(Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Flash is the win that the DCU has been looking for, an action-packed crowd-pleaser with a lot of heart and humor.

Given the very public upheavals and controversies surrounding Warner Brothers and their handling of the DC properties, it is no wonder that there is a lot riding on the success of The Flash. We can all breathe easy now as, amidst all the uneasiness about the future of many of our fan-favorite characters, this movie is an oasis of fun in a sea of uncertainty.

Barry Allen’s life has been shaped by the death of his mother and the subsequent incarceration of his father who was convicted of the crime. When not running around saving the world with the Justice League as the Flash, Barry spends his time putting criminals away as a forensic scientist for the Central City Police and trying to prove his father’s innocence.

At one of the lowest points in his life, Barry discovers he has the ability to change the past, to go back and, as he puts it, “fix things”. Of course, he does, and that’s where the movie picks up.

There is surprisingly a lot to unpack in The Flash, as it deals with a lot of issues and themes alongside the usual superhero task of saving the world.

Through a series of missteps, Barry ends up meeting his past self, to hysterical results. Barry’s alternate younger self had a very different life than he did, making him a very different person.

Much of the comedy comes from him trying to deal with his younger, more cavalier self, while at the same time ironically wondering how he could ever be so impulsive and stupid. Though the similarities are evident, the two versions are played so dramatically differently that you often just forget that they are played by the same person.

However you might feel about Ezra Miller’s actions and behavior in real life, he showed his acting chops by convincingly playing both versions of Barry.

Finally the center of attention, Flash comes into his own, as we get to explore his little corner of the DC Universe. Barry himself goes through some character growth from grief-stricken youth to a more mature young adult. His conversations with himself, while often comedic, reveal much about what makes him tick as a person, and as a hero.

But his powers and how they work are also expounded upon to great effect. We see that it’s not all fun and games, as his powers have consequences that have to be addressed, such as friction, energy dissipation, and a hyper-accelerated metabolism that leaves him often ravenously hungry. How Barry has learned to deal with them speaks volumes about his character, and hints that he’s not just that kid hanging out with the big kids, not anymore, and we are slowly convinced that he deserves his spot on the team.

For a movie about the Flash though, there is, seriously, a heck of a lot of Batman in it, both the latest Ben Affleck iteration and the classic Michael Keaton version from the 90s. Affleck is more at home in the batsuit than he’s ever been, expertly exuding that quiet, nothing-fazes-me aura that the caped crusader has been known to have.

As Bruce Wayne however, he is a bit more somber, but with enough vulnerability to be a believable sounding board and friend to the less emotionally stable Barry. There’s a vibe they share both in and out of costume that would make for a good buddy-comedy if only the film gods would allow it.

Keaton’s Batman is a bit older, a bit further along his road as a crime-fighter, but still hasn’t lost any of his potency or any of his nostalgia. The mere fact that Keaton put on the batsuit again broke the internet, and to see him in action after so long is a thrill in itself worth the price of admission. And thanks to modern-day visual effects, Batman kicks butt and takes names like never before.

But however much nostalgia is thrown at you as the film goes on, it never becomes a crutch. The movie is solid enough on its own that it can stand proudly without leaning on excessive fan service. Barry’s journey remains the most important thing in the movie and never gets drowned out by the din of yesteryear.

Rudy Mancuso, Ezra Miller, Saoirse-Monica Jackson

Sadly, the last person to round out their cast, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl doesn’t get much development. Calle does her best with what is given, however, and succeeds in making her Supergirl at least a likable character.

The source material for the film was 2011’s Flashpoint event which became the endpoint of one universe and the beginning of another. One, therefore, cannot easily shake the feeling that this may well be the swansong of the current “Snyderverse”, as the DCU is endearingly called.

With strong performances by the cast, dazzling visuals, and a solid character-driven story, the Flash is a fun superhero film sure to satisfy viewers, delight fans, and leave everyone in a better frame of mind than when they came in. If this does mark the end of one cinematic universe, it is a worthy closing chapter to a decade of DC Heroes on the silver screen. At the same time may it also set the bar for future DC movies to come.