First Take: The Flash - well, they actually went and released it

SYNOPSIS: 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.

It was a film that very nearly suffered the same fate as Batgirl, but mercifully, after development hell, director sackings, high profile arrests of leading talent and a pandemic, DC have finally got The Flash over the line. Acting as the start of a new era for Warner’s comics wing ahead of James Gunn’s bold new vision, the critics seemed to really big this film up. But I don’t get why they are, because this is yet another formulaic DC film.

Andy Muschietti is tasked with taking this inevitable intersection for the DCEU and turning it into a decent film, and he does an OK job doing so - this is a long film at 2 hours 24 minutes, and your typical superhero formula is pretty much followed to the letter, pacing issues and all. This ain’t a knock on Christina Hodson’s script at all, but considering how much development this film has gone through (and how well timed it is opening against a film with roughly the same plot) it does feel like they wanted a draft that was OK enough for the core audience of comic fans, even if it meant using lame VFX for ‘creative reasons’. Henry Braham (a key collaborator of DC’s new boss) is behind the camera and does a great job as he usually does, and surprisingly Benjamin Wallfisch absolutely kills it on the score, especially when it comes to cues involving the iconic Elfman theme for Batman.

On to the cast, and we’ll start with the supporting talent for a change, and there’s a good reason why we’re doing it this way - it is so good to see Michael Keaton back in the batsuit. Fans have wanted it for years, and it was certainly worth the wait. Sasha Calle is also really good as Supergirl, and definitely someone who will return in Mr Gunn’s new slate of films eventually, alongside the return of Michael Shannon as Zod, Ron Livingston, and a few major cameos that cannot be spoiled for understandable reasons, ones which truly bring the Snyderverse to an end - even though fans wanted it, it really is time to move on from that era. 

But when it comes to talking about the film’s lead star, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to a certain elephant in the room - as has been very well documented since this film wrapped principal photography, Ezra Miller has been garnering attention for all of the wrong reasons, making this particular film even more of a financial risk for Warner, risking fan boycotts and severe backlash. They decided to stand by Miller and keep the entire role in tact after the news of the arrest, the cult, and the harassment allegations broke last year. It was a calculated risk putting this film out in cinemas full stop because of this, so even a performance like this, in these circumstances, is a miracle. Whether any more work comes their way remains to be seen, because if the box office projections I am partial to for this opening weekend come true, this is going to be a turbulent ride.

THE VERDICT

Controversy aside, this is one of the stronger DC films, and a literal turning of the page for their film crews. After over a decade, we are finally free of the Snyder-inspired style, and with it, new possibilities and a full reset is coming. Warner took the risk on this project in light of Ezra’s escapades, and knowing what’s on the way, this felt like the right way to move on: quietly and in an understated way.

RATING: 3/5