Probably the most orthodox fans of DC superheroes will turn up their noses at The Flash, which debuts this Thursday (15) in theaters. And this must happen because the film is a mess, almost during its entire projection, of two hours and 24 minutes. A comedy disguised as an action movie, more or less like the first Shazam (2019), as fun as this debut.
The film’s greatest merit is that it doesn’t take itself seriously, making fun of some of Warner’s own misconceptions, such as the fact that one day it had considered casting Nicolas Cage as Superman. But more radical influencers who have already seen the film are already protesting the film’s supposedly excessive humor. But, let’s face it, when superheroes want to take themselves too seriously or, for example, go through existential and philosophical crises, it gets kind of pathetic. And most of the time it doesn’t.
| Michael Keaton lives Batman in a parallel universe |
And, like it or not, another great virtue of this release is the presence of Ezra Miller in the title role. The 30-year-old actor went through a series of problems with the American Justice, having been arrested more than once accused of theft, involvement in fights and home invasion. But Ezra, also known for his performance in Fantastic Beasts, manages to win over the viewer, although, for that, it is necessary to forget the reels in which the actor was involved in the American court.
The story
In DC’s new adventure, Barry Allen – the name of the “human” The Flash, before he became the hero – discovers that, with his incredible speed, he is able to travel through time. And, that way, he could prove that his father, Henry, about to go to trial, is not guilty of the death of the boy’s mother. But then he realizes: if he can travel to exonerate his father, why not prevent his mother’s death?
And what you see from then on is something very similar to other films that have already dealt with time travel, a theme that is exhaustively treated in cinema. In the case of The Flash, it refers mainly to two feature films: Back to the Future and The Butterfly Effect. The first, incidentally, is explicitly remembered, when it gives rise to one of the film’s good jokes.
There is yet another similarity to Back to the Future: Batman/Bruce Wayne played by Ben Affleck in this The Flash works as an adviser to Barry and warns him to forget the idea of time travel: “You can destroy all”. Impossible not to remember Dr. Brown (Christopher Lloyd) advising Marty McFly, when the teenager wants to go to the past to become a millionaire doing sports betting, since he will already know the result of all the games.
But, stubborn, Barry does not listen to Bruce Wayne and decides to face the trip. The result, of course, is that he, by creating a parallel universe to save his mother’s life, discovers a world in which there are no superheroes like Superman and Wonder Woman. And how can he alone save the planet, which is in danger?
In the parallel universe, the only remnant of a hero he finds is a retired Batman, who lives almost like a pauper in his mansion. One detail: this other Batman is no longer Ben Affleck, but Michael Keaton, who played the hero in the 1989 film, directed by Tim Burton. And more confusion: Barry will find another version of himself, a slightly confused and confused teenager, who is far from ready to be a superhero capable of saving the world.
So don’t go expecting epic battles, terrible villains, stunning action scenes – although there are some – nor superheroes who walk in a straight line all the time. And, if you follow this recipe, you’ll have a great chance of having fun in those almost two and a half hours, which goes by pretty quickly.
Showing at Cinemark Salvador Shopping; UCI (Paralela, Barra and Shopping da Bahia); Metha Glauber Rocha; Cinepolis (Bela Vista, Salvador Norte and Parque Shopping Bahia)
