The Flash (2023) Movie Review

The Flash is one of the most awaited superhero films this year, this film about “The Fastest Man Alive” has experienced a long experience of almost a decade to be adapted to the big screen.

Where Ezra Miller returned to reprise his role as Barry Allen aka Scarlet Speedster after previously appearing in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017).

The Flash (2023) Synopsis

In order to save his mother who was killed, Barry Allen aka The Flash returns to the past by using the ‘Speed ​​Force’ but it turns out that his decision brings dire consequences.

His journey back to save his mother turns out to change history and also has an impact on the existing timeline, where Barry is trapped in an alternative time reality that is different from what he has known so far which can cause the destruction of the universe.

In a race against time, Barry Allen must team up with other superheroes in a different time universe to stop the chaos he has caused.

The Flash (2023) Movie Review

Takes inspiration from Flashpoint Paradox

The story of The Flash takes inspiration from the storyline in ‘Flashpoint’ which was published by DC Comics in 2011. The story focuses on Barry Allen, at the beginning of the film we will see the daily life of Barry Allen who tries to balance his life in carrying out his duties as a member of the Justice League as The Flash and divides his time as a researcher in a police forensics lab in Central City.

We will also see Barry’s anxiety even though he has been able to adapt well with his fellow Justice League colleagues, but he also feels underappreciated by his other Justice League colleagues.

We will also see the irony about Barry Allen’s life even though he is known as Speedster, Barry is often seen coming to work late. Because, besides being busy with his duties as a crime fighter, Barry is also preoccupied with finding evidence of his father’s innocence who was accused of killing his mother.

Frustrated at his situation, Barry takes it out on him by running faster than ever one night and discovers that he can go back in time. Barry decides to go back in time to save his mother who was killed so it would never happen.

But of course his actions had consequences that Barry would never have expected, the passage of time gave rise to what is called the ‘butterfly effect’ where the slightest action someone took in the past would have a big impact in the future.

Barry finds himself in a different time reality, where he encounters a younger version of himself and the arrival of an alien named General Zod (Michael Shannon) from the Planet Krypton and has a mission to re-engineer Earth’s life.

So Barry Allen now has to work with Barry and other superheroes in the alternate timeline to save the earth and at the same time find a way back home.

Meet another version of Batman

At the beginning of the film we will see how Barry is very close to Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck), Barry and Bruce are not just colleagues but also close friends in everyday life.

Bruce, who also acts as Barry’s mentor, has an emotional attachment to Barry due to the same trauma, they both lost their parents. Barry, who later discovered the ‘Speed ​​Force’, told his findings to Bruce and he was determined to travel through time.

This was opposed by Bruce Wayne, because according to him it violated the rules of the universe and could cause unforeseen damage. But we can’t fully blame Barry for his dilemma by breaking the rules of time because that’s all Barry did to save his father and mother.

In the first part of this film, we will see a lot of conflicts, interests and emotional clashes that are quite evocative. How would Barry feel and be emotionally able to meet his parents and meet another version of himself.

And entering the second part we will see the consequences of the actions taken by Barry, in this alternate time reality we will meet a younger version of Barry Allen who is more childish and sometimes ridiculous in contrast to the version of Barry Allen we know where the version of the character more serious and mature.

Ezra Miller plays this dual role very well, delivering two different looks on the same character. Miller on this occasion managed to show his acting excellence in playing two versions of himself.

In this crisis, we will also see a lot of ridiculous and funny things that happen to make the gloomy moments that are happening a little brighter.

Apart from witnessing two Barry Allens, the reality of this time will also bring us nostalgia for the role of Batman, played by Michael Keaton. Where Keaton has made a ‘come back’ since the last time he played the Caped Crusader in Batman Returns in 1992.

Apart from capturing the audience’s attention about his reappearance as Batman, we will also be faced with his version of Batman who is more brutal and has a ‘vigilante’ style in fighting crime, which is different from the Batman we know so far.

The emergence of a replacement for Superman

This time we will see The Flash face an enemy from another planet, namely General Zod, this character actually appears as the same antagonist in Man of Steel (2013).

Where Zod will repeat the same mission to re-create Planet Krypton, for that it’s not enough for Barry to just work with Batman. He also has to work with Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle) aka Supergirl, who has just started her career as a superhero here.

Maybe audiences expected Superman to appear because the enemy they have to face is Zod but because James Gunn will reboot Superman in the new DCEU plan, where the actor who will play the Man of Steel will also be played by a new actor.

This is a subtle way of substituting the character of Superman and besides that since this is a different time reality, it is only logical that the protagonist from Planet Krypton is also played by a different character.

Lots of surprising cameos

Because this time DC is playing a different timeline, of course it will have an impact on different superheroes. We will see several views of Superman from George Reeves, Christopher Reeves, even Nicolas Cage who failed to make a Superman film presented here. Christopher Reeves who played Superman (1978-1987) was also paired with Helen Slater, who played the original Supergirl which was released in 1984.

Another surprise came when the Batman actor who was considered a “fail” by many of his fans, George Clooney, was present at the conclusion. His presence seemed to open a new mystery for Flash who wanted to close his story sweetly.

The Flash Conclusion

The Flash is a moment to get to know Barry Allen, his origin story and his story will open up the multiverse of DC and will lead us to a new DCEU universe.

Don’t forget also the post credit title which can be said to be insignificant at the end of this film, but fans should still watch it.

The Flash will be the closing of the old DCEU but also the beginning of a new one from the DC world, “Gods and Monsters”. You can watch this film starting June 14, 2023 in all cinemas in Indonesia.