The Flash (2023) Review

    

With the DCEU coming up to its end we have finally got The Flash hit the big screen. This film has been one of the most complicated and controversial comic book films ever released but it has now released and I have seen it so here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Barry Allen go back in time and change the past which ends up changing major factors of the multiverse as a whole. 

Main Character

Ezra Miller has had plenty going on over the last few years but I have decided to ignore these things when reviewing this film. I thought Miller did a pretty good job as Allen, they are funny and quirky and feel like an appropriate character. The character goes through a real journey in the film and I thought this was one of the best parts of the film. However, Miller also plays a younger version of the character and I really did not like this performance, they were so annoying. I understand why the character is like this way but the majority of the film they are like this and it just misses the boat for me. 

Supporting Characters 

One of the main things people were excited about was seeing the return of Michael Keaton as Batman and he is a real highlight here. Yes, he is pretty cheesy but it just works with his charm and charisma, as a big fan of him in this role it was great to see him return and have some real time to shine as a character he is iconic for. 

Sasha Calle plays Supergirl for the first time here and I really liked her performance in the role. She isn't a huge part of the film but when she is on screen she is very opposing and fits the role very well. Her character is explored enough for an introduction but I do wish we could have had slightly more here from the writers. 

Michael Shannon as General Zod was one of my favourite villains in the DCEU, but he is used so badly here. Even Shannon came out and said he didn't enjoy making the film, he feels pointless here and that anybody could have played his role when there was definitely more they could have done with him. 

Ron Livingston & Maribel Verdu do okay jobs as Henry & Nora Allen but I never felt like they stood out considering how they were an emotional core of the film. They weren't bad but I never fully supported Barry's mission because I never connected with them like I did the TV version of the characters. 

Kiersey Clemons reprises her role from Zack Snyder's Justice League as Iris West, but she is another dull part of the film. Luckily, the film doesn't spend too much time with the character but even when on screen I never saw any charisma between her and Miller. 

Story 

The film has two parts to its story. When looking at the character of Barry Allen, I think the film shows how his inner conflict affects him, he is somebody who feels below other heroes but wants to do something that makes himself truly happy and selfish. The film presents this well throughout and thank goodness for that. This is because the rest of the films story is pretty bad, the majority of side characters are underused and not given time for us to grow and connect with them. But the major problem I have is that as somebody who has watched the majority of The Flash TV show, I have seen many things that happen in this film in that show and done better. The ending is also pretty terrible and I just think the really missed the mark with all the interesting things they actually could have done. 

Script

The film definitely had me chuckling at times. There were some actually pretty funny moments and that was nice to see here. There was also some good drama, there were a couple of really effective scenes that made us care about The Flash. But it misses quite a bit too, the film makes no sense a lot of the time, it also just drags out with dialogue that doesn't really do anything. 

Style

The film has some decent action sequences mainly involving Batman. It is cool to see this same Batman able to be given the time to really show how he can really work as an action star. But this is one of the worst looking films that you will see, the CGI is terrible and has truly some of the worst ever made. Also the pacing is bad, the first 30 mins are all over the place and feel like they are pointless to the film which is a major let down. 

Overall

Overall, The Flash just about is an average film. It really falls below the standards that were set and promised by the people in charge. It isn't terrible but I really don't think it is worth a watch unless you really like Michael Keaton as Batman and liked the TV show. 

Rating - 5/10

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) Review

After 4 years, a social media campaign and countless trailers we finally have Zack Snyder's Justice League in all of its 4 hour glory. It is crazy that a social media campaign really convinced Warner Bros to release this film and I am glad after his personal tragedy that Zack Snyder got the chance to make this film they way he wanted. I watched the film today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a group of people with remarkable abilities coming together in order to save the world from an ancient evil. 

Main Character

I have always said that I really like Ben Affleck as Batman and I think he is great here. He is back to being a more serious character but you see more clearly here how the character has progressed since the events of Batman V Superman and Affleck does that well. He isn't given a real standout action scene but he is given a consistent amount of decent action and Affleck still has the physicality of Batman to make that seem realistic despite being the only member of the team without powers. Gal Gadot is back as Wonder Woman and I think anybody disappointed by Wonder Woman 1984 will be very happy to see her being a real star here. Gadot is a real glue that holds the heroes together and she does it really well and she really shines in the action scenes, she is the main one who shines in the action scenes and that is a real highlight. 

Supporting Characters

In the original version of Justice League, I thought Ray Fisher did a decent job as Victor Stone/Cyborg but he is so much better here and is easily the best character in the film. He is the real heart of the film and we learn so much more about Victor and the pain that he has and continues to go through in his new form. His role is larger and provides some real depth and delving into his personal life does a great job in telling his narrative. Ezra Miller is Barry Allen/The Flash and he is a fun member of the cast, he is clearly the comic relief of the film but he never becomes too much and unfunny, he has his serious moments but he works well as part of the group and is a nice addition. Jason Momoa is back as Aquaman and he is also a lot of fun here, we get a bit more of his backstory and it does work better here and make him feel like he has some development that links to his solo film. Henry Cavill is also back as Superman and he is okay, honestly he isn't in this film that much but he has some really standout moments and though he is less charming then he was in the theatrical cut he is still good here. The real surprise though is Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf. In the theatrical cut he was such a dull villain but here is a terrifying physical presence that has an interesting character arc and he was a great opposition for the Justice League here. 

Story 

The overall story isn't too different to the theatrical cut but it is handled much better here. The characters are just given way more development time here and it does make you care about them and the way they develop as a group. The film has a much larger scale and for the most part it does work, it doesn't feel too shoehorned in and fits the overall feel of the film and what could have been the future of the DCEU. 

Script

The script is good, there is plenty of drama here and we see the characters go through some things that especially with the longer runtime makes you care. There is also humour sprinkled in here mainly from Miller, Momoa and Jeremy Irons as Alfred which does lighten the film at times when it very much needs it. 

Style 

The one thing you can say about Zack Snyder is that he makes great looking films and this is another one of them. The action scenes are great and filmed really well to really encapsulate the epic nature of the characters and the film that we are seeing. Now the one major glaring issue is that this film is 4 hours long and it really shouldn't be, I appreciate the majority of the new content but there are clear parts of the film that could have been cut and it would have provided a better pacing, 3 hours is surely long enough, Avengers Endgame did it and I think this film could have done it. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic film and a Fantastic experience. This is a much improved version of Justice League and what it does is make me want to see more of Snyder's vision for the DCEU. 4 hours is a big commitment so I think only fans will do it but I would say give it a chance, it is a lot of fun. 

Rating - 9/10

 The Flash Season 6 (2019) Review

After a long delay I have now managed to finish the 6th season of The Flash and even though the production of the show had to shut down due to Covid 19 they got a pretty complete show and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees Barry attempt to prepare the team for the upcoming Crisis while a new villain arises aiming to take over the city. 

Main Character

Grant Gustin has played the character of Barry Allen for 7 years now and he has done a great job, but I thought this was one of his weaker turn outs as the character. He is still good and provides a lot to the character but I just think it is the way he is written. He spends a lot of the season moping and brooding and I would rather that be saved for Arrow, this show and character has always had dark elements to it but it has always been hopeful but I feel like this season went away from that more then usual. 

Supporting Characters

Tom Cavanagh has played many different versions of the character Harrison Wells and have normally done a good job at it, he plays Nash Wells this season a multiverse archaeologist and I ended up liking this character. He starts off as a bit of a weak character but he grows throughout the season and actually has a nice arc that makes him an entertaining character by the end. Danielle Panabaker gets a chance to play Frost more this season and she does a good job in the role, her character is interesting and really does a good job in separating the characters Caitlin and Frost which I think the show struggled with in previous seasons. But the rest of the cast struggled for me, Candice Patton as Iris has been a strong character in previous seasons, though not always given the best writing and she struggles with that this season. Patton does her best but the character's arc isn't interesting and it is hard to talk about it without spoilers but I wasn't a huge fan of the direction they take her character. Carlos Valdes as Cisco has been one of the most likeable characters on this show but for some reason I found him annoying this season, he again goes a darker route with the character and it seems like the majority of scenes he is in, he is angry with somebody. I also wasn't a fan of Joe's and Ralph's story arcs as they felt like an afterthought and just shoved in there, also the villains of the season were just really dull and among the most lacklustre that the show have had. 

Story

The story, is much stronger during the first half of the show. It deals with Barry trying to prepare the team and it is interesting in the different ways he goes by this and how the characters develop, also the villain before Crisis is the better one of the two villains but he gets his legs swept from under him. Similar to Arrow, this show struggles in a post Crisis world, it has to focus on the changes made by the crossover that it finds it difficult to focus on its story and kind of becomes muddled. Also the ending is a bit abrupt, it is difficult because of Covid 19 but it still does feel like this season is incomplete. 

Script

The script of this show has usually been quite strong but again it is a weaker point of the show. The humour isn't as funny and the drama isn't emotional, it has its moments when it shows the quality of the show and the characters but these are few and far compared to previous seasons.

Style

The style of the show has usually had impressive visuals and this show still has some, though not as much as usual. It is cool seeing The Flash run through Central City stopping bad guys and the different power sets of villains is well handled. But there are some that look poor, mainly Elongated Man's powers which has always looked bad and does still here, but we won't have to see it for much longer due to real life implications. Also the pacing of the show struggles because of the Crisis crossover and the Covid 19 pandemic, it feels like the story needs a few more episodes to get the story across but fails at this. 

Overall

Overall, I actually think this is the weakest season of The Flash and like other shows in this universe it struggles with dealing with the Crisis crossover and really only true fans of the show will be still watching.

Rating - 5/10  

Crisis On Infinite Earths Crossover Event (2020) Review

So finally all 5 parts of the DC Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths has hit the UK and I have got through them all and here is my review for it. The premise of the crossover sees the heroes of the multiverse have to come together and stop The Anti Monitor from unleashing power to destroy every Earth in existence. 

Main Character

Stephen Amell is at the end of his road with playing Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and for his last crossover he does a good job here. He is given a different role then he is used to in the previous crossovers but it is done well and it feels like the show gives Oliver more of a spotlight for being the first hero in this universe. Though I thought other main characters The Flash played by Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoit as Supergirl weren't given the shine as much because of it, it just feels like ther importance isn't played up as much which feels surprising considering how much the first half of The Flash season 6 has been setting up The Flash for Crisis. It is not that they are bad it is just they don't have that much to do. 

Supporting Characters 

There is a huge supporting cast here but I will mainly aim for the ones who have the largest role here. I have watched the first half of the first season of Batwoman and I haven't been sold on Ruby Rose's performance as Kate Kane but I actually think she is better here bouncing off of the other heroes, I mean it looks like this will be her last crossover and that is a disappointment as I feel there was potential for her to improve here. Sarah Lance played by Caity Lotz has always been a great character whether on Arrow or Legends Of Tomorrow and she is really great here, she really takes charge in the last few episodes and gets more time to shine and she does a great job adding some depth to the drama in the show. I have to admit that when Jon Cryer was cast as Lex Luthor I wasn't sure if he was a great choice, but wow I was wrong. He is fantastic in the role and just has such a quick wit and charisma that he is devilishly charming in the role and even though he is a clear villain you can't help but find him entertaining. But this show also wastes some of his characters, I mean if you are a fan of certain characters in this universe you will be let down as quite a few of the characters aren't really here or given a chance to shine. Plus the characters of The Monitor and The Anti Monitor are wasted and ultimately boring, Arrow set up The Monitor to be more interesting but this crossover fails on that and he just becomes a boring character and The Anti-Monitor is more boring as he is just a dumb villain that literally has no character. 

Story

The story is the largest this universe has ever done and it demonstrates that pretty well, some things happen here that feel huge in nature and it feels like it could affect it for the future and this really allows some exciting things that could happen in the future. But this character does struggle with balance, it has so many characters and it tries to give too many of them individual story arcs and especially at the beginning of the crossover it can be hard to follow and feel like too much is going on for unnecessary reasons. Also there are some cameos that feel really forced here which takes away from the story and it feels like it doesn't do much to help the telling of this tale. 

Script

The script is okay, it has some decent drama and nice humour I mean mainly from Lex Luthor but I can't deny that it is here. Though it must be said there is some poor dialogue here that feels pretty cringe which isn't the first time that it has happened with these shows. 

Style

Now this is the largest ever event in this universe so the action should be the biggest yes, and yeah it is, it is large in scale and it does feel cool seeing all these heroes working together and fighting these large forces. But the enemies aren't that interesting and it is clear that the budget was stretched here and at times the CGI looks poor and like it just can't hold up what is needed. 

Overall

Overall, this should have been the biggest and best crossover for The Arrowverse but for me it just felt pretty short. It is just distinctly average and doesn't do enough to hit the levels that it wanted to and it feels like the build to this hasn't been worth the time and hype. 

Rating - 5/10