THE FIRST ‘FLASH’ comic book came out in 1940.
The Flash is known for his superspeed and since then, five different characters have became the Flash in DC history.
The most well known is Barry Allen, a forensic scientist who figured from 1956 to 1985, then from 2008 to the present.
One of the most popular DC superheroes, it introduced the Multiverse and Parallel Dimensions concept in 1961 in “Flash of the Two Worlds” with the meeting of Flash Barry Allen and Flash Jay Garrick.
It would later become the basis of many other DC multiverse stories.
On TV, The Flash was first seen as part of “Arrow” then had his own spin off in 2014 starring Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, The Flash and it ran for nine seasons until last May.
On the big screen, Ezra Miller first appeared as the Flash in cameo role in “Batman V Superman” and “Suicide Squad” and played a bigger part in “Justice League” of the DC or DC Extended Universe.
He now gets his own movie and it starts with a big action set piece where he helps stop a bank robbery in Gotham City and rescues falling infants in a literal baby shower from a collapsing hospital.
Coming up to help him get the bad guys are Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.
Barry’s dad, Henry (Ron Livingston), is in prison for allegedly killing his own mom, Nora (Maribel Verdu of “Y Tu Mama Tambien”).
He knows his dad is innocent and since he can use the Speed Force to go back in time and change things so he can prevent his mom’s murder, he tries do it. He succeeds, but only up to a certain degree.
Batman has warned him that resorting to time travel can result in unforeseen consequences and this is exactly what happens.
His actions created a new timeline changing a lot of things, like “Back to the Future” now stars Eric Stoltz and not Michael J. Fox.
Barry also ends up in 2013 when his mom is still alive and he meets a younger version of himself on the day he originally gained his superpowers with the help of a lightning bolt.
The two Barrys then get hit by lightning, with the younger Barry gaining his powers and the present Barry losing his.
In the new timeline, there are also no superheroes who can help fight an alien invasion led by Gen. Zod (Michael Shannon.)
The two Barrys go to Bruce Wayne to ask for help but they find an older version of his, played by Michael Keaton who did two Batman films in 1989 and 1992.
Then they all go to Siberia to help find Kal-el or Superman. Instead, they find Kara Zor-el or Supergirl, competently played by new Latina actress Sasha Calle with her tough warrior presence.
They all then join forces to fight Zod and his henchmen in a battle where the two Barrys repeatedly travel back to time to reset it, resulting into various worlds colliding with each other.
“The Flash” is directed by Andy Muschietti, an Argentinian director best known for the two hit “It” horror films.
He made his movie a smashing fan service and tribute to a lot of actors who played superheroes through the years including George Reeve, Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill and even Nicolas Cage as Superman, Helen Slater as Supergirl, Jeremy Irons as Batman’s butler Alfred, and in the end, George Clooney also pops up as an aging Batman.
There is also an interracial romance between Barry and Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, a black journalist as his love interest.
The movie works mainly because Ezra Miller does well in his Barry roles.
He’s very controversial off cam as he has been arrested several times for various legal issues like disorderly conduct and he’s now getting therapy, but this does not detract from the effectivity of his performance.
We remember him best as Credence in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise where he died in the last one but got ressurected again.
In “The Flash”, the script has put in a lot of various elements full of gags and jokes and they work as Miller has the good comic timing to pull it all off.
The camera is always tight on his face as the two Barrys and he manages to put much nuance and charm on it as well as all the mugging and levity.
Giving great support is Michael Keaton who invests so much wonderful gravitas in a role that he last played more than 30 years ago.
He now plays Bruce Wayne as a recluse cooking spaghetti in his Wayne Manor.
The film is done with eye-catching CGI effects with enough details to keep what’s happening on screen quite exciting.