Better Late Than Never? The Flash Movie

I had planned to see The Flash movie when it was in the theaters but sometimes life gets in the way. 

Now on streaming, I finally got to see it. I'd give it a C. Given that this is now a 4 month old movie, I won't do an in-depth review.  I'll just touch on the stuff that truly struck out and concentrate a little on the Supergirl side of things. As it is 4 months old, there will be spoilers.

This was a pretty solid adaptation of the Flashpoint mini-series. From Barry trying to save his mother to his lacking powers and needing to recreate the accident that gave him powers, to a Project Superman take on Supergirl, this was Flashpoint. I didn't particularly like that mini when it came out but if you did, this was sort of faithful. 

This was also a sort of love letter, or homage-fest, to comic fans and fans of superhero movies. Michael Keaton recreating his Batman, saying 'let's get nuts', and seeing that Wayne Manor again was fun. Seeing all the cameos at the end was fun (more on that later). But those things were really for people like me. My girlfriend didn't know who the helmeted Flash was or why I was giggling so much about the Thanagarian snare beast. So I don't know if so much time should have been placed on these things which only 1% of the ticket holders would cherish.

But the big thing for me is that this movie seems a bit disjointed in tone. 

There is a very heavy undertone about Barry's sadness about his mother. There is a 'how far would you go' theme. Would you destroy the universe to make your own world perfect or do you sacrifice happiness for the greater good? Seeing older Barry (who has seen things and matured) deal with younger, more naive Barry touches on loss and sadness. And yet, stuck inside this, is a bunch of silliness. Barry eating burritos at super-speed, putting babies in microwaves to save them, losing a tooth and super-gluing it.

If you are a script writer or a director, you have to be masterful if you are going to walk the fine line between goofy humor and heavy themes. And this movie can't pull it off. It is the same reason while Thor Love and Thunder failed for me. You can't effectively have Thor dealing with Jane Foster's mortality while a god killer kidnaps kids all while you have silly humor all around. Or you can if you are a master.

Lastly, the special effects at times looked pretty wonky. Seeing babies which look like they were ripped from The Incredibles definitely snapped me out of the movie.

Supergirl is in this and I'll have more below the break. But I thought Sasha Calle did a very good job as this Kara, the captured, tortured, angry Supergirl trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Having to recognize that General Zod is a Kryptonian but not what she wants to be or want to defend. 

So, it's a C. My guess is I won't seek this out again. But if it is on TV and I am home, I'll probably put it on to watch.

On to some details.

Putting aside the changes in tone, I did like the two Flashes in the movie. In the 'main Earth', Barry is always the goofy one next to such heroes as Affleck's Batman and Momoa's Aquaman. So seeing him as the 'serious one' next to his goofy brother was a fun little wrinkle.

As I said, lots of Easter Eggs.

I mean, how can I not like, even if it is a bit Uncanny Valley, seeing Helen Slater's Supergirl standing next to Christopher Reeve's Superman. We got a helmeted Earth 2 Flash on George Reeves' Superman world. And, of course, the deep cut of Nicholas Cage Superman fighting a giant spider. 

These are candy for me.

On to Supergirl.

This is a Snyder-verse movie. So yes, Supergirl is going to come out of her torture cell angry. There is no doubt she kills any number of Soviet troops as she lashes out against her captors. 

Now I was one of the most vocal people when Man of Steel came out, so angry at Superman killing. It ruined that film. I can deal with these killings a bit better. First off, this is a Kara who has been imprisoned and tortured. Who knows what they have done to her. She was raised on Krypton. She doesn't have Kent wisdom in her. And she's not used to having powers. So I am a bit more forgiving if in the immediate time after he rescue, she lashes out.

I mean this is an Elseworlds.

But I really loved Sasha Calle's quiet dignity and strength as Supergirl.

She was mistreated by some humans but she knows the brutal Zod isn't who she is. Her family crest means Hope. She is a good person. She is fierce in fighting injustice. 

I will always prefer a blond Supergirl; I'm a traditionalist. But I saw a lot of what I think Supergirl is as a character in this portrayal.

I loved that she turned on Zod, recognizing him for what he was. 

But it is a plot point that Kara's death is one of the immutable events of this timeline. With Barry trying to save everyone temporally, we are subjected to see Supergirl die over and over on screen.

For old school Kara fans, still smarting maybe from Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, seeing Supergirl repeatedly killed isn't easy to watch.

But it did make me think. Why was Supergirl inserted here? Why not have the emaciated Superman from Project Superman in the movie? Why change the story?

Is it because they didn't want to have a Superman killed over and over on screen? Is it that Supergirl, as a property, is easier to show being slaughtered than Kal? Even on this alternate Earth?

As a Supergirl fan, it made me wonder if that 'she's expendable' tag is still on her. The story didn't need it to be Kara. It could have been Kal.

Thanks for those still here reading my thoughts on a movie in the rear view mirror of so many.

If you get the DVD, there is a very good documentary on the Supergirl character. We hear from Helen Slater, Laura Vandervoort, Sasha Calle, and Melissa Benoist, all of whom talk about their particular take on the character, all showing what a great character she is. In particular, Benoist really shows how much she understood Kara, even throwing in the motto 'hope, help, and compassion for all' which I think is just wonderful.

As interesting is the cavalcade of comic creators they bring on board and to hear the subtle differences. Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb talk about how they had to differentiate her from Kal by making her edgy. Sterling Gates and Geoff Johns and even Marv Wolfman all talk glowingly about her. In fact, Wolfman brings up a Supergirl scene in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 and says it is the most important scene in the whole series! 

If you look in the usual places, you can find this on-line. Definitely worth a watch.

I'd love to hear what you all thought.