Barry Allen / The Flash (Ezra Miller) travels back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, which traps him in an alternate reality without metahumans. He enlists the help of Batman (Michael Keaton) and the Kryptonian castaway Supergirl (Sasha Calle) from alternate realities in order to save this world from the restored General Zod (Michael Shannon) and return to his universe.

The arrival of The Flash is the result of a four-year-long odyssey by one of the most in-demand directors of the moment, Andy Muschietti. Together with his producing partner and sister Barbara, whom Muschietti has named the best in the business, these siblings and their team of cast and crew have thrown maximum enthusiasm at bringing Barry Allen’s time-travelling, cross-dimensional action spectacle story to the big screen. And The Flash just ROCKS! Let me be clear that this film has to be seen on the biggest screen possible, and a sense of fun and dynamism leaps off the stream. The narrative beats with the passion of a director who wants to make a Flash movie, and Muschietti’s passion for the DC Universe and its colourful cast of heroes and villains leads to plenty of excitement for audiences. The strength of this picture stems from its director’s vision to realise the potential of Barry Allen/The Flash on screen, and the intensity of the narrative will make your pulse race.

Front and centre and doing double time is Ezra Miller as Barry Allen. And they have quite a task in front of them. Miller fully steps into Allen’s shoes and leaps into the speed force, unaware of the consequences that await. And boy, does this lead to an interesting story. This time around, we get two Barrys. The central uptight, slightly awkward science geek ‘everyman’ of the Justice League who is doing double duty as both hero and scientist. And who honestly is having a hard time of it of late. Then there’s the ‘other’ Barry, a slightly obnoxious, loud-mouthed try-hard who soon finds himself swept up in a ‘Flashpoint’ event, and that’s where things get interesting. Miller has a great handle on both personifications of Barry Allen in The Flash, and the multi-dimensional quality of Allen leads to some very interesting narrative points for the story to travel.

One thing that grabbed the attention of audiences was the announcement that Michael Keaton would return as Bruce Wayne/Batman. And his arrival on screen does not disappoint. Picking up more than 30 years after Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, we find the Dark Knight back in action in The Flash, and Keaton is having a blast with the role. With his retro-tech and infamous ‘Bat turn’ cowl, Keaton leaps into action as Batman, and audiences will GO NUTS when he makes his appearance on screen. Older now and having only grown more brooding with the passing of time, Keaton’s Bruce Wayne finds a reason to fight again, and it’s a lot of fun to see him lay down the smackdown. With The Flash, Keaton proves that he is The Batman, and your adrenaline will spike as he dons the cape and cowl and gets down to business.

Just as his namesake implies, The Flash is a picture that moves at pace, and Muschietti strikes that perfect balance of action-comedy moments that will keep audiences engaged. Elements of nostalgia play heavily on the film’s action set pieces, and I would say this picture has the energy and rhythm of those classic late 80s/early 90s action films that fans grew up on. Taking inspiration from the likes of Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop, along with Tim Burton’s game-changing Batman, gives the DCEU a fresh energy, and there’s a lot happening on screen. While avoiding any specific spoilers, I will say that the film’s opening set piece is pretty damn clever, and once Keaton’s Batman gets involved, things get wild. Then there’s all the fun that Muschietti and his team get to have with Barry’s powers, and they fully embrace the possibility of the speed force.

But along with the action, comedy and pure spectacle that The Flash offers to audiences, this is a film that innovates with its narrative and themes within the presence of the superhero genre. Ideas of time travel, memory and the multiverse are expanded upon considerably, leading to plenty of intriguing ideas that are present within the narrative. Muschietti uses the landscape of The Flash’s comic book storytelling to his considerable advantage in shaping this story, and this, along with its heavy themes, makes it a very special watch for audiences. Then there’s a whole host of intriguing canon moments and surprise events, not to mention some jaw-dropping cameos, that make The Flash one of the most enjoyable comic book films of the last few years.

The Flash is big action and big fun on a massive scale. This cinema event embraces the excitement of the comic book genre and revels in it to the max. The Flash is a film you’ll want to sprint to see, so lace up your kicks and enjoy the exhilaration of the scarlet speedster’s wild ride.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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And the official trailer has now arrived. Check it out below:

Here’ the official synopsis:

Following the death of Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg to form the Justice League and protect the world from Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons, who seek the three Mother Boxes.

This new trailer is nothing short of epic and presents a completely new vision on behalf of Snyder. Not only do we finally get to get Henry Cavill’s Superman in the Black Suit, but we also get to see a newly designed Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds), alongside the appearance of Darkseid, and audiences also get their first look at a confrontation between Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jared Leto’s Joker in a hellish new landscape.

hile the basic framework of the story is the same, dozens of additional scenes, backstories, mythos, worldbuilding elements, new characters, and teases for upcoming films are present in Snyder’s version but not the theatrical release. This includes new scenes with characters including Iris West (Kiersey Clemons), the love interest to Barry Allen/The Flash, alongside Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello), who will be given new material to work with by Snyder.

This first glimpse of Zack Snyder’s Justice League is incredible to behold, and Snyder has also confirmed that the film will be presented as a one-shot event movie, instead of the four-part series that was initially rumoured.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League will arrive on HBO Max on March 18.

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