BASICALLY… Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), aka the Flash, realizes his superspeed powers allow him to break the time barrier. When a catastrophic error in judgment throws him into a whole new timeline, Barry faces an impossible choice: does he give up what he fought so hard to gain or not?
In THE FLASH, Barry is a forensic scientist who’s obsessed with cold cases. The reason is personal: his father is in prison, convicted of killing his mother, because the best evidence they could find wasn’t enough. After being called to help out with a crumbling hospital, Barry meets his college friend Iris (Kiersey Clemons) and realizes that maybe the traumas of the past can be fixed. He consults with Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who tells him that their scars define who they are… but Barry is past listening and races faster than light to break the time barrier. He “fixes” something in his past and starts back to his future, but is bumped out of the timestream by a horrifying apparition.
Not only did he not reach his present, he’s ended up in a world where things are radically different—and wrong. For one thing, he’s confronted with his 18-year old self, a giggling and obnoxious kid who annoys even Barry. Not long after, when a world-threatening event kicks off, Barry realizes that Superman hasn’t arrived to save the day, so he must find Superman.
And the only person who can help him is Batman, whom nobody has seen in years.
THE FLASH is a love letter to the many incarnations of DC’s characters over decades, particularly in the third act, and a strong close to this era of DC’s movies and TV shows. It clears the decks effectively for James Gunn and Peter Safran to reinvent the whole thing, while paying tribute to all that came before.
While the story has its complexities and even absurdities, Miller has never been better, playing both Justice League Barry and his younger counterpart. They bring their A-game to the role, making it a shame that the actor hurt their reputation with criminal misbehavior; I don’t know if Miller will return as the Flash but it seems unlikely now.
Michael Keaton has also never been better as Batman, playing the character totally straight but for a couple of tongue-in-cheek references to his first movie. He’s the old Batman, dragged out of retirement, but who hasn’t lost a step in all that time. He deserves serious award consideration.
Sasha Calle also shines as Supergirl, who may not be enough to stand in for her missing cousin. She’s got fire and passion and brings something new to the character, shaping her into a female powerhouse for a new world.
Keep an eye out for a plethora of Easter eggs and cameo appearances, because this really is a farewell to a long lineage of DC on the silver screen. It’s a great way to say goodbye.
