- Date of Release: 16 June 2023
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
The Flash
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and like every month, we have a new superhero movie in town! With that, I finished watching the new English film The Flash(no not Indrajith from Adipurush) which is the latest offering in the DCEU. While Marvel and DC have been churning one superhero film after another, the usual consensus these days is to explore the concept of the multiverse! This concept is more prevalent in the former, typically seen in Phase Four of the MCU in films like the Spiderman and Doctor Strange.
The idea behind this concept is to expose the viewers to maximum number of superheroes in one film, which was considered a rarity. But while the focus has been on the concept, at times the writers have traded it with the core emotions with not every film scoring overall. The focus should always be in stirring up emotions as opposed to exploring the film only at the concept level. Not to mention that the drama also runs the risk of getting repetitive if every other film explores the multiverse. With The Flash, even DC has ventured into the multiverse concept and its trailer was interesting given on what it had to offer. This did seem a tad pointless too given the revamp that the DCEU is undergoing. Nevertheless, I decided to venture into the film The Flash with a lot of hope, does it manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
The Flash follows the story of the protagonist who decides to go back in time to save his mother from dying but in the process disrupts the entire timeline. Will he be able to rectify it? The story here is a more grounded take on the multiverse with the right kind of emotions to fuel the narrative. The screenplay standing at about a 140 odd minutes is fun for most part of its runtime. But t<span;>he issue does lie in its final act that is far too simplistic and reverses some of the good work done by the film!
The drama does open on a dramatic note with the introduction of the protagonist(Barry aka The Flash) on a regular day of work, who gets a surprise SOS of saving the city. There is some interesting bouts of humour which is sprinkled in the narrative straight up that had me chuckling and smiling right from the first scene. It was a nice introduction of the protagonist who was goofy yet tasked with the duty to save the world! Soon, you get a glimpse into his personal life wherein his father is falsely accussed of murdering Barry’s mother until Barry decides to go back into the past to keep things straight. Little does he know that he wpuld disrupt the timelines that threaten to destroy the world with the onset of a dangerous antagonist! And this is where the fun element kicks in!
The proceedings are engaging and thoroughly entertaining particularly in the first two acts. The idea itself was a winner and the writers did well in creating moments that are funny yet grounded to the world that they are set in. The idea of two Barrys present in a single timeline with no superheroes in site was a genius idea and so well explored, something that had me glued with the set of events which were unfolding. This until the writers start to get ambitious with the idea that was going well until it was simple and not indulgent.
The issue starts in the extended final act(last one hour) wherein the gang go in search of Clark Kent. The innocence which was working so well until that point was just reduced to smoke as the drama started to get dark and murky. Even the events unfolding were cliched with the introduction of some of the new characters either stalling the flow of the drama or further complicating it. The drama is still watchable but the charm of the first two acts goes missing and this was not for the first time in a DC film! The final face-off also was repetitive and it didn’t help when the character of the antagomist wasn’t well developed. I found myself just about going through the motions until the final part of the final act when things are brought back on track. The emotions that were warm in the first act are also replicated towards the end, summing up the screenplay that is fun while it lasts despite a flawed final act! The post credit scene did evoke laughter too!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are well written and infused with bouts of quirky humour that makes for a good watch. The BGM is pretty good and does enough for a superhero film. The cinematography is good too but the special effects could have been better(given that this was DC and they had the budget). Director Andy Muschietti does a decent job here by scoring very well in the first two acts but dipping steeply in the final act. The direction was a mixed bag for me!
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. I lost count on the number of cameos this film had to offer and that itself did evoke a feeling of nostalgia and surprise(in a good way). Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne(number 17777 🤣) has his moments to shine. Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El is good too despite her character not having too much meat. Michael Shannon as General Zod wasn’t as intimidating as the antagonist and it had to do with the way his character was written. Ezra Miller as The Flash is outstanding in his dual roles and he scores even with his impeccable comic timing!
Conclusion
The Flash is a fun watch despite an abominable final act that does bring the overall product down. But it still can be watched once for its humour and concept. Available in a theatre near you.