Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in a scene from "The Flash." (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics)
The fan service flies at you at the speed of light in “The Flash,” the latest live-action adventure plucked from the pages of DC Comics. That part of the long-gestating superhero saga is not surprising. What does come as a surprise is how much of Warner Bros.' big summer spectacle is an intimate domestic drama, the story of a young man who uses his gift (or is it a curse) of hyperspeed in an effort to keep his family together and rewrite tragedy.
That the movie, directed by Argentinian filmmaker Andy Muschietti, is so unexpectedly touching is a good thing, because its release comes with baggage that some argue it can't overcome: the controversy surrounding its star, Ezra Miller. It also helps that Miller (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”) is quite good in what ends up becoming a double role of sorts. I'll get to the actor's off-screen troubles later.
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash and Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in a scene from "The Flash." (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics)
What stands out as the movie, which follows the events of “Justice League” (and its far superior reincarnation, “Zack Snyder's Justice League”), hits the ground running is how breezy and upbeat it is. The elaborate opening sequence pits the titular hero, whose civilian name is Barry Allen, against a hospital building with a foundation that suddenly becomes unreliable, leaving its maternity ward in harm's way.
The exacerbating dilemma unfolding in front of Barry is the byproduct of a terrorist that his mentor and friend, Batman (Ben Affleck), is pursuing, driving home the notion that Young Mr. Zip-It is the Justice League's one-person cleanup crew. Muschietti stages the peril with a sure hand, if one is able to forgive visual effects that can charitably be called uneven. Okay, some of them are astonishingly shoddy, especially for a film that's been in the works for over three years. But the results are still enjoyable popcorn fun, generating the kind of simple thrills that I've been wanting from these films since Day One.
Barry is not just dealing with self-esteem fallout from his current role as a superpowered janitor. His father Henry (Ron Livingston, taking over from Billy Crudup in “Justice League”) is facing a court appeal that will decide whether he stays in jail for the murder of his wife Nora (the radiant Maribel Verdú) or is released. Thrown into the mix is reporter Iris West (Kiersey Clemons), who is covering the case and who happens to be Barry's longtime crush.
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in a scene from "The Flash." (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics)
The grief that Barry has had to live with all these years leads to a breakthrough moment when he discovers he can run faster than the speed of light, effectively racing back in time. The rash decisions and unforeseen consequences that ensue play like a high-octane cross between “The Sorcerer's Apprentice” and the “Back to the Future” trilogy. The latter, in particular. is heavily referenced. Too much, as it happens, but Muschietti, working from a screenplay credited to Christina Hodson (DC's “Birds of Prey,” “Bumblebee”) peppers the story with enough levity, laughs and clever pop culture references to make the familiar plot developments go down easy.
The most refreshing part of “The Flash” is that it's the kind of comic book movie that viewers who are not familiar with the intricacies of its source material can thoroughly enjoy, despite the references and raise-the-roof moments that will likely sail over their heads. It doesn't balloon its screen time determining how every single story beat fits into the grander scheme of things.
Another asset is how shrewdly the movie integrates Michael Keaton into the narrative. A wide swath of the moviegoing public, particularly those who grew up in the '80s and early '90s, will be going mostly to see the Oscar nominee reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and his relaxed performance balances out Miller's spastic energy without overpowering the film. He is clearly having a ball, and the feeling is infectious. In one clever scene, his character illustrates the concept of alternate universes, which could have made the story difficult to follow, in layman's terms. (Sasha Calle, who plays one world's Supergirl, also makes a solid impression.)
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl and Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in a scene from "The Flash." Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics.
Muschietti, known for bringing Stephen King's “It” to the big screen in two thoroughly underwhelming movies, appeared at first glance to be an ill fit for the fast kid in the red suit, but he brings sensitivity and heart in disarming doses. This is a quantum leap for the filmmaker. More importantly, he grounds the fantasy elements in a visceral exploration of mourning and loss. Pain is part of growing up, and so is making tough decisions, the film conveys without losing its indefatigable sense of fun.
The one thing it can't outrun is the parallel narrative, away from the movie cameras, that has garnered headlines of the unsavory kind over the past year and change. Miller, who is nonbinary and goes by the pronouns they and them, is facing multiple charges stemming from incidents in 2022. They include disorderly conduct and harassment from an outburst in a karaoke bar in Hawaii and allegedly hitting a woman with a chair at a private party, also in Hawaii.
In addition, the parents of activist Gibson Iron Eyes, who is also nonbinary, have accused Miller of grooming their child, alleging the “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Fantastic Beasts” star has been involved with Gibson since they were 12.
In Vermont, local police said, Miller broke into an unoccupied home where several bottles of alcohol were taken. That incident was preceded by a Rolling Stone report stating that a 25-year-old woman and her three children had been living at Miller's farm in Vermont under circumstances that made the children's father concerned for their safety. This is not counting other reports of behavior described as erratic and manipulative.
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash and Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in a scene from "The Flash." (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics)
Miller issued a statement back in August of last year saying that they are being treated for “complex health issues.” They also apologized to anyone who has been alarmed or upset by his past misconduct. At Monday night's premiere of “The Flash,” Miller made their first public appearance in connection to the film, their first in nearly two years, according to Variety and other publications. The star thanked Warner Bros. executives, as well as newly appointed DC Comics stewards James Gunn and Peter Safran for their “grace and discernment and care in the context of my life. And in bringing this moment to fruition.”
But was this moment deserved? It's a complicated question about a film of uncomplicated pleasures, marred by some underdeveloped aspects of its depiction of the multiverse. (It's also a shame that Warner Bros. opted not to highlight Livingston or Verdú, who are lovely here, in the promotional materials.) “The Flash” is also being released just two weeks after a stronger comic book movie about parallel universes, Sony Pictures Animation's “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” opened in theaters. This critic likes both films, but there is no question Marvel wins this round.
“The Flash” is an entertaining, warmhearted film about family and personal responsibility that will always have to grapple with its problematic legacy, which ironically concerns its star's troubling lapses in judgment. My inner comic book geek beamed, while still mindful of the film's place in the bigger picture, both for the future of its lead actor's career and the future of movies based on DC Comics. It's a good film that probably should have been a little better. And I will understand if you want absolutely nothing to do with it.
“The Flash” is showing in wide release, including IMAX engagements at Regal South Beach, AMC Aventura, AMC Sunset Place, CMX Cinema at Dolphin Mall and the AutoNation IMAX at the Museum of Discovery and Science in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
