The Flash review – DC movie doesn’t live up to the hype

Superhero movies, in particular, are often subject to early hype that has to proclaim them as the ‘best since [insert title here]’ or ‘best ever’. It’s rare that a movie can just be fun or watchable – which, in large part, it ends up being.

The praise sets a high bar that ends up damning the movie in question, which brings us to The Flash.

Everybody from James Gunn to Stephen King and (apparently) Tom Cruise has been hyping up the long-gestating movie, while a non-final version being screened at CinemaCon two movies ago led to various reactions praising it as the best DC (or even superhero) movie ever. It’s definitely been worth the wait, to use another cliché, according to first responses.

It perhaps won’t surprise you to learn that if you go in with those lofty expectations, you might end up disappointed. The Flash isn’t terrible, but it is what it is: an enjoyable DC offering that also suffers from very familiar issues. The Dark Knight, it isn’t.

Whether the positive first reactions lead to a bumper box-office debut remains to be seen, especially as some DC fans have said they’ll skip the movie due to Ezra Miller’s presence in the lead role. Miller has been at the centre of a series of controversies during The Flash‘s slow journey to the big screen, and they haven’t done any press for the release.

Miller has largely stayed out of the spotlight since they announced they were seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues” last summer. For some, The Flash shouldn’t have been released, especially given Warner Bros were happy to ditch Batgirl (unreleasable apparently, but could it be really have been worse than Shazam! Fury of the Gods?).

The reality is that was never going to happen with The Flash. As a result, Warner Bros pivoted the marketing to focus on the much-anticipated return of Michael Keaton’s Batman, as well as the debut of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.

How is Keaton back you may ask? The Flash sees Barry Allen attempt to save his mother by travelling back in time and changing his future. Unfortunately, this just lands him in a different timeline where his parents are alive, there’s another Barry in town and General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned.

Expectations that the movie is a three-hander could lead to disappointment though, because this is very much Miller’s show.

It’s easy to forget that Miller was once a much-celebrated rising star and their casting as The Flash was welcomed. If you can be objective about it (and some can’t, which is a valid response), they’re good in the dual lead role.

While the ‘past’ version is knowingly abrasive, even irritating, the ‘present’ Barry Allen allows Miller more emotional depth to mine. The Flash‘s central themes of grief, loss and (ultimately) acceptance hit the right mark due to Miller’s affecting scenes with Barry’s parents.

The bigger draw though for DC fans will be Michael Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne. Even if you only had a passing interest in his Batman movies, there will still be a jolt of excitement when Batman springs back into action, often accompanied by Danny Elfman’s classic themes.

Of all the fan-service elements of The Flash, it’s the Batman elements and throwbacks that work best. There are other cameos and surprises for DC fans that don’t work quite as well, with one in particular that could be considered cheap at best, distasteful at worst.

Sasha Calle’s Supergirl doesn’t end up as successful as Batman as she’s given relatively little to do. The hope is that this is just the beginning for Calle in the DC universe, but right now, it’s unclear what any of these characters’ futures hold once James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC era starts.

And that’s a feeling that’s felt throughout The Flash, especially when it opens with what’s effectively a mini Justice League movie. It’s hard to escape the feeling that it’s all a bit pointless in the grand scheme of things. The movie might set up a version of a DC multiverse, but who knows if that will be the continuity?

For some viewers, that won’t be an issue. If you come to The Flash looking for an entertaining comic-book outing, you’ll find more than enough to keep you engaged.

It’s fast-paced, self-aware and there’s usually a surprise just around the corner, while director Andy Muschietti ensures it still means something by always returning to the emotional core.

You will have to overlook or accept the often-dodgy VFX – especially apparent with some creepy CGI babies and any time the two Flashes occupy the screen – with some uncanny-valley activity going on. But it’s not particularly worse than most superhero blockbusters over the past few years, and at least the big CGI-tastic finale takes place in daylight.

As is customary, the movie ends with a tease for a potential follow-up. It’s likely a hangover from when it was going to come out in a different DC era and, right now, it’s cleaner if this is a one-and-done. The multiverse means this can exist in a different timeline to the future universe, so it wouldn’t be a total reset.

If it’s not even close to being the best superhero movie of June 2023, let alone of all time, The Flash delivers enough blockbuster thrills and surprising fan service to satisfy DC fans.

The Flash is released in UK cinemas on June 14 and in US cinemas on June 16.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) [DVD] [2020]

Now 12% Off

Wonder Woman 1984 [DVD] [2020]

Zack Snyder’s Justice League [DVD] [2021]

Joker [DVD] [2019]

Now 12% Off

Shazam! DVD [2019]

Aquaman [Blu-ray] [2018]

Now 10% Off

DC 5 Film Collection [DVD] [2018]

Wonder Woman [Blu-ray + Digital Download] [2017] [Region Free]

Justice League [4k Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Download] [2017]

The Dark Knight Trilogy [Blu-ray] [2013] [Region Free]

The Superman 5 Film Collection 1978-2006 [Blu-ray] [1978] [Region Free]

Now 10% Off

Superman Animated Movie Collection [DVD] [2013]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition

Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. 

Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.  

After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards.  

He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.