I realize that I’m one of the few people who actually saw The Flash, and for me to be writing about it you know I had some positive thoughts about the film, which may be hard to believe. Yet despite receiving lukewarm reviews from critics and bombing at the box office (the movie is currently tracking to lose between $200-$250 million), The Flash is still a key piece in the DC movie landscape. It wraps up the Snyderverse and in many ways ushers in the new era that will be shepherded by James Gunn. Love it or hate it- or perhaps, love or hate Ezra Miller is probably more accurate- this is an important film and one that did stir up some emotions in me as a fan! So let’s get to it!

  ***SPOILERS***

Cons

Let’s start with the obvious, this movie should have had Superman in it. It’s been talked about a lot over the last few years, but this movie went through reshoots aplenty, including a lot of back in forth about whether to include Superman or not. Prior to Black Adam, there was a draft that was not going to have Henry Cavill, and after his cameo in the Dwayne Johnson film, Cavill did shoot a scene for The Flash as well. Upon James Gunn’s appointment and the unveiling of the future slate of DC Comics movies, the Cavill cameo was removed.

I understand the reasoning- starting a Superman franchise with a blank slate- but given that this movie had Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, and swaths of scenes from Man of Steel, including General Zod and plenty of scenes of “Superman” from far away, it was a punch in the gut to have Cavill omitted. To me it felt very reminiscent to the “cameo” in the first Shazam movie, which originally was supposed to be Henry Cavill as well.  Plans then changed because contract talks with Henry Cavill had stalled at the time, and the Superman cameo at the end of that movie was a stand in who wasn’t visible from the neck up.

This film did have some nods to “Flashpoint,” and scenes that were almost lifted directly out of the graphic novel (which I loved). That said, the discovery of Subject One in the Siberian prison by the trio of Michael Keaton’s Batman and two Ezra Millers which was ultimately Supergirl very easily could have been Superman, like the comic.

Are we going out of our way to ban Superman from film? I can fully sympathize with the frustration of many fans right now.

I could go on about the flaws in this movie- the plot holes, leaps of logic and lack of charisma from its main lead(s), but since this is a Superman blog, I’ll stick with just the aspects of the story that related to him.  Outside of what wasn’t on screen, there wasn’t too much to complain about with Supes in this movie.

Which leads to…

Pros

Would I have preferred Superman teaming up with Michael Keaton’s Batman and Flash to save the day, instead of Supergirl?  Yes, unquestionably. 

Having said all that, I actually thought Supergirl in this movie was pretty good!  Her inclusion really added to the whole multiverse/alternate timeline feel to the story by having the characters encounter different versions of themselves.  On top of that, I’m not sure if whoever cast Sasha Calle consulted Zack Snyder, but this Supergirl definitely felt like she could have been in Man of Steel.  Sasha Calle easily looks like she could have been cast in that film, as her Supergirl would have fit Snyder’s aesthetic.  While I prefer the classic costume and blond hair on Kara, this worked. 

On a side note, in a scene from Man of Steel is a moment where the Superman, walking through the Kryptonian ship, does pass an empty rescue pod, which Snyder confirmed was intentional.  Along with the scene in the Snyder cut of Justice League, in which a female Kryptonian suit emerges from the wall along with Superman’s costume, fans immediately speculated that Snyder intended to introduce Supergirl, which as a theory fits perfectly. 

Supergirl’s backstory also seemed faithful to the comics, something I always appreciate, and her explanation of who she was and why she was on earth made sense: she is Kara Zor-El, Kal-El was her baby cousin who died, and she had to stop General Zod, whom she knew.  She was a little more jaded and more emotionally distant from earth given that she spent several years of her life on Krypton and has memories of those years, something also accurate to the books.  This was refreshing since as a fan I go to these movies to see adaptations of my favorite stories, not something slightly inspired by the stories in name only.  Plenty of those have been made over the years, most recently Disney’s approach to Secret Invasion, who told their showrunner not to read the comic before going into production! 

Eyerolls aplenty. 

One last point on Supergirl that might be a little controversial but I’ll say it anyway, I found it refreshing that this movie did not do what other superhero properties have done today when it comes to female characters, and that is introduce them in such a way that immediately makes the male counterpart look incompetent.  There have been plenty of awesome stories with great female characters that elevate them without downgrading other characters around them- the first two Star Wars trilogies, the Matrix movies, Dark Knight Rises, Batman vs. Superman, and many more.  I was initially worried that once Supergirl was revived in this story, she would defeat Zod and his army without breaking a sweat, but instead there was actual struggle, which seemed far more plausible given how much the protagonists struggled in Man of Steel.  It made the stakes feel much higher, and did not make Batman and the Flashes, and by extension Superman, look like buffoons.  It could be just the politically charged climate we find ourselves in that things like this are a plus, but I personally could do with a lot more of it across all genres nowadays. 

Finally, as a long time fan, the cameos and easter eggs in this movie were INCREDIBLE!!!  Seeing CGI cameos of George Reeves, Adam West, and even Nicolas Cage was incredibly cool, even if the CGI looked unfinished (something the production team has since admitted).  It made it feel like fans were making this movie- something which was a key piece in making the superhero genre the gigantic success it is today but sadly is becoming more and more rare within it.  A true fan would understand that being able to get Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater side by side in a shot we never got in the 80s was amazing fan service, and I will be forever grateful!

I know this is a Superman page, but I am a fan of Batman as well and had to say how much I enjoyed seeing Michael Keaton’s Batman, the Batman of my childhood, treated perfectly.  What an absolute thrill it was to see the 1989 costume, cave and Batmobile again, with great action moments, one liners, and stuff he didn’t get to do or couldn’t do thirty years ago.  Unlike other franchises which bring back old favorites in sequels years later only to either give them nothing to do, or deconstruct them, or both, Keaton’s Batman (and even the final scene!) was a refreshing change. 

All in all, this was a decent enough movie with some fantastic fan service.  Whether you know anything about the lead actor’s off screen problems or not (if not, just keep it that way), Ezra Miller does not have the presence or charisma to carry any movie by himself.  Even so, story was good, the effects were good enough, and unlike a lot of other reviewers I didn’t think this was a bad film.  The nods to all the characters and films that fans have loved in the past alone make this movie worth watching. 

Now on to Superman: Legacy!