THE FLASH (Andy Muschietti, 2023)

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(Directed by Andy Muschietti from a script by Christina Hodson and starring Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Maribel Verdu, Ron Livingston, Michael Shannon, Kiersey Clemmons, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, and Antje Traue. Released 16 June 2023; watched 2023w34 via Max.)

Still from THE FLASH: Sasha Calle's Supergirl arrives to kick Zod's ass.

That THE FLASH even exists as more than a punchline (box office returns notwithstanding) after nine years of development, a litany of directors and visions, and the unending drama in and around the DCEU, is cause for celebration (or at the very least, a slow clap); that it's as enjoyable as it is – though not without significant flaws – is reason for elation.

Excepting his choice in Batfleck's new costume (which raises questions about his taste when it comes to his upcoming take on the DCU Batverse in THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD), the sometimes-jarring and unearned tonal shifts, and my general weariness with both Miller's take on Barry (their iteration is far too Spider-Man-y for my taste) and the lackluster supporting characters (though I would certainly alter the timestream to save Maribel Verdu) surrounding him, Muschietti, to his eternal credit, made the most of a thankless mission that, for the most part, didn’t feel like the Frankenstein monster of visions and meddling for which its production history had seemingly destined it.

Keaton's return as Batman was wonderful and welcome – though I can't deny that his iteration felt tonally out of place here; I wanted to be more excited than I was by his presence. Were the possibility not sadly precluded by his health issues, Val Kilmer's Batman would have been the perfect fit (as I said in my Postscript on my BATMAN FOREVER rewatch, his Bats is the one I could see figuring out how to survive a fall from outer space and struggling to raise Damien) for this take – and would have solved the issue of Nu-Bruce in the Gunniverse-adjacent Flash-DCU which elicited a smile but felt forced, at best.

While I have my fingers crossed that we'll get more of Sasha Calle's Supergirl – she would be PERFECT for WOMAN OF TOMORROW (though, admittedly, Melissa Benoist would be amazing too; if they were going to bring any two over from the CW, let it be her and Grant Gustin) – it's lamentable that THE FLASH will most likely be the final time we'll see not only Calle, but also Affleck and Irons – who I wish had gotten their own film series as I still want to know more about their Gotham (BATMAN '16 digital-exclusive comics, DC?) – and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman: all deserved better than development hell, Joss Whedon, BvS, WW84, and that atrocity of a Batsuit seen here.

But hey: if nothing else, THE FLASH earned its place on a pedestal for being the first superhero film to save a baby by sticking it in a microwave (the DCEU's version of Indiana Jones's nuclear fridge?) – and to FINALLY give us Nic Cage as Superman facing down a giant spider.