Yes... I Actually Saw The Flash

So my brother and I went to see the Flash... he wanted to go, asked if I was interested, and I said... "sure." Even though I said, I had no real incentive to go myself, I did say that unless there was a get-together and someone else was footing the bill, I'd consider it. So... listen, I gave him a live concert playing Jedi that cost a hell of a lot more than tickets to a movie screening. Although I will consider that the Jedi thing was money well spent, while the movie... I guess we could talk about it.

For those who need a primer... The Flash is a 2023 movie starring troubled actor Ezra Miller as Barry Allen a.k.a. the Flash who goes back in time to save his mother from being murdered and in doing so has created an alternate timeline where metahumans don't exist and Michael Keaton is somehow Batman again. The premise of the film is largely based on the Flashpoint comic event from a decade ago, which was the catalyst for DC Comics to launch their latest major reboot called THE NEW 52. Flashpoint is also a story that I was never a fan of in the first place - which is funny because I'm usually into what ifs and alternate universes... but Flashpoint rubbed me the wrong way for some reason and I was never big on that story. 

I've made no bones about my lack of anticipation for this film in the past due it being based on the Flashpoint comic event that I was never a big fan of. Not only that, but this is the solo movie starring a version of the Flash (played by Ezra Miller) that I never particular cared for and that's without taking into account the somewhat shady behavior of the actor. I never cared for Miller's portrayal of that character, which came across as awkward and not necessarily the kind that's endearing or charming, but rather the other kind. Which is sad when the best live version of the Flash I've seen happened in the 90s and only lasted one season. (Never cared for the recent Flash show.)

So I was largely ambivalent because those two reasons, but also after this, they're wiping the slate clean anyway and none of this is going to matter. Even so, I did say that if someone invited me to a screening and they'd foot the bill, I'd go. And while I'm not excited or looking forward to the film, I wasn't go to write it off. Like it's not a hard boycott. There's a couple films out there that I just refuse to watch under any circumstances... but the Flash was not one of them. So we went, we saw the movie, had a few people in the theater, not great, but not Space Jam empty or anything like that. 

So what did I think of The Flash?

It was okay... that's it.

Ezra Miller's Flash was an annoying figure and in all honesty, not much was done to change that perception. However, the film does something to address that by pairing him up with a younger version of himself (also played by Miller, so they're twice as bad) who is even more annoying, leaving the present day version to realize how annoying he used to be and sort of understand how everyone else sees him. Now, whether Miller themself comes to this realization in terms of how they're being viewed in regards to their recent activities is another story and outside this video's focus... and I'm not sure if doing this made the present Barry a more endearing or even mature character - actually, upon further reflection, it really didn't... Regardless, I can appreciate the effort even if it didn't quite work.

Michael Keaton returns to the Batcave and hasn't missed a beat despite being older than the last time he dawned the suit which was more than 30 years ago. Sacha Calle's take on Supergirl is just kinda, sorta there. I didn't care for the suit initially, but it's kinda growing on me. The film adapts the whole Flashpoint plot as best as it could and for what it's worth, it's... fine as it can be. There's a bit where they show off the multiverse using a bunch of bad CG and poor deepfake attempts... it looks like shit, but they did sneak a couple cameos here and there that were kinda fun.

I wouldn't call it the greatest superhero movie ever because it's clearly not that. I wouldn't call it the absolute worst superhero movie of all time because it's not that, either. This was a perfectly okay film with a ton of issues that tried to make the most of what it had to work with and... I don't know. My brother enjoyed it, he thought it was great. I was like, "Eh... s'okay."

It played out as I thought it would; based on Flashpoint, your typical time travel plot where you change something in the past, end up in a different time line where everything goes wrong, try to go back and fix things but somebody's stopping you, overcome that, fix everything but make one little tweak, go back to the present that's mostly the same except now Batman is played by George Clooney... I'd call that a spoiler, but if you're following the Flash news, you already know this is a thing.

The Flash is the sort of transition between the old DC movie universe and this new upcoming DC universe that is supposed to be a clean slate and, well, I don't know. On the one hand, I didn't think it was bad as others say it is, but on the other hand, it doesn't feel as important or vital to the overall plot... whatever that entails. For what it's worth, my expectations were practically non-existent and I came away with an okay film... but not one I'm anxious to go back to anytime soon.