The Flash

One of the last vestiges from Zack Snyder's failed tenure running the DCEU, yet wielding a joy and lightness that runs counter to that forgettable era, the supremely entertaining The Flash reminds viewers of what could have been had someone a bit less serious been at the controls.

A continuation of the wise-cracking Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) in Justice League — not Snyder’s bubonic-dark, interminable director’s cut that neutered the superhero collective’s chief comic relief — this first foray into comic book territory by horror director Andy Muschietti (It; Mama) offers steady action that pair exceedingly well with the humor and world-building of formerly cursed screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee; Birds of Prey).

Like its super-fast hero, The Flash remains in impressive motion, rarely pausing throughout its zippy, near-2.5-hour runtime as Barry stumbles upon a potential way to save his murdered mother Nora (Maribel Verdú, Y Tu Mamá También) and exonerate his wrongfully accused father Henry (Ron Livingston, stepping in fairly well for Billy Crudup) — as long as he doesn’t accidentally reenact Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” and royally screw up his present-day existence.

What plays out is another solid multiverse tale, one that doesn’t get overly caught up in explaining its science and does a laudable job of showing rather than telling to illustrate its central points, much of which is rooted in a timeline with a second Barry who’s hilariously not accustomed to his powers.

As such, some intriguing overlaps with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse arise in terms of inevitabilities/destiny and the consequences of altering timelines, and as with that animated romp, the different versions we get of beloved characters offer some of The Flash’s greatest thrills.

Accustomed to a world with Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Barry finds himself in one with none other than Michael Keaton as The Caped Crusader — a return as good and likely better than whatever that news conjures in your mind. And with no Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Bruce and the two Barrys discover a different Kryptonian on Earth: Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle, The Young and the Restless), whose rescue from a Russian military laboratory is augmented by the kind of visually crisp combat missing from Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and other lesser DCEU attempts. 

The hilarious banter between the Barrys and the wry reactions they inspire from this Batman and Supergirl sustain The Flash’s infectious energy, while a complex showdown with General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his army keeps eyeballs glued to the well orchestrated battle. Though the effects work here remains consistent with the film’s prior sharp visuals, the imagery inside the Speed Force — the space where Barry moves across his timeline — is borderline ugly. And yet their distinct look allows for some fun multiverse “cameos” in a thrilling climax that incorporates all sorts of DC variants, including some that never quite made it to the screen. 

However, multiverse creativity aside, The Flash feels like it exists in a bygone and completely different realm from whatever James Gunn has planned for his DCU, and if this is indeed the end of Flash standalone films for the time being, so be it. But thanks to Muschietti, Hodson, and a game cast, it was fun while it lasted.

Grade: B-plus. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photos: Warner Bros.)