THE FLASH - A Review by John Strange

THE FLASH – A Review by John Strange

Like everyone else in the country, I had been anticipating and dreading what the new film, The Flash, was going to bring us. After watching the first trailer, I was dreading this film. The second trailer started to raise my level of hope just a tad. The final trailer got my reviewer’s senses tingling. I’m no Spiderman but my nearly 39 years of reviewing films and my 67 years (okay take a year or two off to account for my infancy, but I was with my parents when THEY watched films) of movie watching told me that just maybe this film would have some kicks and twists that would make it different from the storylines from the TV shows.

I was right. The idea that the Scarlet Speedster can go back in time by running super-fast is not new. Nor is the idea of saving his mother from death, thus saving his dad from prison. Writers

Christina Hodson and Joby Harold have found a new path to reach the end result and a whole new set of side effects to give young Barry Allen a dilemma that makes the film worth watching.

I recently read that Michael Shannon (General Zod) didn’t like how his character was used in this film. I disagree. General Zod and the Kryptonians who follow him were a necessary plot device that was essential to force Flash/Barry to realize just how badly he had screwed up.

The film, as expected, is very heavy with CGI and other special effects. It is also heavy with talented men who have played Batman. And that idea is what makes this film so fun to watch.

Ezra does a great job playing Barry, but Michael Keaton eats his role up! He does an amazing job in his “old” job!

Without giving away a single spoiler, I want you to watch the film with this idea in mind: there are plenty of cameo parts played by people you will recognize from the past. Some are CGI, some are real but modified by said CGI, and some are just real.

At two hours and 24 minutes, the film is shorter than some of the other recent big films, but it is a nice tight action-packed film that has few wasted-time or throw-away scenes. The audience I saw the film with seemed to love this film as much as I did. I have no problem giving The Flash a 5-star rating!

Director: Andy Muschietti

Cast: Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Michael Keaton

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of violence and action, some strong language, and partial nudity)

Selig Rating: 5 Stars

Runtime: 144 Min.

Release Date: 06/16/2023

Language: English

Movie Site: THE FLASH Official Site

Trailer: THE FLASH Final Trailer

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show