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Ezra Miller in The Flash
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/Flash in The Flash (Image via DC)

The Flash review roundup (2023): Is DCEU dying?

Raya AroraBy Updated:5 Mins Read Movies & TV

The Flash is finally here. After being marred by lead actor Ezra Miller’s controversies for months, DCEU’s much-awaited movie is set to release on June 16.

The movie boasts a stellar cast, including Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton who play as their respective versions of The Batman. Supergirl and General Zod also appear in the film, but it doesn’t seem like a recipe good enough for box office success.

The Flash reviews are out, and critics have announced what they think of Barry Allen’s latest misadventure. If you want to save some time- it doesn’t look good.

What do The Flash reviews say?

Inverse: “Final nail in the DCEU’s coffin”

“There’s a good movie buried somewhere in there, and maybe if The Flash wasn’t propped up as a multiverse-spanning crossover event, that movie could’ve shined through.”

For Inverse’s Hoai-Tran Bui, “the long, troubled wait” for The Flash was simply not worth it.

While certain elements of the movie did pack some impact, the sum total of it all ended up being underwhelming. Ultimately, the Ezra Miller-starrer turned out to be another multiversal-time travel movie that we know too well, just with The Polar Express-level CGI.

The emotional elements of the movie don’t compensate for its bad parts, but they helped remind viewers why they fell in love with Barry Allen in the first place. The movie did a great job at showing just how lonely Allen is, and how, with everything that he does, he’s just trying to find some company.

Unfortunately, The Flash ended up ruining the only thing it had going for itself – nostalgia. While there were several nostalgic moments that hit you right where it hurts, the movie overdid it by “flooding us with nostalgia for simpler times, without any consideration for how hollow those joys are.”

Independent UK – “Muddled, poignant and morally tricky”

“It’s clear that DC doesn’t really know what it’s paying tribute to, other than the knowledge that other comic book movies exist.”

For Independent UK’s Clarisse Loughrey, The Flash turned out to be a messy compilation of poor special effects and an inconsistent but emotional storyline. Screenwriter Christina Hodson’s writing shone through, allowing viewers to see the Flash’s humanity and how he heals his inner child.

Collider – “Solid multiverse film but a poor time travel story”

“The Flash clearly wants its audience to get caught up in the excitement of multiverse adventures, returning superhero favorites, and fun antics of Barry Allen, to the point that they never consider that the time travel aspects make absolutely no sense, and only hurts the larger story in the way that it’s handled here.”

For Collider’s Ross Bonaime, The Flash made for a wonderful viewing experience as “a character drama and not a superhero film.” Batman’s (both of them) relationship with Barry (again, both of them), Allen’s attempts to save his family from a lifetime of turmoil, and Supergirl’s anger all made this film into a well-written drama story.

However, parts that were crucial for making this a successful superhero story fell short. Instead of the central antagonist General Zod, who came off as an “afterthought”, the focus of the movie was on Barry’s attempts to reunite his family. Moreover, the time travel and multiverse concepts, both of which were central to The Flash’s plot, had logical inconsistencies that interfered with the narrative of the movie.

Lastly, like the case is with many DC movies, the final fight felt “like a kid slamming overly-CGI’ed action figures at each other.”

Screen Rant – “Middling multiverse movie”

“The Flash movie is, instead, the weakest adaptation of Flashpoint, with a script that focuses on all the wrong things and a breakneck storyline that doesn’t allow for much character development.”

For Screen Rant’s Molly Freeman, Ezra Miller’s off-screen controversies greatly affected the experience of watching The Flash. Their child endangerment accusations came to mind as Flash saved a group of babies, and the character’s angry outbursts reminded Freeman of Miller’s own outbursts.

What’s worse, the movie itself seemed to bank on Ezra’s personality to make a rude and awkward Barry Allen likable. His relationships with the other characters were meant to humanize him, which reflected in how the supporting characters’ only role in the movie was to drive the plot forward.

Ultimately, The Flash failed to fully deliver on several cool ideas that popped up throughout the movie.

Overall, The Flash seems like it will not do justice to fans’ expectations. It was reported to be the best film DC has ever made, but it looks like the beginning of the end – if not the end itself – for the DC Extended Universe. Would it then be unrealistic to ask- is the DCEU dying?

So, are you still looking forward to Ezra Miller’s return as the speedster? Let us know!

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