The Flash Blu-ray Review
“The Flash” is one of the best DC films of the past decade.
Written by Christina Hodson, 2023’s “The Flash” is a time travel multiverse story full of twists and turns. The central story finds Barry Allen (The Flash) going back in time to save his mother’s life and to prevent his father from being wrongfully accused of her murder. Shortly thereafter, Barry finds himself being bounced into an alternate timeline where his mother is still alive and another Barry Allen exists. He arrives on the day Barry got his own powers and he wants to ensure alternate universe Barry gets his speed powers. Unfortunately, the alternate universe Barry gets his powers while Barry loses his. To make matters worse, General Zod is en route to invade Earth and Barry is trying to recruit other heroes to help stop him, but he might not be able no matter how hard he tries.
To say this movie was marred with issues is an understatement. The film was delayed, reshoots took place, the budget ballooned, Zack Snyder fans were upset by creative choices, and the film’s star (Ezra Miller) was embroiled in numerous scandals. It’s not surprising then that the movie turned out to have an underwhelming box office. It’s a shame though because if you can look past all the noise and judge the film on its own merits, you might be surprised by what “The Flash” has to offer.
Multiverse stories are all the rage these days and director Andy Muschietti (of “IT” fame) is the latest to helm a new one. In typical multiverse fashion, you can expect plot elements involving alternate timelines, character appearances, timeline disruptions that go horribly awry, you get the drill. Familiar though it may be, Muschietti’s film feels true to the source material. Both he and Christina Hodson created a story filled with heart, character, humor (love the Eric Stoltz bit), genuine surprises (see the ending), and plenty of adoration for the DC universe as a whole from both the film and TV world.
Now, that’s not to say the movie isn’t without its flaws. Aside from treading familiar ground seen in “The Flash” TV series (why wasn’t Grant Gustin in this by the way?), the movie has some clunky pacing issues. There’s not a lot of breathing room here as each scene races from one to the next (pun intended). As a result, certain elements are underutilized like Supergirl and Iris West. And then there’s the CGI…
CGI isn’t a common talking point for me but for this movie it needs to be. There’s no other way around it- it’s atrocious. We’re talking “The Mummy Returns” level bad especially with the babies and Chronobowl. It’s generally easy to overlook CGI flaws in general, but when it’s so in your face, cartoony, and more often than not unnecessary it becomes a major distraction. Even basic things like cast member faces look abysmal here. Considering how high the budget was, you have to wonder where it all went because it certainly didn’t end up on the screen.
However one may feel about the ever controversial Ezra Miller as a person, his performance here deserves credit. The actor really goes all out in dual roles as two Barrys, but more than that, he carries the movie and nails both the comedic and dramatic moments.
If you are like me and grew up in the 80’s, the big selling point with “The Flash” is the return of Michael Keaton. It did not disappoint. Keaton adds extra layers to the character he once played and is easily the highlight of the entire movie. It’s a shame we likely won’t get to see him in another project (although never say never).
Supergirl didn’t get nearly enough screentime here, but actress Sasha Calle makes a big impression as the Kryptonian. It’s unclear if we will ever see her again, but hopefully she gets another chance in the role as there’s so much potential here with her take on the iconic DC Comics character.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.90:1 1080p. How does it look? Expect a sharp and colorful transfer. Note: This title is also available on 4K.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? From the sound of The Flash running to the epic action sequences, this track is a rush (pun intended…again).
Extras:
* Digital copy
* “Making The Flash: Worlds Collide”- A fantastic 37 minute making of featurette with interviews, pre-production process insights, and tons of behind-the-scenes footage.
* “Let’s Get Nuts: Batman Returns, Again!” is all about Michael Keaton returning as Batman.
* “Supergirl: The Last Daughter Of Krypton”- A featurette on the character of Supergirl in all of her incarnations in comics, television, animation and film.
* “The Flash: Escape The Midnight Circus”- A 6 part scripted audio podcast
* “The Flash: Escape The Midnight Circus” trailer and a short 2 minute “The Flash In Session: Escape The Midnight Circus” extra which sheds light on the podcast and the recording session.
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