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.

Supergirl Hype Reel

The Flash movie is coming out in under two months from now. The second trailer hit a while ago, really showcasing the two multiverse co-stars of Batman (played by Michael Keaton) and Supergirl (played by Sasha Calle). 

Now I have to admit, I have grabbed me. This movie looks great. And Calle looks awesome in the suit. She says her name is Kara, so that puts her in as Supergirl. The short dark hair makes her the Clark analogue in this Flashpoint universe. She looks all the hero, wading right into battle and reminding people that the symbol she wears means hope.

I mean it sincerely ... I want this movie to succeed. I need this movie to be great.

I think because the guest stars have sort of dominated the trailer and the fan zeitgeist (well, mostly Keaton as Batman saying some very Keaton Batman lines), DC has decided to recognize and celebrate our favorite Supergirl.

So last week a Supergirl hype reel was put together and released by DC. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIkx6CGrOaA

And some comments.

'The Flash' Movie Trailer

The Flash movie is set to come out in June of this year. 

Now usually I would be eagerly anticipating a DC big screen effort. But there have been several things that have given me pause with this one. I haven't been a fan of the overall Zach Snyder movies. Wonder Woman '84 was pretty rough. And the premise of this movie, a take on the Flashpoint story, seemed like a day late given both Into The Spider-Verse and Spider-Man No Way Home already covering a multiverse. DC always seems to be following Marvel. 

The trailer dropped yesterday. (Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hebWYacbdvc)

I have to say ... it looks good! Way better than I thought it would! And way more interesting.

I won't bury the lede.

There is a lot of Supergirl in this trailer and she look pretty awesome. 

I love the suit, the red shoulders reminiscent of the Crisis era suit. I am interested in seeing Sasha Calle's take on the character. And it looks like she is going to kick some serious butt in the movie. So rock on!

But there's more!

Supergirl S-Shield And Sasha Calle In The Flash Movie

Back in February, the world learned that Supergirl will be in the upcoming Flash movie, played by Sasha Calle. Given the rumors that the plot of the movie is Flashpoint, I can see this Supergirl being on the main DCEU Earth or in one of the other timelines opened up by the Flash's time trips.

Last week, director Andy Muschietti gave us the smallest of peeks at Supergirl's S-shield in the upcoming movie.

That sort of textured rubberized Henry-Cavill feel is definitely present, as is the Kryptonian scripts curling through the body of the S.

There are some subtle changes in theglyph itself, the lower portion of the S curving up lower and also tapering to create a new feel.

But the big thing for me is the prominence of red above the shield, a look many Supergirl fans probably recognize. And then, some shots of Calle in the costume leaked.

Supergirl On The Big Screen! Sasha Calle Announced!

The comic internet sort of exploded last week when it was revealed that 26 year old Latinx actress Sasha Calle was announced as Supergirl in the upcoming DCEU Flash movie.\

This included this ZOOM call footage of director Andy Muschietti telling Calle she got the role. 

I haven't seen Calle in anything. She is an interesting choice given the diversity she brings to the role. I will admit that I hope that she dyes her hair blond. But she seems quite delightful. And those who know her from The Young and The Restless seem to think she is a star in the making.

I guess in some ways I am burying the lede! Supergirl is going to be in the big screen DCEU. Now most people know that I have pretty significant issues with the Zach Snyder movies. At one point I actually hoped that Supergirl wouldn't be included in this DCEU out of pure fear. As the Flash movie seems to be based on Flashpoint, Calle could be a Supergirl from any sort of universe or part of the main universe. And Muschietti is a solid director. I liked It. He was attached to a live action Robotech at one point. He is in line to do an update of the Howling. That all sounds good. We'll need to wait and see.

There is a bit more info out there about the Calle announcement, for example here on Deadline: https://deadline.com/2021/02/supergirl-young-and-the-restless-actress-sasha-calle-the-flash-movie-dc-1234697190/