This summer is chock-full of big movie releases, including plenty of superhero action for those looking to escape the heat. For DC fans, it’s an especially exciting time, as seeing Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen in The Flash has been a long time coming. The wait is nearly over now, with Andy Muschietti’s blockbuster set to speed onto the big screen on June 16, and the reviews are here to tell us everything we want to know before purchasing a ticket.
The movie will dive into the popular Flashpoint storyline from the comics, in which Barry goes back in time to try to prevent his mother’s murder — as well as his father being wrongly accused — which is sure to cause some interesting things to happen, as is the case when history gets course-corrected. Critics’ reactions to the film’s CinemaCon premiere were overwhelmingly positive, with CinemaBlend’s Sean O'Connell and Hannah Saulic saying it exceeded their expectations. Let’s see what others are saying, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of The Flash. Nick Venable rates the blockbuster an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it DC lore-building at its finest. He continues:
It doesn’t matter if Tim Burton’s Batman remains your favorite DC movie to date, or if Zack Snyder’s Justice League is your jammiest jam; The Flash is an absolute thrill ride for fans of all eras and ages, with the most well-rounded sense of humor in all of superhero cinema. Speed into theaters to see it with the biggest crowd possible, and you likely won’t be the first to cheer loudly when the word 'bat' comes out of Michael Keaton’s mouth.
Kevin Harley of GamesRadar rates the movie 3 out of 5 stars. While the critic points out its effective emotional stakes, he says the film often caves to excess, with too many under-integrated elements. More from the review:
Muschietti directs confidently, notably in an opening sequence that betters both Justice Leagues for fun. What’s less persuasive is the CGI, an eyesore that’s particularly gaudy when the finale’s ‘secrets’ drop. The tone is similarly choppy, especially in a climactic punchline that clashes with the film’s emotive developments. With just Aquaman’s return incoming, the result is a movie that suggests this DCEU had promise, even if its directors couldn’t quite focus it. Time to pass the baton…
Jenna Anderson of ComicBook.com rates it 3 out of 5, calling The Flash “undoubtedly fun,” if not sometimes inconsequential. But its liveliness is infectious, and moviegoers will witness some truly unbelievable moments, Anderson says. The critic continues:
While Barry has been associated with the multiverse gimmick for nearly his entire comic tenure, The Flash's implementation of it tries (outside of a few sequences directly homaging the comics) to pave its own ground. That manifests in some fascinating big swings, especially for viewers who have followed the nitty-gritty of DC's various adaptations: one cameo… satisfyingly makes good on something that has eluded fans for several decades. But at the same time, The Flash's trip through the multiverse is often too superficial for its own good. For starters, the mechanics of time travel and the multiverse (which use very little of the established bedrock of DC's existing ‘rules’) are cool in practice, but become more baffling with each passing moment.
Alex Flood of NME gives the movie 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a funny, action-packed and (naturally) fast-paced adventure with a moving story at its core. According to the review:
One of the things that makes The Flash good is how well the timey-wimey stuff works. Superhero movies often use time travel to solve some vague, universe-collapsing problem (Doctor Strange) or as an excuse to cram in actors from different series (X:Men – Days Of Future Past). The Flash does do a bit of the latter…, but it focuses on a personal and much more relatable motive. Who wouldn’t want to stop their mum from dying? Throw in a couple of headbanging music moments paired with some seriously cool CGI and the potentially dull sci-fi element becomes the film’s strongest asset.
Tom Gliatto of People is in line with other critics who find The Flash funny and original, even calling the blockbuster “giddy.” Gliatto says it almost feels like a re-evaluation of the entire Justice League, writing:
In the process of expanding their multiverses, the film pulls of [sic] an ingenious reevaluation of all its predecessors and iterations — the Batmans, the Supermans. It almost feels like an exorcism of the whole Justice League franchise, which has always been too stubbornly proud of its heroes’ masochistic suffering. The Marvel films, on the other hand, are closer to quest narratives, usually pressing ahead, forgoing brooding — that’s probably why they’re more fun. The Flash, though, is fabulous. And Miller is super.
As noted by the previous critic, it does seem like DC sometimes isn’t regarded as highly as the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe, but The Flash seems to have everything from a heart-wrenching story to loads of humor and plenty of time-traveling hijinks. If this is a superhero movie you want to check out, you can do so starting Friday, June 16, when The Flash hits the big screen. Be sure to see what other flicks are headed our way with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.
