Before anyone says, yes, I am aware that The Flash technically isn’t the final film in the DCEU (Or Snyderverse, whatever you want to call it).

My relationship with this cinematic universe is strange; I’d never call myself a fan of it yet I was able to keep more up to date with it than I was with the Marvel cinematic universe. I haven’t seen every instalment, I didn’t rush out to see Aquaman, Shazam, Birds of Prey or Wonder Woman 1984. I’m certainly not excited for Aquaman 2 or Blue Beetle so if The Flash is the final film I see from this universe, I’m ok with that.

Like its predecessors, The Flash has a really good film in it that’s overshadowed by the 2 other films that compete for its runtime. Is it an origin film? A buddy comedy? A multiverse film? The return of Burton’s Batman? The truth is it’s all four, melded together in a jarring but mostly comprehensible mess.

When he learns he can reach a speed enabling him to time travel, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) goes back to his childhood and successfully prevents his mother’s murder. However, despite his precautions, his altering of the past radically changes the future. Barry ends up in a timeline where his younger self has no powers, Batman (Michael Keaton) is retired, Supergirl (Sasha Calle) lands instead of Superman and the whole world is defenseless against the invasion of General Zod (Michael Shannon).

The Characters

Barry’s arc isn’t the most original but out of all the subplots in The Flash it’s certainly the most comprehensive and engaging. It’s essentially a story about coming to terms with grief and loss, definitely not an uncommon theme in time travel stories.

Barry’s main opponent is actually the alternative version of himself, who is younger and has not experienced the loss of their mother. As both men learn more about the multiverse and the ripple effects they can trigger, they gradually develop conflicting stances on the ethics of time travel. Their battle and motivations are the heart of the film and, like I said, while it’s not stunningly original, it’s an emotionally involving plot.  

Michael Keaton’s Batman is amazing. You wouldn’t think it’s been 30 years since we’ve seen the character. It’s an absolute joy to see his take on the caped crusader shine again on the big screen. He essentially acts as a mentor figure for the two Barrys. Despite having retired as Batman and being oblivious to the existence of metahumans like Barry and Superman, Keaton’s Bruce Wayne turns out to be very knowledgeable in the physics of the multiverse. He also shares Barry’s grief and his desire to bring back his mother.

Batman’s main contribution to Barry’s quest is brute force and firepower, his gadgets and martial arts skills. The film dedicates a good chunk to Bruce and Barry’s teaming up, trying its best to marry the universes of both characters, however unfortunately Keaton’s inclusion feels rather unnecessary dramatically. His role could’ve been filled in by any other character, it didn’t have to be Burton’s Batman. It doesn’t make Keaton any less fun to watch as Batman but you can’t help but feel his big return as the character is wasted. To see him in a third solo film would be the ideal option, as unlikely as that is.

Supergirl seems even more crammed in than Keaton’s Batman, having just minutes to establish her backstory. The only significant change she undergoes is that she goes from not wanting to help Barry to stop Zod to wanting to help Barry to stop Zod. This arc, if you can call it that, plays out in less than 10 minutes.

Perhaps if Keaton’s Batman was cut out entirely, the extra runtime could’ve been used to build up Supergirl. Overall, she’s just another soldier in the big battle at the end.

Jokes, Callbacks and Creepy CG

The comedic chemistry between the two Barrys is wonderful. Their banter is quick, witty and washes away any memory of the dark grim misery of Batman V Superman. Their interactions have the makings of a perfect buddy comedy.

Callbacks are handled moderately for the most part. There are of course plenty of references to Man Of Steel, which is expected as the story does take place in that film’s universe.

Surprisingly, excepting the visual references, there are very few specific callbacks to Keaton’s Batman films. The recital of the “let’s get nuts” line was a bit excessive in my view but, all in all, I was satisfied with how the Batman references were handled.

Towards the end, things get excessive. This is a spoiler-free review so I won’t divulge any details but let’s say, there are callbacks and cameos in The Flash that must be seen to be believed.  

There is a reason people are complaining about the CGI. It’s not that it looks bad or unfinished, it’s just when it comes to depicting people it looks disturbingly uncanny. Many have argued that this is most apparent in the running and time travel scenes, which it is but I think it’s also apparent in the shots with the two Barrys.

You may not notice it but whenever one Barry is walking or talking, the other Barry, for a second, a few frames even, looks like a mannequin. In these shots one Barry is clearly portrayed by Ezra Miller while a body double fills in for the other. The body double has Ezra’s face digitally fused to theirs and, surprise surprise,  it looks haunting.

Like Batman V Superman, Suicide Squad and Justice League (the theatrical cut), The Flash is another DC mess but out of all the DC messes, it’s the tidiest.

I give The Flash a deserving 6 out of 10.