'The Flash': Early reviews are in and it is an excitingly mixed bag so far as critics call it 'spectacular and frustrating'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Without a smidge of doubt, ‘The Flash’ has been one of the most anticipated movies of 2023. Whether it’s because of all the cast members (Yes, we’re looking at you, Michael Keaton, and Ben Affleck), the concept, or even Ezra Miller’s controversy. There’s truly something for everyone when it comes to ‘The Flash.’ Although the official release of this move is June 16, the early reviews are in.
Eager fans want to know how ‘The Flash’ has done and whether or not the DC movie has lived up to the hype. The final trailer for ‘The Flash’ continued to set the expectations high, and now some of the verdicts are, ahead of the major release. Has ‘The Flash’ lived up to everything it had promised, or has Miller’s Barry Allen failed the perfect landing?
‘'The Flash' is simultaneously thoughtful and clueless’
A quick glance at the early reviews makes it abundantly clear that people have mixed opinions about ‘The Flash.’ Matt Zoller Seitz of Roger Ebert says, “One of the most spectacular and frustrating mixed bags of the superhero blockbuster era, 'The Flash' is simultaneously thoughtful and clueless, challenging and pandering.” As Matt continues talking about ‘The Flash,’ he says, “It keeps exceeding every expectation we might have for its competence only to instantly face-plant into the nearest wall.” This review describes Miller’s Barry Allen as the "janitor" of the Justice League.
The Guardian gives ‘The Flash’ two stars out of five and feeds into a Marvel/DC comparison as it reads, “This is not a movie with any new ideas or dramatic rethinking, and – at the risk of re-opening the DC/Marvel sectarian wound – nothing to compare with the much-lauded animation experiment in the recent Spider-Man films.” Apparently, ‘The Flash’ “does not exactly go by in a flash.”
Allegra Frank at Daily Beast has spoken about Miller as Barry Allen and said, “Miller revamps and recreates the elder and younger Barry Allens. Each is an endearing, charismatic, and, thank goodness, funny superhero in his own right, the appealing protagonist for this belated superhero origin story.” When talking about Supergirl, the author says, “Supergirl, played by Sasha Calle, drops by for an absurdly pointless arc that wastes the actress and the newly introduced character.” Finally, they reward Michael Keaton’s Batman as the “most recognizable” in ‘The Flash.’
USA Today has given ‘The Flash’ three out of five stars, and said, “The multiverse-hopping time-travel adventure has a lot in common with Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” and the recent "Spider-Verse" movies.” The review keeps in mind Miller’s controversy but sheds light on his performance as they say, “Miller's legal troubles might discourage some from watching, and nothing's concrete about his DC future, but as for what's onscreen, the actor is a standout conveying a wide range of emotions and expressions as he plays essentially two different characters.” And yet another review is impressed with Keaton the most as they crown him “the best Dark Knight of them all.”
The Hollywood Reporter says, “Like far too many superhero movies, The Flash gradually bogs down, devolving into rote mayhem as the protagonists go up against their mighty enemy in a chaotic clash where busy CG excess takes over from human — or humanoid — engagement.” And in relation to the supervillain, General Zod, played by Michael Shannon, the author writes, “Shannon is wasted in generic snarling supervillain mode” The review sums up what people will like the most about ‘The Flash’ as they say, “For many audiences, that nostalgia will be sufficient reward on its own.”