The Flash: Lost in paradox and convolutions

When the scarlet speedster, aka The Flash, whizzed into theatres worldwide, everybody rushed in with anticipation. Some were hopeful and some had mixed feelings going into the halls due to the serious allegations against Ezra Miller in the recent past – which even resulted in low interest among the audience. But when James Gunn shared the trailer on his social media accounts, it reignited traction for the trailer. 

Well, as we know, mere trailers do not always define a whole movie. And The Flash is probably the latest example of this fact. 

The Flash was released in Bangladeshi theatres on the same date as the movie's global release. Watching it on the big screens left me absolutely baffled and torn between feelings. There were some really good instances in the movie. Some really good comic accuracy as well. However, the bad of the movie largely overshadows the good.

The Flash or Barry Allen (played by Ezra Miller), is the newest superhero from DC Comics to star in his own major movie, breaking away from the typical brooding and intense characters of the franchise. Unlike the traditional god-like or contemporary heroes, he is an enthusiastic and nerdy individual who stumbled upon his superpowers accidentally. 

When not wearing his costume, he is an ordinary person, characterised by his rather silly and lovable nature. While he possesses incredible speed and agility, it is his lightheartedness that shines on the screen, particularly when the stakes are raised and the storyline gets serious.

The plot of the film takes place right after the events of Zack Snyder's Justice League. Barry is still figuring out dimensions of his own powers he previously never explored. In Justice League, Barry ran and reversed time to save the League and the world from imminent destruction. He ran back only for a few seconds in time then. But in the new film, he discovers the full extent of his powers realising that his speed is capable of breaking time and reality.

The basics of the plot are good enough. But the execution is convoluted. While the first half of the movie feels sluggish, the last half feels rushed and sloppy. The inspiration for the movie was definitely taken from an animated DC film called 'The Flashpoint Paradox.' But the paradox in this movie, in some cases, becomes too confusing. 

There was simply too much information put together in the film and all of them were expressed rather haphazardly.

Superhero movies are known for their heavy usage of CGI. Yet for some reason, in this movie, the CGI was subpar, to say the least. Director Andy Muschietti said that it was intentional – that the CGI is supposed to look bad so everybody can see the world from Barry Allen's lens, the fastest man alive. So far this comment was not taken positively though and bad CGI remains a problematic aspect of the movie.

A significant energy of the movie of course emanates from Miller, who brings a captivating and electrifying presence to the character. Naturally, part of the Flash's charm is inherent in the original comic-book creation, known as "the fastest man on Earth," introduced in 1940 and subsequently revitalised by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino in 1956.

Micheal Keaton reprised his role of Batman in this alternate reality after we last saw him in 1992's 'Batman Returns.' He has always been praised for his portrayal of the Dark Knight. But in The Flash, his performance falls a little shy. Still, it was really enjoyable seeing him donning the cape and the cowl once again.

Sasha Calle plays the role of Supergirl. However, she seems to be introduced way too late in the movie. And the character truly had the potential to contribute further.

Is The Flash worthy of watching in theatres? No. But is it worthy of watching as a superhero film? Very much so. The movie manages to regain its momentum and find its energetic rhythm, despite the uncertainty of The Flash as a character. 

While it may have made sense from a branding perspective to place him alongside more prominent superheroes, the overall result is that the movie fails to convincingly establish The Flash as a self-assured and independent entity.