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Over the last couple of years, Marvel movies have focused their storylines on the multiverse—exploring how separate universes and timelines might change or intersect or affect one another. And now, for The Flash, DC offers up their own take on the multiverse storyline.
The Flash finds Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) struggling to come to terms with his past. His father (Ron Livingston) is facing another appeal, having spent years in prison, wrongfully convicted of killing his wife—and Barry has dedicated his life to proving his father’s innocence. But when he discovers that his speed will allow him to travel back in time—and possibly even change the past—he just can’t help going back to save his mother (Mirabel Verdú). But that one small change makes a ripple in the multiverse that may prove to be catastrophic.
After saving his mom, Barry finds himself at the wrong point in the future, trying to wrangle his teenage self—a carefree kid with a mom, a date with a cute girl from class, and no powers. It doesn’t take long for Future Barry to realize that his one small change has rippled out to change everything—including all of superhero kind. It’s a complex topic that’s generally handled in a pretty lighthearted way. Future Barry tries to explain the gravity of the situation to his younger, less mature self while also trying to figure out a way to make sure that everything works out as it should—only to discover that the world he thought he knew no longer exists. Barry isn’t smooth and rich like Batman or calm and dignified like Superman. He’s generally frantic and jittery—partially a result of his speed doing crazy things to his metabolism—and that definitely makes for a wackier DC adventure. It’s a dual role that the controversially troubled star handles surprisingly well.
For the most part, the story is fun-filled and action-packed—which has been incredibly rare among generally moody, serious DC films. Still, it isn’t without its flaws. There are times when the tone and pacing falter, when it gets too caught up in serious drama and tragic backstory—and it’s often incredibly proud of how meta it can be. But that doesn’t really change the fact that it’s generally coherent and entertaining, which is saying a lot, considering recent DC installments.
Admittedly, the drama surrounding Ezra Miller sometimes makes The Flash a difficult film to watch. But it does everything in its power to make audiences enjoy it in spite of themselves.
The Flash races into theaters on June 16, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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