that they are peopled by men and women who look as if they've just stepped off the Polar Express and Xeroxed themselves 47 times.

That's a generous reading, to be sure. But it's precisely that kind of overgenerous benefit-of-the-doubt that this often funny but ultimately confounding film requires. Barry's constant need to consume calories is the film's go-to gag, and it's no wonder: Like its main hero, The Flash doesn't hide how hungry it is to be seen as worthy, even though it spends much of its time running on empty.

The Flash Movie Reviews: Critics Share Strong Reactions to DC Movie

Following the first showing of The Flash at CinemaCon, critics shared some strong reactions to the DCU's next theatrical entry in their first reviews.

After half a decade’s worth of delays and plenty of controversy behind the scenes , The Flash is finally set to make its theatrical debut this summer.

Test screenings yielded plenty of mixed reactions from early viewers during its development, although as of late many praised it for being one of the best movies that DC has ever made .

Some of the test scores have even been on the same level as Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, which is regarded as some of the best superhero storytelling of the 21st century. Safe to say, expectations are running high ahead of The Flash 's debut.

Critics Praise The Flash Movie (First Reviews)

The Flash movie, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen

Warner Bros. delivered the first screening of DC Studios' The Flash at CinemaCon 2023, and critics who watched it shared their initial reactions to the new film.

Fandango's Erik Davis called the movie "tremendous" while praising it as being "among the best superhero films ever made," leaving the movie "in tears:"

"DC’s 'The Flash' is TREMENDOUS! Forget DC, it is without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer. Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY nerdy details. I’m in tears at the end. Everything you want from a superhero film & more"

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis had high praise for the new DC movie, highlighting how well the "dynamic of two Barry Allen's" was done:

"Damn, 'The Flash' is good! It’s super inventive both visually and in concept. The dynamic of two Barry Allen’s is crazy well done. Emotions hit me intensely hard, solid surprises, and it got me wanting to watch again and really eager to see how they follow it. Well done."

Variety's Scott Mantz sees The Flash as "one of the very best DC movies," specifically highlighting Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton's impressive performances:

"'The Flash' is awesome! One of the very best DC movies, a perfect blend of action, heart & humor! So many WOW & chill-inducing moments that longtime DC fans will love! EZRA MILLER is superb (twice, actually!) & MICHAEL KEATON’s still got it!"

Collider's Steven Weintraub noted that Miller was "soooooo good in this movie," giving props to director Andy Muschietti for making "something special:"

"'The Flash' is fantastic. I know Ezra Miller has made a lot of mistakes but they are soooooo good in this movie. Loved Keaton, the action, humor and emotion. Andy Muschietti has crafted something special. Thumbs way up. WB didn’t show the after the credits scenes."

The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez ranked The Flash as "the GREATEST DC movie of the last 30 years" outside of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, putting it alongside Christopher Reeves' first Superman movie and Michael Keaton's original Batman film:

"BELIEVE THE HYPE! Christopher Nolan movies aside, 'The Flash' is the GREATEST DC movie of the last 30 years that belongs in the same conversation as 'SUPERMAN' 78 and 'BATMAN' 89. The movie breaks incredible new ground in superhero cinema & honors DC lore of years past."

Screen Rant's Rob Keyes teased that fans will see "some stuff in [ The Flash ] you will not believe," hyping up the way it ties together the old DCEU with the new franchise starting soon:

"Just watched 'The Flash' at CinemaCon. It has some stuff in it you will not believe and it showcases much more of Barry Allen’s powers. It is indeed one of DC’s best and fits nicely as a bridge story between the old and new DCEU franchises. It’s also the funniest DC movie."

SlashFilm's Jenna Busch called The Flash "pretty great" and specifically noted how much she missed Michael Keaton's Batman, which also came with high praise for Sasha Calle as Supergirl:

"'The Flash' is pretty great, and it makes sense to me now why DC didn't shelve this one. Michael Keaton is ... chef's kiss. I didn't realize how much I needed Keaton's Batman in my life again. Some really emotional moments here. Sasha Calle is awesome - I want to see more of her!"

Next Best Pictures' Daniel Howat praised The Flash for being "massively entertaining," highlighting its use of the Multiverse and ranking it quite highly among the best superhero movies ever:

"'The Flash' is massively entertaining! Extraordinarily funny, but still has solid emotional stakes. It’s one of the better multiverse movies out there. Tons of fun surprises. A genuinely superb superhero movie - one of the best in a long time! Very, very satisfying."

The Ankler's Jeff Sneider had mixed feelings about the film, calling the first hour "pretty fantastic" while describing the last hour as "MOSTLY terrible:"

"'THE FLASH:' First hr is pretty fantastic. Strikes the perfect tone. Ezra is great. Heroic. Funny. Emotional. The last hr is MOSTLY terrible. Just an utter mess that’ll leave you asking, “what the HELL is going on?” Fan service & DC villain problem strike again. Mixed bag overall."

Variety's Rebecca Rubin was similarly not as impressed by the time The Flash crossed the halfway mark, saying that she was "completely exhausted" by the time the second hour started:

"'The Flash' is… not one of the greatest superhero movies ever. Parts are funny and fun, but I was completely exhausted by the second hour. It took me at least 5 minutes to recognize Michael Keaton, though, so do with that what you will."

Variety's Katcy Stephan felt the "best superhero movie of all time" title that has been thrown around in relation to The Flash wasn't warranted, saying the movie has "very little to actually say:"

"'The Flash' is an ambitious movie with very little to actually say. Packed with cliches and far longer than it needs to be, it shares themes with some similar titles, but doesn’t execute nearly as well. A far cry from the “best superhero movie of all time.”

Discussing Film's Andrew Salazar gave props to Andy Muschietti for capturing the essence of what many wanted in a Flash movie, but also teased some "bizarre decisions" both in terms of story and technical aspects:

"'The Flash' manages to deliver glorious high thrills. Andy Muschietti captures what many of us have always dreamed for a cinematic Flash story. But there's also plenty of just *bizarre* decisions. Some story related and others technical. Not amazing but still pretty good at times.

Salazar continued by teasing that general audiences will enjoy The Flash along with longtime DC fans:

"This is neither one of the best superhero movies of our time nor a total dumpster fire, which it easily could have been! My prediction: general audiences are totally going to enjoy this. Long time DC fans are going to walk away very happy too. It's tailored for that experience."

Collider's Perri Nemiroff posted an extended review of the film, noting how much she enjoyed "how the narrative challenges Barry to confront who he is" and who he wants to become.

While she didn't see it as perfect, she congratulated Andy Muschietti for "yet another winner" and confirmed that she left wanting to see the movie a second time:

"Caught an unfinished cut of 'The Flash' and dug it quite a bit! Especially how the narrative challenges Barry to confront who he is, who he could have become, and how one’s influenced by the people in (or not in) their life. It’s a successful mix of heartfelt coming-of-age components, stellar action (really loved the style of Flash’s powers & the creativity in those scenes), and a whole bunch of BIG laughs. The comedic timing and delivery are on point. It’s a lot of movie and there were moments when I could somewhat feel it caving under the pressure of the mechanics of the concept and the themes it’s exploring, but for the most part, it moves well, looks good, radiates enthusiasm for the characters and story it’s telling, and left me wanting another viewing. Yet another winner for Andy Muschietti."

CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell wants to see The Flash again countless times after watching it, praising Miller's standout performances:

"Nostalgic. HILARIOUS. With tons of heart and two outstanding performances by Ezra Miller. I honestly can’t believe 'The Flash' actually exists. It’s magical. It presses every button. I’ll see it 1,000 times."

Fandom's Eric Goldman thought that the movie had creative enough sequences that would allow it to stand out from other superhero movies:

"Yeah, 'The Flash' is legit great! It delivers some notably thrilling, fun and creative moments I felt I hadn’t seen in a million other superhero movies. It had me smiling from the Warner Bros. logo at the top and I even dug stuff inspired by movies I wasn’t into."

io9's Germain Lussier called The Flash a mashup between Back to the Future and Spider-Man: No Way Home , saying that the movie does indeed live up to the hype:

"Yup. 'The Flash' is as good as rumored. It’s Back to the Future meets Spider-Man: No Way Home with all the humor & heart of the former and action and surprises of the latter. If anything, it might be a tad too ambitious but it’s also just incredibly satisfying, heartwarming & fun."

Forbes' Jeff Conway threw praise towards The Flash 's core trio of actors, lauding Ezra Miller as the lead and hyping up Sasha Calle's debut as Supergirl:

"I just watched 'The Flash' and it’s the most vibrant superhero film I have ever seen! The colors are impeccable and the action is such a thrill. Ezra Miller leads with depth! Michael Keaton is superb as Batman again! Sasha Calle captivates with grace as Supergirl! A brilliant film."

Geeks of Color's Dorian Parks called the movie "cinematic fire," while also claiming it to be one of DC's best:

"'The Flash' is cinematic fire! This film is a stunning piece of art that will leave you wanting more. It stands out as one of the best DC movies ever made. The action is fantastic and it has a great balance of comedy and emotional beats."

GameSpot's Chris E. Hayner was "genuinely shocked" that The Flash lived up the hype, saying he has a new favorite superhero after watching the movie:

"I don’t know what to say other than 'The Flash' delivered more than I could have hoped. The acting is beyond great. Keaton delivers everything you want. Supergirl is my new favorite superhero? I’m genuinely shocked this movie meets and surpasses the hype. I never expected that."

Will The Flash Land With Fans?

While Ezra Miller appears to bring a solid performance in their long-awaited first DC solo movie, these reviews largely highlight Michael Keaton's efforts in returning as Batman and Sasha Calle's debut as Supergirl .

Director Andy Muschietti also gets his fair share of praise for his work as the director, which is particularly exciting considering how much exciting information he's shared about his process and production for The Flash .

Now, the only question remains how fans will react to DC's latest efforts.

If Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise is to be believed, viewers are in for one of the best DC movies in quite some time , which comes from somebody who hasn't entered the world of superhero movies as an actor.

And while it's still a mystery how the general public will react, newly released footage of Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle should be encouraging as the DCU looks to get back on track ahead of the move to Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters .

The Flash will arrive in theaters on June 16.

Ezra Miller's Flash Movie Is Not Really a Comic Book Movie, Claims Cinematographer

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Intense, long superhero adventure explores loss, teamwork.

The Flash Movie Poster: Close-up of a man in a red helmet, with "The Flash" written across his chest

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The biggest messages are about importance of team-

Barry and Batman (in any timeline) are selfless an

Most main characters are White (Ezra Miller, Ben A

Several different forms of violence, including the

While holding the Lasso of Truth, Barry says he un

One prominently featured (but humorously deployed)

On screen: Mercedes, BMW, iPhone, Apple, Mac, Puma

Adults drink occasionally (wine or beer). A charac

Positive Messages

The biggest messages are about importance of team-building and working with others for the greater good, plus recognizing when you must let go/sacrifice a personal desire for the sake of the common good. Barry is shown (both by his younger self and the alternate Batman) how to come to terms with the fixed moments in time that he can't change and why the totality of people's childhoods and pasts, including their pain and trauma, inform who they become. The power of rescuing those who are defenseless/innocent, regardless of their background (or even whether they're human), is also a message. Themes of courage, self-control, perseverance, and teamwork.

Positive Role Models

Barry and Batman (in any timeline) are selfless and brave, but they also have to learn to communicate, to work together to highlight each other's strengths, to defer to one another depending on circumstances. Kara Zor-El is a strong role model who's willing to fight for humanity after being saved by Barry and Batman. Both Barrys have to come to terms with their limitations and how their superpower has the ability to save -- but also to destroy.

Diverse Representations

Most main characters are White (Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, etc.), and most are men. Lead actor Miller is nonbinary and plays a male character. Two female superheroes: Wonder Woman (Israeli actor Gal Gadot, briefly seen), and, more prominently, Supergirl/Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle, who is of Colombian descent). Barry's mother is a White Spanish-speaking woman (her nationality is unnamed, but actress Maribel Verdú is from Spain). Barry's love interest is Iris West (Kiersey Clemons), a Black reporter with a small but important supporting role.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Several different forms of violence, including the disturbing recollection of Barry's childhood trauma: his mother's death from a fatal stab wound, his innocent father going to prison for it. Batman and The Flash engage armed thieves in a tank in a street pursuit that leads to explosions, injuries, and presumed deaths (fairly high body count). At one point, The Flash has to save several newborn babies and their nurse, who've fallen from a high-rise hospital that's crumbling into a sinkhole. Although they all survive (as does a therapy dog that also fell), it's a tense scene. A mysterious villain throws Barry out of his known timeline into an alternate universe, wreaking havoc on the timelines and forcing Barry to relive Zod's invasion of Earth. Barry, Barry, and Batman use their combined forces to rescue a Kryptonian being who's tortured and starved by the Russians, leading to a huge shoot-out and multiple injuries/deaths. Other large-scale violent scenes similarly involve a battle between the Justice League forces and evil aliens (Zod's lackeys). (Potential spoiler alert !) Heartbreaking scenes involving Barry and his alternate Barry and Barry and his mother at the end of the movie.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

While holding the Lasso of Truth, Barry says he understands what sex is but has never had it. He's interested in Iris, but they don't do more than briefly have a beer together. The alternate-timeline Barry has an obvious crush on Kara. Wonder Woman and Batman stare at each other lingeringly. Nonsexual partial nudity in a sequence when the second Barry realizes that using superspeed can leave him naked. His entire torso, legs, sides, and butt are visible. He covers up his genitals with cookware, hands, etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

One prominently featured (but humorously deployed) "Who the f--k is this?"; frequent use of "s--t," plus "d--k," "bats--t," "big scrotum," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

On screen: Mercedes, BMW, iPhone, Apple, Mac, Puma shoes, Twinkies, Kikkoman soy sauce. Off-camera merchandising includes apparel, games, toys, etc.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink occasionally (wine or beer). A character does a shot of unspecified liquor at a bar.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Flash is part of the DC Extended Universe and is based loosely on the comic Flashpoint , when Barry Allen/The Flash ( Ezra Miller ) travels into the past of an alternate timeline to prevent his mother's death. That decision wreaks timeline havoc, so Barry must work with his alternate younger self, as well as other members of the Justice League who exist in that timeline, to fix it. Expect lots of comic book-style action violence, including explosions, military-grade weapons, lethal alien technology, and, of course, Bruce Wayne/Batman's cache of high-tech vehicles, weapons, and gadgets. The body count is fairly high. The movie also explores mature themes about how trauma and the past shape people and shouldn't be tampered with. Language is occasionally strong, with "s--t" used the most frequently, plus "d--k" and one humorously deployed "f--k." There's not much romance, though it's clear Barry is interested in Iris West (Kiersey Clemons), and two other characters briefly make eyes at each other. Nonsexual partial nudity includes a funny sequence in which the second, younger Barry realizes that using superspeed will cause his clothes to fall off, leaving him naked in public spaces. He uses his hands and other available accessories to cover his genitals while his torso, side, and buttocks are visible. Characters drink occasionally. The movie's biggest messages are about the importance of team-building and working with others for the greater good, as well as recognizing when you must let go/sacrifice a personal desire for the sake of that good. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (16)
Kids say (19)

Based on 16 parent reviews

Traumatizing says a 9 year old

Best dc movie i've watched in my opinion, what's the story.

THE FLASH begins with The Flash/Barry Allen ( Ezra Miller ) helping Batman/Bruce Wayne ( Ben Affleck ) with a catastrophic situation at a hospital and feeling like the "janitor of the Justice League." Eventually, Barry has an epiphany: He should use his superspeed to revisit the past and stop his beloved mother's death. But when he does that and then returns to the future, he ends up in an alternate timeline where another, much less awkward and more laid-back version of him exists and is still 18. While in this alternate timeline, the original Barry realizes that a familiar villain poses a threat to the other Barry's world, so he trains the younger Barry and then sets out to convince that timeline's Batman (a considerably older and retired version played by Michael Keaton ), to join their cause. Together, the three attempt to find Superman but run into even more complications.

Is It Any Good?

This time-traveling, nostalgia-filled adaptation of Flashpoint is entertaining and benefits from Keaton's standout supporting performance. The two Barrys are amusing to watch, particularly because the original Barry is fairly socially awkward, while the younger Barry is somewhat spoiled and easygoing (having not been burdened by his mother's death and father's subsequent false imprisonment). The two develop a surprising chemistry as they try to track down Batman and Superman and do something that seems impossible. Three memorable female cast members also offer impactful supporting performances: Kiersey Clemons as Iris West; Maribel Verdu as Barry's mother, Nora Allen; and newcomer Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El (aka Supergirl). But this is definitely the story of the two Barrys -- and, later, their camaraderie with Batman.

Andy Muschietti directs, based on Christina Hudson's script, which ramps up the pop-culture references and nostalgic bits. There are several jokes about how the original Barry's time travel has created a world in which all of the Brat Pack actors swapped signature movie roles. Keaton's appearance is also nostalgic, of course, and there are a host of Easter eggs and cameos that will make audiences either applaud, laugh, or roll their eyes, depending on how they feel about the sentimentality of the sequence. While Miller's two roles complement each other, it's difficult to talk about the actor without acknowledging the many accusations and criminal allegations that have been made against them. The DC Extended Universe is reportedly not going to recast the role, even though all the time travel makes the Flash an easy character to consider for that strategy. And a few of the scenes are a bit cringey to watch given the nature of the charges against Miller, but ultimately they're largely outshined by the movie's crowd-pleasing elements.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the popularity of superhero movies like The Flash . Why do you think these larger-than-life comic book characters so often enthrall viewers?

Discuss the prevalence of superhero movies featuring multiverses and alternate timelines. What are the advantages and limitations of time paradoxes?

Do you consider Barry or any of the other Justice League members to be role models ? How do they demonstrate character strengths like teamwork and courage ? What do they learn over the course of the movie?

Do you prefer individual superhero stories or team-based adventures? What are the pros and cons of an ensemble movie?

Has the news about star Ezra Miller's arrests, allegations, and mental health impacted your thoughts about this movie? When and why should an actor, filmmaker, or artist's personal life affect the audience's treatment of their art?

Movie Details

In theaters : June 16, 2023
On DVD or streaming : November 14, 2023
Cast : Ezra Miller , Sasha Calle , Michael Shannon
Director : Andy Muschietti
Inclusion Information : Non-Binary actors, Queer actors, Female actors, Latino actors, Female writers, Asian writers
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Superheroes , Friendship
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
Run time : 144 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity
Last updated : August 5, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Flash reviews: First reactions hail it as “one of the best superhero films of all time”

The Flash, Ezra Miller’s DC Universe-shattering solo movie, will speed into cinemas this summer – here’s what the first reactions are saying so far, and details of any reviews and Rotten Tomatoes score.

Ironically, The Flash movie has taken a long time to reach the big screen, whether it’s been the project changing hands with directors and other creatives, the DCEU’s disjointed output, or the numerous controversies involving Miller .

However, after decades of development, it’s nearly here. The highly anticipated movie is inspired by the iconic Flashpoint comic storyline, following Barry as he travels back in time to change the past, in turn breaking the universe and trapping him in a dangerous new reality.

As well as Miller, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck have both reprised their roles as Batman, starring alongside Sasha Calle in her debut as Supergirl and Michael Shannon returning as General Zod, among others.

The Flash first reactions revealed at CinemaCon 2023

Ahead of its release in June, The Flash had an extraordinarily early preview screening at CinemaCon. The last big blockbuster to do that was Top Gun: Maverick, and we all saw how that turned out . Based off of these early reviews, it appears The Flash will follow in the same footsteps as Top Gun: Maverick in that the early word on the street is extremely positive.

Something that will likely help the movie’s performance at the box office, an issue that has been plaguing the DCEU in the last year. Continue reading below for our roundup of some CinemaCon 2023 reviews to see what early reactions to the film include.

Are there any reviews of The Flash?

There aren’t any full reviews of The Flash right now, nor is it clear when the review embargo will lift.

However, given Warner Bros. permitted CinemaCon attendees to share their reactions online as soon as the screening finished. So far, here are what these early CinemaCon reactions are sharing and mentioning about the film.

Don’t worry, none of these early reactions includes spoilers for The Flash film, so feel free to continue reading knowing you’re in the clear. Film and TV critic and journalist Scott Menzel was one of the first to share his thoughts online. The longtime entertainment writer revealed some high praise for the new Flash movie.

The Flash is hands down one of the best superhero films of all time. No joke, The Flash is the ultimate movie going experience as it has a little bit of everything! Action, emotion, heart, humor and plenty of nostalgia. Ezra Miller is phenomenal as dual Barry Allens. Michael… pic.twitter.com/F7SHA30vZM — Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) April 26, 2023

“The Flash is hands down one of the best superhero films of all time. No joke, The Flash is the ultimate movie going experience as it has a little bit of everything! Action, emotion, heart, humor and plenty of nostalgia. Ezra Miller is phenomenal as dual Barry Allens. Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle are very good also. This is a film that audiences will be watching over and over again. Oh, and avoid all the spoilers you can for this movie because there some really incredible surprises that will truly blow you away. I cannot wait to see this again!”

#TheFlash is massively entertaining! Extraordinarily funny, but still has solid emotional stakes. It’s one of the better multiverse movies out there. Tons of fun surprises. A genuinely superb superhero movie – one of the best in a long time! Very, very satisfying. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/zRa1Xzl79l — Daniel Howat (@howatdk) April 26, 2023

Another CinemaCon attendee wrote that the movie “delivers some notably thrilling, fun and creative moments I felt I hadn’t seen in a million other superhero movies. It had me smiling from the Warner Bros. logo at the top and I even dug stuff inspired by movies I wasn’t into.”

Is there a Rotten Tomatoes score for The Flash?

No, there isn’t a Rotten Tomatoes score for The Flash. We’ll update this space as soon as reviews are released.

However, Erik Davis, who works for Rotten Tomatoes, had nothing but praise after seeing the film at CinemaCon.

DC’s #TheFlash is TREMENDOUS! Forget DC, it is without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer. Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY nerdy details. I’m in tears at the end. Everything you want from a superhero film & more pic.twitter.com/xYSn0zuXMm — Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 26, 2023

“TREMENDOUS! Forget DC, it is without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer. Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY nerdy details. I’m in tears at the end. Everything you want from a superhero film & more.”

The Flash hits cinemas on June 16, 2023. You can find out more about the film here , and check out our other coverage of the movie here .

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DC's Forgotten Flash Project is What WB Games Needs Most

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The Flash's potential for a groundbreaking video game was never realized, leaving fans wondering about the lost opportunity.
The canceled Flash game promised an immersive experience focusing on player choices and creative use of his powers.
The success of games like the Batman: Arkham series shows the potential for a Flash game to elevate DC Universe titles.

With his iconic red costume and the ability to make any physicist raise a white flag in surrender, The Flash is more vital to DC than ever—especially because his forgotten project could be what saves WB Games. As one of DC’s most beloved heroes, the "Human Whirlwind" has saved the day more times than anyone can count — and often in record time — making The Flash a household name. However, what’s lesser known in the Scarlet Speedster’s history is his limited presence in video games.

Despite having only a few titles to his name — and even fewer where he’s the star — the Flash once had the potential to headline a top-tier open-world game, comparable to the Batman: Arkham series or Sony’s Spider-Man . Now, as more details come to light and other DC games fall from grace, many are left wondering: Is it too late for The Flash to set the pace for a new era of superhero titles?

What Happened to The Flash Video Game?

Multiple attempts at a solo flash title have failed to launch.

Wally West and Jay Garrick Flash run in Chain Lightning comic

Brash Entertainment was also working on a Superman game that also hoped to deliver a defining DC experience.

Deadshot Sucide Squad Kills The Justice League

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Resolved the Deadshot Continuity Problem

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League featured a new Deadshot, and Rocksteady's explanation for the switch makes perfect sense.

Debuting in 1940s Flash Comics #1, the Flash is a DC superhero represented by several different people, each donning the iconic red and yellow suit. Powered by the Speed Force, an extradimensional energy source, every member of the Flash family shares the incredible ability to move faster than any human alive. The Flash has become a fan favorite across comics, TV, and movies — whether it’s Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, or anybody who has taken up the mantle.

However, like other Justice League members such as Aquaman, Superman, and Green Lantern, the Flash has faced challenges impacting the video game world the way characters like Batman had . Despite appearing in Warner Bros.’s Injustice series and having a beat-’em-up on the Game Boy Advance, The Flash has proven difficult to adapt to home consoles. In previous years, leaks about a solo game featuring the "Crimson Comet" have surfaced, leaving fans wondering why this project never made it to store shelves and if it could have been a real game changer.

Before games like Batman: Arkham Asylum redefined modern superhero games and The Flash became a staple of the CW lineup, another triple-A title was quietly in the works. A collaboration between Warner Bros., BottleRocket Entertainment, and Brash Entertainment, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive began development with high ambitions.

The project, at times likened more to a Hollywood production than a typical video game, brought on notable talent like comic writer Marv Wolfman, and there were even rumors that future Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds was being considered for the leading role of Wally West. Although The Flash game was never released, leaks of concept art, early builds, and other behind-the-scenes materials have surfaced, hinting at what could have been a groundbreaking superhero experience.

Yet, much like Barry Allen, fans are left to wonder how history might have changed if certain events were allowed to play out. Based on the second Flash, Wally West, the game was envisioned as an open-world experience influenced by titles like Tron , Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater , The Mark of Kri , and the Grand Theft Auto series. The plot would have followed West early in his career, dealing with a crime wave spreading across Central City and Keystone City.

Under the guidance of the villainous Professor Zoom, Wally would gradually unlock his abilities, only to discover that his mentor had been secretly siphoning off his power with the help of Gorilla Grodd to open portals to the Speed Force. Players would face off against classic DC villains such as Captain Cold, Tar Pit, and newly introduced Project Cadmus foot soldiers called "Speed Demons," genetically engineered to keep up with the Flash.

The game promised meaningful consequences, where players' actions (fighting crime and completing side missions) would impact the world around them. Additionally, a multiplayer mode was in consideration, with Superman rumored as a potential playable character. Unfortunately, however, despite its ambitious aims, BottleRocket’s game ultimately hit a wall and was never completed.

One of the major players behind The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive was Brash Entertainment, a company with roots in film production but little experience in video game development — a gap many believed hindered their success. While working on other licensed games based on movies like Jumper and Alvin and the Chipmunks , Brash Entertainment struggled to meet expectations, ultimately leading to the company's downfall.

Meanwhile, BottleRocket Entertainment faced its own creative clashes on a reboot of the horror game Splatterhouse , before it shut down in 2009. Though The Flash project never crossed the finish line, the innovative Rocksteady Studios would launch the Batman: Arkham series shortly after BottleRocket’s closure, delivering the defining DC experience on modern consoles and the new standard for superhero games.

Why The Flash Could Be DC's Savior

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear was also a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater -inspired superhero game that never saw release.

King Shark from Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League

Suicide Squad Kills The Justice League Squanders Its King Shark

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League initially positions its childlike King Shark for greatness, only to then make him as bland as can be.

For years, the Batman: Arkham games were the gold standard for licensed titles, showcasing what could be achieved with talent, innovation, and DC's iconic characters. However, it's no secret that Rocksteady's recent efforts have fallen short of expectations. Gotham Knights struggled to follow the emotionally charged finale of Batman: Arkham Knight and never reached the same creative or emotional heights. Meanwhile, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League failed to garner the reception Rocksteady had hoped for.

There’s no doubt that Warner Bros. Games need a new hit after recent DC Comics titles and with the fastest man alive, it’s not too late for him to save them. The ideas are there, the technology has advanced, and the time is right for the Flash to receive the game he always deserved . Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the closest thing fans have seen to a Flash game in recent years, with DC’s speedster playing a key role in the game's main story.

Unfortunately, many critics felt the game fell short in plot and storytelling. Iconic characters like Joker, Batman, Superman, and especially the Flash, didn’t receive the character development or depth that other stories offered. Additionally, while the Suicide Squad is often fun in different stories, many players found it difficult to connect with the idea of assassinating their favorite Justice League members or the abrasive tone the game adopted.

In contrast, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive was a more classic comic-based game , complete with over-the-top elements that captured the essence of what makes the character so beloved. From the concept art and story to the design documents, it’s clear that BottleRocket’s title was crafted with DC fans in mind, deeply rooted in the best of The Flash mythos. In a world yearning for more traditional superhero stories, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive already had everything needed to engage gamers — especially with its mechanics, where the story and environment responded to player choices.

Like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League , The Flash game aimed to reinvent its characters — and did so in all the right ways. One of the biggest criticisms of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was its live service model and repetitive gameplay. While it offered a single-player option, it was clear that the game was designed primarily with a multiplayer experience in mind. Unfortunately, few of the characters or their gameplay did much to alleviate the grind players faced to progress.

Conversely, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive didn’t appear unnecessarily padded and focused on delivering a single, cohesive gameplay experience. With BottleRocket and Brash centering on one character, the game was crafted to make players feel like the Flash. Developers explained how players needed to get creative with the Flash’s powers, like making Speed Demons crash into obstacles or using super speed to activate construction equipment to stop Tar Pit. Even the ability to create speed duplicates, whirlwinds, and dashes between enemies promised a varied combo system to keep basic encounters fun.

Although a multiplayer option was planned for The Flash’s 2009 outing, it was designed not to detract from the main experience. The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive was shaping up to be a polished, fulfilling experience even in its early development. One can only imagine what it can achieve nearly two decades later, using the lessons from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League to help create a new era of superhero gaming excellence akin to the Batman: Arkham series.

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive Deserves a Second Chance

Before The Flash's GBA debut, there were two games based on the 1993 TV series released on the Sega Master System and Nintendo Game Boy.

This New Multi-Platform Game Is Perfect for Smash Bros Fans

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be one of the best fighting games out there, but fans will find much to love in the new MultiVersus.

The superhero genre is one of the most challenging to adapt to video games , especially when it involves iconic characters who have captivated audiences for nearly a century. Players want to feel powerful, yet properly challenged. People crave classic stories, but not necessarily the ones they’ve already seen in comic books, movies, or other media. Not every game can be Sony’s Spider-Man or City of Heroes , which is why ambitious projects like The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive , the canceled Superman title, and Daredevil: The Man Without Fear often leave fans questioning what could have been — and reflecting on the lost potential.

As anyone on "Team Flash" will say, lightning rarely strikes twice, and when one manages to capture it in a bottle, it's nothing short of miraculous. The concepts, characters, and everything needed to set Warner Bros.' DC Universe games in the right direction are trapped inside that digital bottle, just waiting to be unleashed. The best superhero stories remind people that it’s not the gifts they’re given that matter, but what they choose to do with them. Sometimes, letting something incredible go unused can be just as tragic as the actions of DC’s greatest villains — those who misuse their talents, power, and rare opportunities instead of using them to change the world for the better.

The Justice League Pose Together on the Justice League of America 1 Cover

DC Comics follow the adventures of iconic superheroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and more.

COMMENTS

The Flash movie review & film summary (2023)
How will the Flash save the world from a time-traveling villain? Read Roger Ebert's review of the 2023 superhero blockbuster and find out why it's a mixed bag of spectacle and frustration.
The Flash (2023)
Barry Allen alters the past and faces a new reality with General Zod, a different Batman, and a Flashpoint comic book event. Find out more on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Flash First Reviews: Packed with Nostalgia and a Scene-Stealing
Starring Ezra Miller as the titular superhero, previously seen as an eager team player in the DCEU movie Justice League, The Flash is also a time-travel movie and a multiverse smorgasbord of nostalgia and cameos, including a well-publicized return from Michael Keaton as Batman. Many of the reviews also point out that the movie does start out ...
The Flash
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets
The Flash (2023)
The Flash: Directed by Andy Muschietti. With Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon. Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
'The Flash' Review: Ezra Miller Brings Kinetic Energy to a Movie Caught
Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon and newcomer Sasha Calle star in the DC Universe's Fastest-Man-Alive standalone adventure, 'The Flash.
The Flash Review
Hear our thoughts on The Flash with this spoiler-free review of the DC superhero film.
'The Flash' Review: Electric Company
The movie more or less recovers, settling into its lively groove, even if the Flash remains a curiously uncertain presence. Surrounding him with bigger superheroes may have made branding sense ...
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The Flash stars Ezra Miller, with Michael Keaton as Batman and Sasha Calle as Supergirl. It's equal parts fun and cynical. In theaters June 16.
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As the Flash, Ezra Miller is irascible and irresistible, but after a smart and playful first half the movie gives itself over to comic-book bombast.
'The Flash' races into the multiverse in a movie that clicks ...
Marvel's various forays into the multiverse have yielded a mixed bag creatively, so credit DC/Warner Bros. with striking gold on the first try with "The Flash," a movie that wears its love ...
The Flash
Well, that was appropriately fast. The movie doesn't come out until mid-June, but The Flash has already screened for critics — in a slightly unfinished form, that is. Select press attended an early showing of a near-complete cut of the DC movie at CinemaCon, and the first reactions are very positive. With praises going to the ambitious scope, the performances, and the heart and humor of ...
The Flash
Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out ...
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The Flash review: This superhero movie proves multiverses have outrun their welcome Ezra Miller does double time as the Scarlet Speedster, while Michael Keaton returns as Batman to help sort out a ...
'The Flash' movie review: Ezra Miller leads best DC film in years
'The Flash' movie review: Ezra Miller leads the best DC superhero film in years with a fantastic pair of performances.
'The Flash' review: Ezra Miller's fun DC film faces familiar hurdles
Michael Keaton's Batman returns and newcomer Sasha Calle soars alongside Ezra Miller in "The Flash," a pleasant DC outing with familiar shortcomings.
The Flash
The Flash Review Desperate to save his murdered mother and clear the name of his father, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) — aka the super-speedster The Flash — travels back in time.
'the Flash' Review: Michael Keaton Is Superb, but It's Better As a
Despite an excellent Michael Keaton, "The Flash" is not the amazing superhero movie fans have been led to believe it could be.
Review: 'The Flash' keeps the jokes coming fast, but slow-walks its
The latest DC film seeks to reboot Warners' troubled cinematic universe. The script boasts solid jokes and knowing winks, but flat characterizations keep it from taking off.
The Flash Movie Reviews: Critics Share Strong Reactions to DC Movie
Following the first showing of The Flash at CinemaCon, critics shared some strong reactions to the DCU's next theatrical entry in their first reviews. After half a decade's worth of delays and plenty of controversy behind the scenes, The Flash is finally set to make its theatrical debut this summer. Test screenings yielded plenty of mixed ...
The Flash (film)
The Flash premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 12, 2023, and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on June 16, following multiple delays caused by the director changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its humor, action sequences, and the performances, but criticized the visual effects ...
The Flash Movie Review
Intense, long superhero adventure explores loss, teamwork. Read Common Sense Media's The Flash review, age rating, and parents guide.
The Flash reviews: First reactions hail it as "one of the best
The Flash, Ezra Miller's DC Universe-shattering solo movie, will speed into cinemas this summer - here's what the first reactions are saying so far, and details of any reviews and Rotten ...
DC's Forgotten Flash Project is What WB Games Needs Most
As many await a new DC superhero game, some question if it's too late for a forgotten Flash project and for the fastest man alive to save the day.

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