We are in the era of multiverse storytelling. It is the dominant form in mass pop culture entertainment and in the MCU. It even has yielded a Best Picture Oscar win in the masterful Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). Some may say we’ve peaked in terms of the trope, specifically in superhero films, where there’s a reliance on digging up past cinematic characters in a way to dredge up nostalgia in audiences that grew up on those interpretations of the performances. (Are you a Tobey Maguire Spider-Man or Andrew Garfield? No worries, here’s all of them in Spider-Man: No Way Home.) There is a sense that we may be overindulged in how this narrative device has been overused in the last few years that may cheapen the value of storytelling where the stakes feel less substantial than a finite group of films not interconnected with other adaptations of the characters.

In the last month alone, we’ve witnessed the multiverse device used to great effect in the sensational Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), where it seemed the device catapults Miles Morales into deep self-actualization of who he is in a universe filled with Spider-Men, and the ethos of what it means to be a Spider-Man. The timing couldn’t have been worse for Andy Muschietti‘s The Flash (2023), a film plagued by an extensive production, a fractured universe headed by different studio heads, and its titular star conducting themself in a terrible manner that is problematic for a major studio to stand behind the film due to financial reasons. Yet, the film results in one of the better DCEU offerings that is zippy, crackling entertainment that fills the screen with fantastic performances plagued by some horrendous CGI, a clunky third act that loses its footing from any semblance of coherence that delves into the typical fan service many had feared.

Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) finds it difficult to carry out his superhero duties whilst feeling like a janitor for the rest of the Justice League, feeling left out of big missions but still finding time to save lives in the form of a collapsing maternity ward in a thrilling, amusing opening sequence. When Barry is not saving babies, he is working hard to exonerate his father, Henry (Ron Livingston), in the wrongful murder of his mother, Nora (Maribel Verdú). In a fit of heightened emotion, Barry discovers the Speed Force; if he runs fast enough, he can travel back in time. By doing so, Barry enters a new timeline to find his mother alive and his father free, and all seems beautiful and perfect. Yet, he encounters a younger version of Barry that is obnoxious, silly, and childish, and the realization kicks in: older Barry finds himself in a different timeline, where General Zod (Michael Shannon) from Man of Steel (2013) invades Earth in search of Kal-El, but in this universe, there is no Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or Cyborg, and Eric Stoltz is Marty McFly in Back to The Future (1985). (This is one of many moments played to the humorous effect that plays around with the what-if castings of classic 80s films that are realized in this timeline.)

Old Barry realizes that there is a Batman in this universe and that he may help find out where Superman is to help defeat Zod from destroying this world and possibly help Barry get back to his universe. We’re introduced to Michael Keaton‘s Bruce Wayne as a retired recluse that’s given up being Batman due to Gotham City being nearly crime-free. Bruce agrees to help find Kal-El, and when they travel to a Siberian prison, they detect a Kryptonian pod. Instead, the gang comes across Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle), a female Kryptonian who is Kal-El’s cousin. Soon, all four team up together to combat Zod, and Barry must come to terms with who can we save and the purpose that time serves in moving forward while being able to reflect on our actions.

The Flash establishes its playful sensibility, even with the opening title slowly coming to frame before the titular hero dashes into danger, he’s interrupted by a group of fans that prevents the title from forming. It’s the kind of fun playfulness that prevents most of the film’s sense of humor from feeling forced; it’s natural to the style of its characters. In one instance, when a young Barry gets his powers for the first time, the sequence of him running in the city and causing havoc due to him not knowing how to control his powers is hilarious and allows Ezra to shine as an empty-headed child messing with being fast.

Miller’s two dynamic performances as the two Barrys are sensational. Miller must convey the essence of Barry Allen through two distinct characters that are the same but different in personalities, and Miller accomplishes in grounding the old Barry to being more self-serious and mindful while young Barry thinks before he does, thus, breaking a lot of the world-ending tensions with natural levity. It’s difficult to be praising Ezra Miller’s performances, as their actions and legal troubles outside the film have been closely tied to the release of the film, which is even more compounded by Warner Brothers touting The Flash as “the greatest superhero movie of all time.” A notion that is so loaded and far from the truth that it reeks of desperation to try and sell a movie that is complicated with its lead star. Ezra Miller is responsible for their own actions and should be held to the full extent of the law, but their performances in the film remind us why a lot of us enjoyed Miller in his earlier roles like The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and we hope that they find the resolution to their personal life.

As fun and engaging as Miller, Keaton immediately shines in the infamous role that made him a household name. His grizzled, downtrodden Bruce Wayne plays more like a disturbed Howard Hughes that hasn’t had a haircut in decades, relegated to a decayed Wayne Manor that hasn’t seen light in years. Keaton is simply a delight, bringing out the cool, assuredness of Batman energy that grounds both Millers from their bubbly antics and allows the film to have a leader in the center that’s magnetic. Keaton’s presence almost falls into the category of cheapness and manipulation if it weren’t for how much he brings a level-headed coolness that he instantly snatched the narrative drive from two Barrys that feels like a godsend.

A wonderful addition to the DC universe belongs to the newcomer, Sasha Calle, making her film debut. In the small screen time she occupies, Calle’s Supergirl is apathetic to the plight of humans, having been kept prisoner for so long. Her small relationship with young Barry allows her to recognize that being a Krypton means to be a force for hope and good, not the destructive nature of Zod, and her rage-filled scenes fighting Zod allow Calle a screen presence that is both dangerous and thrilling—a fantastic find on Andy Muschietti.

Ever since Mama (2013), Andy Muschietti has demonstrated a deft approach to constructing an entertaining film that is able to mix in various elements and sustains a coherent throughline. The Flash plays off more of a riff on Back to the Future intermixed with the same level of comedy and buoyancy of some of Marvel’s best outings. His portrayal of the Speed Force doesn’t always work, as there is an overabundance of CGI effects that are shoddy and messy, to being downright creepy and weird, with CGI renderings of peoples’ faces looking plastic-y and rubbery, almost like inflated mannequins ready to pop. And the third act feels more like a mishmash of overly rendered fire effects and laser zaps than anything tangible. His ability to get the best performances out of actors is significant, and for a story that is sprawling into different universes and timelines, Muschietti grounds the visual extravaganza to the core emotional conflict of Barry having to accept the death of his mother. We are in the shoes of a son yearning for their mother, and the scenes between Barry and Nora are affecting, and that manifests some heartbreaking moments involving Barry having to make some difficult choices.

Some of the pop blockbuster moments and the quiet intimate moments are substantiated by Benjamin Wallfisch‘s score. It is high-energy and zany when it needs to be while reinforcing the stark dramatic sadness inherent in Barry’s quest to save his mother. Some of the best musical composition occurs during set-pieces involving Keaton’s Batman involved in the action that recall the moments when Danny Elfman‘s signature tracks went hard in Tim Burton‘s film. The third act becomes heavily burdened by some cheap, manipulative fan service that will be divisive. It’s more so the insular nature that feels ostracizing, as some of it will feel familiar to people, while other moments seem more for movie fans that detract from the climax, as the two Barry’s are conflicted in how far they can abuse the Speed Force to change the past, and the visuals become grotesque to being offensive by re-creating certain icons of the past, just for fans to feel recognized for their knowledge in references. It’s pandering and almost ruins the heart of the climax that thankfully changes course to an impactful ending.

Much of the notoriety and enthusiastic endorsements from James Gunn to Tom Cruise praising The Flash as being a masterpiece may have backfired on the film’s prospects. It is not perfect—a subplot involving Kiersey Clemons as Barry’s love interest is shallow and half-baked to the point of being unintentionally hilarious when she asks Barry out on a date after two short scenes of flavorless banter that displays little-to-no chemistry between the actors. The humor mileage may vary, depending on how one appreciates the spirited chemistry between the two Barrys and how much fan service is too much before it becomes unbearable. Working from a script by Christina Hodson (that most certainly has made passes by a plethora of writers and directors that have passed on the project), Muschietti keeps the overlong film moving at a rapid pace that doesn’t solely dwell on references and callbacks to iconography, and that pacing maintains the film’s sense of fun and liveliness.

Yet, one can’t help but feel no matter how fast the Flash runs, it will always be in the shadow of a superior multiverse film in Across the Spider-Verse that encapsulates everything The Flash attempts to execute but falls short of being exemplary. And for the new films being slated to be a reset for DC, it’s incredible that after ten years of lifeless, soul-sucking, expensive fragmented film scraps for a brief small moment—apart from Wonder Woman (2017) and Shazam (2019)—The Flash seemed to get it right for DC, and now that timeline is vanquished as if the last ten years of DC fandom and excitement were for nothing. Oh, how fleeting time can feel.

Review Courtesy of Amrital Rai

Feature Image Credit to Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Films