If this is effectively the last hurrah of the DC Extended Universe film series, it goes out on a high. Delivers all the action you’d expect, along with a surprising amount of comedy and character moments, this is the most fun, light-hearted and accessible film that DC have produced in some time.

Premise: Pushing his powers to their limits, Barry Allen/the Flash (Ezra Miller) learns that he can travel further back in time than he ever realised. Despite Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) warning him of the dangers of interacting with the past, Barry can’t resist the temptation to try to save the life of his mother, who was murdered when he was a child. But Barry’s actions could have far reaching consequences for the entire multiverse…

Review:

One of the questions that’s often raised in relation to solo superheroes movies that are set after the creation of a “super-team” like the Avengers or the Justice League is, how come the title hero doesn’t simply call on their new super-friends when a fresh crisis arises? With a couple of notable exceptions (like Captain America: Civil War or Spider-Man: No Way Home), normally the title hero goes back to operating alone as soon as the superhero team-up movie is over.

The Flash, on the other hand, feels refreshingly different because it opens with a sequence that feels very much like a direct continuation from the Justice League movie, showing Batman (Ben Affleck) and Alfred (Jeremy Irons) calling for Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) to help them handle a situation in Gotham City. If this movie is effectively the last hurrah of the DCEU and its version of the Justice League (before James Gunn’s new DCU starts in earnest with the reboot Superman: Legacy in 2025), then it’s great that this film takes the opportunity to give those characters a decent send off.

“…a character driven sci-fi/time-travel story, more than a traditional ‘superhero movie’…”

Interestingly, it’s also expressly confirmed that The Flash follows on from the continuity established in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League (rather than the vastly inferior 2017 theatrical release) – not only does Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West refer back to the events of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (after having had her character removed from the theatrical release), but the characters also refer back to when Barry travelled a few seconds back in time during the confrontation in Russia (which was another story element that only appears in Zack Snyder’s Justice League).

It’s this second plot element that’s of particular importance, because The Flash is essentially a character driven sci-fi/time-travel story, more than it is a traditional “superhero movie”. After Barry learns that he’s actually able to travel back in time far further than just a few seconds, the temptation to try to “fix” the past starts to weigh heavily on him. Not only was Barry’s mother murdered when he was a child, but his father was wrongly convicted for her murder, meaning that Barry is presented with the power to save both of his parents. But, if anyone’s ever seen any time-travel movies before, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that changing anything in the past can have unforeseen consequences that ripple across time – and this movie is largely focused on the fallout from those story elements, rather than on a traditional “super-villain” antagonist.

“…it’s a joy to see Michael Keaton reprise his character once again…”

I don’t think it’s a spoiler (as it’s on the poster) to say that, as a result of changing the past, Barry finds himself in a reality where Bruce Wayne is an aging Michael Keaton rather than Ben Affleck. As someone who saw 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns multiple times in the cinema, it’s an understatement to say that it was a joy to see Michael Keaton reprise this character once again. Although his screentime is limited, it’s still a nostalgic thrill to see him in the iconic costume, acting as a mentor to the younger characters. Equally, it’s not a spoiler to say that the film features Sasha Calle, in her feature film debut, as a new version of Supergirl. Like Michael Keaton, her screentime is also limited (this is unquestionably Ezra Miller’s film), but like Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle makes a strong impression whenever she’s on screen, and her portrayal feels fresh and distinct from previous versions of the character.

As good as the supporting cast are, however, the film is still a Flash movie (not a team-up movie per se) and it’s carried on the shoulders of Ezra Miller’s performance – and what a performance it is. Ezra Miller carries the dramatic and emotional weight of the movie (not just the comedy, like he did in Zack Snyder’s Justice League), and he’s able to keep the tone light-hearted and accessible, while still touching on some real emotional moments. Overall, The Flash is certainly the funniest of all the DC films (I thought it had a lot more laugh-out-loud moments than either Shazam! or Shazam! Fury of the Gods), and Ezra Miller’s performance is responsible for a lot of the best comedy moments. But credit should also go to director Andy Muschietti, and screenwriter Christina Hodson (who also injected surprising amounts of comedy and heart into Bumblebee and Birds of Prey), who perfectly execute several comedic moments, starting right from the opening hospital rescue.

“…has a lightness of touch & strong comedic tone…”

The opening section of the film is arguably the film’s best action sequence, although there are a couple of good ones later on in the movie too. Overall, I found the action sequences entertaining, inventive and humorous – although as much as I hate to say it, I did find the visual effects in a few scenes to be quite bad, with characters in certain sequences clearly being CGI animations that didn’t quite move “properly” or look “real”. I’m sure it wasn’t the CGI artists’ fault (I subscribe to the theory there aren’t bad CGI artists, only CGI artists who aren’t given enough time or resources), but those weaker moments stood out because there are other CGI-heavy moments (especially in the third act) which look incredible.

All in all, The Flash is a superhero movie that should still appeal to people suffering from “superhero fatigue”, because the plot is so unlike any other recent superhero movie (even Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has some superficial similarities in terms of dealing with the concept of the multiverse, wasn’t also incorporating time-travel paradoxes and related sci-fi concepts). The lightness of touch and strong comedic tone should also make this movie appeal to viewers who found some of the DCEU output too grim, while at the same time, The Flash doesn’t feel jarring when watched as a direct continuation from Zack Snyder’s Justice League. What the future holds for Flash and the other DCEU-originated characters is uncertain for now, but if this is the last time we seen these characters, they’ll have left us wanting more.

Oh, and there is a post-credit scene at the end.