The Flash (2023) - Movie Review

The Flash - How to Ruin a Superhero Movie

Rating - 2/10

“You in the suit. Yes, you. The future Flash.”

    The Flash races out of the gate with one undeniable advantage. Michael Keaton’s return as Batman is a blast and delivers the kind of nostalgia that DC fans have been waiting to feel again. His action scene is easily the highlight of the entire movie, reminding everyone why his version of the character remains iconic. Supergirl also brings a spark of energy and hope, offering a performance that deserved a much better film to showcase her potential. These bright spots prove that there were pieces here that could have worked if the movie itself had been built on solid ground.

    Unfortunately, everything surrounding those good moments collapses almost instantly. Ezra Miller’s real world controversies already made this film uncomfortable for many viewers, but their performance here does little to help. Playing two versions of Barry Allen only magnifies the problems, since the younger doppleganger is aggressively grating and never funny in the way the movie seems to think. Instead of giving the Flash emotional weight or a meaningful arc, the film turns him into a caricature bouncing between jokes and melodrama without earning either.

    The plot is equally messy. It loosely pulls from the Flashpoint storyline, but only in the shallowest ways. Major themes, stakes, and emotional beats that made the comic iconic are nowhere to be found. Instead, the movie relies on time travel clichés that feel unfinished and stitched together at the last minute. Even the action sequences meant to carry the film often fall apart due to rough pacing and uneven execution, leaving scenes feeling hollow rather than exciting.

    The special effects deserve a category of criticism all on their own. It is shocking how bad they look, especially for a movie with such an enormous budget. The floating heads, the uncanny valley Superman, and the embarrassing running sequences have already become infamous. The visual style looks rushed and strangely plasticky, and not even in a charming way. It is wild to see a blockbuster stumble this hard on something that should be its strength.

    There are a few cameos and moments of fan service sprinkled throughout, but even those are overshadowed by the cheap looking digital recreations and questionable creative choices. Instead of enhancing the film, they feel like desperate attempts to distract from the cracks forming everywhere else. By the end, the movie feels like a complete trainwreck that wastes every promising idea it had.

    The Flash could have been a major turning point for the DC universe. Instead, it became an example of how even big budgets, beloved characters, and nostalgic returns cannot save a film that never found a coherent identity. Outside of Keaton and a solid Supergirl, this is an exhausting misfire that stumbles across the finish line.