The Flash
Released in theaters on June 16, 2023
Released on HBO Max on August 25, 2023
Runtime: 2 Hours 24 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen, aka the Flash, has been zipping in and out of the DCEU movies for a while now. This is his first stand alone film which leads us to learning about his backstory. His work with the Justice League has become stale, and we find Barry in a place in life where he isn’t sure of his purpose as he continues to grieve the loss of his mother and work hard to prove his father’s innocence in her murder. It is here that Barry discovers that his abilities allow him to move through the time stream. If he chooses to save his mother what effects will it have on the future? Based on the FlashPoint comic series, join the Flash on a time altering adventure where everything changes.
It would probably be wise to watch Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League before watching this one. Some of it may lose you if you don’t.
Themes:
Teamwork, alternate timelines, Back to the Future, the effect of tragedy on who we become, loss, family, personal sacrifice, superheroes, aliens, time travel, selflessness, helping those who can’t help themselves, love, parents and children, giving up personal desire for the greater good, government experimentation, prison, murder, the court system, bat gadgets, hunger, burning calories, how old Micheal Keaton is (and how he still is in better shape than me), pain, trauma, war, military, good vs. evil, self-control, healing from the past while not forgetting, and perseverance.
Language:
There are a few jokes about sex (example: I know what sex is, but I have never had it.”). I counted the s-word for poop about sixteen times. Dick, not the name, was mentioned three times. A-hole is said once. A big metal sphere is referred to as a scrotum. After all of that, there is some minor name calling too and a few religious exclamations. The F-word is also used once toward the end.
Stuff to be aware of:
This is a standard super hero movie. Expect to see fighting, blood, people being stabbed, and characters dying. You will witness a mother dying from a stab womb, a very malnourished character in prison, and a character die by having a huge needle extract something from her multiple times. There is also a scene where a guy and girl get out of bed together. She is in her bra and sleeping shorts. There is also a man in his underwear and you will see Barry naked a few times. His butt is seen very clearly and he covers his privates with various objects.
Overall:
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. It was hard for me to not compare it to Spider-man: No Way Home due to the crossover timelines and multiverses idea. In my opinion Spider-man was better, but this one is very enjoyable. You can tell the director and actors had fun making it. It does a good job using the source material to fit the DCEU movie verse and there are so many Easter eggs and cameos. At times it seems over the top and it may leave you with questions, but it is fun. It may not be the best version of FlashPoint, but it is worth a watch. If you are a superhero fan you should give this one a go. It does take a new spin on the multiverse and time travel, which is refreshing.
There is a post credits scene that is a bit goofy, but worth fast forwarding to.