The Flash is a Trainwreck

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There's a solid movie buried in DC's The Flash somewhere, but that's not what we ended up with.
Music by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)
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Special thanks to Andrew Elliott (Stalli111: / stalli111 ) for editing this video!

[@captainmidnight]

What did you think of The Flash? Compare news coverage from diverse sources around the world on a transparent platform driven by data. Try Ground News today: ground.news/captainmidnight

[@chasehedges6775]

It looked mediocre/average/meh

[@NobleRaider2747]

I gave it an 8/10, or 4 stars I actually expected it to be worse, but I was pleasantly surprised

[@plazmagaming5144]

I actually enjoyed it. It was better than my expectations going in and I like the departures from the classic flashpoint story

[@eamonclark4952]

Sasha Calle’s Supergirl is the standout and my favorite character in the film

[@HoodedSpidey]

Despite having an inconsistent story, this flick hit home for my parents. All the jokes landed, they felt the emotional beats, and nostalgia did it’s charm. 9/10 to them. My older brother is a massive Marvel fan & was personally praying on 'The Flash’s downfall. He saw through what he considered cheap cameos and laughed at things like the poor CGI, Ezra’s acting, Kryptonian nerfing, and how the ending undermines the entire plot. 3/10 for him. Being a DC fan who wants to see the brand win, I would’ve given this movie a solid 7. However, Warner Bros has been entirely too disrespectful to the legacy of Snyder, Affleck, Cavill(ESPECIALLY him), Ayer, and several other creative talents; ultimately leaving a bad taste in my mouth. By the halfway point, I felt a numbness I hadn’t felt since Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness. I stopped caring about anything that was gonna happen because nothing mattered. My enjoyment of the flash is a 5.5/10 at the highest, but all things considered regarding basic storytelling craft, it’s a 1.3/10.

[@LREHAnimation]

I read somewhere that Warner Bros. BEGGED Christian Bale to perform a cameo in this movie, and he ‘refused’. That just warms my heart.

[@commandercaptain4664]

I believe his retort to Warners was “OH GOOOOOD FOR YOOOOUUU!”.

[@unclecousin5782]

ITS FUCKING DISTRACTING

[@merloaf0332]

if you’re reading this and you actually believe what op said than pls look into more of it. all these famous media sites ran what Kevin Smith said was legit so he came out to say it mere speculation, not legitimate. a good example of false info your spreading rn lol.

[@BayAreaRushHour]

It’s likely that it was supposed to be him and not George Clooney at the end

[@tjarkschweizer]

The sigma bale.

[@realwaifus5514]

One of the funniest defences I’ve heard is that the affects are supposed to look bad because “it’s from Barry’s perspective so of course it would look weird.” Yes, because that totally explains why Supergirl becomes a PS3 model every time she moves.

[@ztsyib4126]

I can acknowledge it being done on purpose because Sasha supergirl, zod, iris, Ben affleck Batman looked very cartoony when flash entered the flash point but I just wanna know why they did that?

[@SolaceMcfly]

This explanation made no sense since even when he's not moving or other characters aren't even going that fast the cg still looks horrible

[@martinianoarroyo4451]

I think it makes a little bit of sense if you acknowledge it in the movie. If flash 1 told flash 2 "hey and when we move fast everything looks weird to us" or something like that, it would have made more sense. Not everyone would like that because, as you said, there are still moments where flash isn't on scene and they look weird, but still better than not saying anything in the movie and expecting people to say "yes it makes perfect sense as it is"

[@commandercaptain4664]

I liked the stretching body and eyeball effects. That’s about it.

[@SolaceMcfly]

@@commandercaptain4664 some of the effects made me feel like i was on shrooms or acid I actually liked that

[@DrMadd]

I think what made those cameos at the end extra bad was how even ignoring the ethics they're really boring cameos. They chose to resurrect the most famous superhero actor in history and the best thing they could come up with for him to do was just stand looking emotionless. At that point why not just use stock footage?

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

The biggest problem is they weren't real versions of those characters just soulless cgi doubles and it's just creepy to see that unlike Spider-Man no way home, the animated spider verse movies and doctor strange 2 that actually brought back past Spider-Man and marvel characters with their actors either physically being there on set or voicing those characters that made those cameos special and cool man

[@benjaminjenkins394]

What I can’t understand is why not have a Grant Gustin cameo!? It really felt like a slap in the face of all that show (well at least the first couple of seasons) did for the Flash.

[@linkdk59]

@@benjaminjenkins394 Gotta say, it's weird that in a Flash movie, they did have TV batman, TV superman, but not TV flash

[@sam7732]

not to mention they picked cameos that aren't just in poor taste, but also are wildly unrecognizable to anyone under the age of like 25 unless you're a hardcore DC fan - what 12 year old kid is going to recognize George Reeves, or know about Nic Cage's unproduced Superman film, or the critically reviled Helen Slater Supergirl film? Why not pick versions of those characters that modern audiences might actually recognize - Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, Melissa Benoist, Grant Gustin, etc

[@Dave102693]

Hollywood not using deepfakes and text to video generators challenge (impossible)

[@snelldor1474]

I always kind of find it weird that they’re doing a Flashpoint movie without even including the main catalyst that killed Barry’s Mom and started to road to make Barry’s life as miserable as possible. Eobard Thawne. The Reverse-Flash.

[@KevvoLightswift]

Someone posted some fan art of the actor who plays Homelander cast as Reverse Flash (never watched that show so I don't know his name), and it legit looked amazing.

[@HITSQUADCartoonsChannel]

Apparently, the reverse flash was in the original cut of the movie but was later scrapped and cut out as the movie was becoming too overcrowded with characters.

[@MrRmmk1]

​@HITSQUADCartoonsChannel too over crowded 😂😂 so they took out the most important character

[@KevvoLightswift]

@@HITSQUADCartoonsChannel If true, that's sad. But not surprising.

[@lalakuma9]

Can't believe they didn't make his dead mother's name "Martha" too

[@bonchbonch]

It was strange to see Keaton's Batman out in broad daylight and leaping into a group of armed thugs. I always thought of him as the kind of Batman who would ambush from the shadows or use a smoke bomb or something.

[@ARmirzaful]

Yes he comes out at night. He is okay with cops doing their job.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Michael Keaton Batman not like sunlight

[@michaelwallace9461]

He comes out at night. Mostly

[@concept5631]

Considering how bad this film is let's be glad Keaton wasn't ruined as terribly.

[@Luke101]

9:08 Hands down one of the most human moments in a superhero film ever. Aunt May is the only person in Peter’s life at that point who’s on his side, and he sacrifices that to give her closure. I just love Spider-Man 2 so much. With all the grandiose action and spectacle, it never forgets about *character*

[@FedoraKirb]

This is what I’ve been telling people for years. Stories are made of three pillars: plot, world, and character. There’s not much room to experiment with plot in superhero movies, so they tend to be at their best when they focus on the character, and how the plot and world affect THEM.

[@pratik92]

Marvel also builds a very rich world. There’s a scene in Endgame when Tony, Natasha and Hulk are lying down on the floor and brainstorming the locations of the stones and they crack it. It's such a good scene. A very casual setup, something any of us would to. DC is devoid of such moments.

[@thomasgolds4585]

People aren’t sick of superhero movies - we’re sick of bad ones…

[@greenkoopa]

I want a tight story, I challenge them to make a superhero movie set on a quarter mile of road in 1 neighborhood

[@ssunsspott5170]

I just want a closed storyline. That's it. Have it be isolated and not part of some larger cinematic universe, I just want to enjoy one solid contained story

[@frownline1]

I wish we could have a superhero movie that doesn’t have world ending stakes, give us a story that has heart and a decent plot and some real earnest characterisation.

[@user-ur9cr3mn6l]

I'm getting sick of superhero movies that fails and multiverse storylines why not every film does a have a decent plot and good stories for once😡

[@hahahahaha904]

Spider-verse is proof of that

[@justinriley]

Me, I'm just glad this movie is finally out, and that we're one step closer to the DCEU being laid to rest.

[@LuisSierra42]

only to be resurrected yet again

[@LeBearr]

Ik I’m excited for the Snyder stuff to be done and it to completely restart with Gunn

[@littledudefromacrossthestr5755]

​@@LeBearrcringe

[@cormacthem8406]

My thoughts exactly. Give it closure and kick that lackluster coffin into the abyss. Good riddance.

[@cormacthem8406]

⁠@@littledudefromacrossthestr5755 what’s actually cringe is wanting Snyder to continue these franchises after he effectively nose dived them into a burning heap of mediocrity. Let it go bud. 🤷‍♂️

[@TheAlphaLegionnaire]

I always felt trying to adapt Flashpoint as Flash’s first big screen solo outing was a strange choice. I’ve always considered it an “Avengers/JL” level event. Especially since most of the JL show up in some form.

[@nick72799]

also without even using the Reverse Flash lol

[@TheAlphaLegionnaire]

@@PaytonMollo If they would have at least done the Atlantean/Themyscaran war instead of trying for an Aquaman sequel, and if they would have included reverse flash, I think it could have been a fun JL movie. Maybe even ol’ Negan as the Thomas Wayne Batman.

[@shadyguy23]

I think the DCEU's biggest problem in general (besides my own personal gripes with the movies) has been rushing to huge events rather than actually providing build-up to said events. Like, say what you will about some of the recent and weaker MCU entries, we at least got time to build up most of the characters before they appeared in big team up movies. Aside from teasers/cameos, the DCEU *introduced* most of its characters in team-up movies, and some of those major characters (Batman, Cyborg), never even got a solo movie, while The Flash skipped over the origin story and jumped right into one of the biggest events for the character rather than stopping to make people care about him as a character first (which again is a strength of the MCU - they get you to like the characters so up until recently people would still go see the movies even when they're...not great). Ending this era of the DCEU on a speedster feels very appropriate when their strategy up to this point has been to do a speedrun of their most famous stories.

[@CalebByRamen]

It wasnt a JL event on the TV Show either.

[@dominiquepowell3158]

Yeah I mean the story could have been better but I rather see like other flash stories just focusing on him!

[@eatatjoes6751]

What's even worse about the George Reeve cameo is that it technically traps him in the role again but he can't say shit about it because he's *dead.*

[@malachi412]

That’s exactly what he said.

[@losoloaded4038]

For real and with these new ai voices that would be a shame for the studio to do that

[@commandercaptain4664]

They show George Reeves Superman but not the Fleischers version?

[@BillyAtwood1216]

You’ve never watched a George Reeve anything and probably never heard of him till this movie

[@malachi412]

@@BillyAtwood1216 Uhm most people have watched gone with the wind. Kinda weird to blinding assume people haven’t seen anything he was in when he started acting 10-11 years before he was cast as superman.

[@DrEnzyme]

"I will continue to mourn the Batman Beyond movie we could've had." You and me both. Old man Bruce was amazing there.

[@Whatacomedian_]

I dont believe that story. I fell like they threw rhat iut there hurt the fans for not supportjng their movie lol

[@jimmyboy7817]

They were hoping to repeat the success of Spiderman No Way Home. I remember being surprised how well they pulled the main twist off because I was afraid Tobey Macquire and Andrew Garfield would be in brief cameos. Instead, what I was afraid of applied to The Flash.

[@blackosprey2219]

DCEU died as it lived, desperately trying to imitate the MCU.

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

@@blackosprey2219 they first tried to imitate the Nolan Dark Knight trilogy with Man of Steel. That was the whole reason they hired Zack Snyder.

[@gersonguimaraes9860]

​@@DavidMartinez-ce3lpThe dark knight trilogy isn't even MCU tho

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

@@gersonguimaraes9860 I never said it was. I'm saying the reason they hired Snyder is because his vision was closer to what Nolan would've done if he made a Superman movie.

[@commandercaptain4664]

@DavidMartinez-ce3lp. To the point of even hiring Nolan to write and produce it.

[@WesleyMarsh9758]

The ironic thing about this movie is that despite it being better than most people assume, it uses plot elements like Keaton’s Batman and Michael Shannon’s Zod that remind you of much better movies

[@thewolfofwallstreet627]

Not to mention, you can tell this was mostly done as a cash grab. Don't get me wrong, most superhero films are, but this one was so blatantly obvious imo. What sucks even more for Gunn is that now that he said this movie was the best superhero movie he's ever seen, nobody is going to believe him the next time he says that again, which isn't good considering he needs superman legacy to hit the ground running. Contrary to the BS that John Campea says, the reality is that if the movie underperforms in any type of way, then Gunn is doa from that point onward with his DCU.

[@SolaceMcfly]

​@@thewolfofwallstreet627i completely agree definitely was a cash grab

[@jingleballs9935]

@@thewolfofwallstreet627damn true. I didn’t know James gun said that

[@Whalewraith]

Dont get why they would revisit Zod & leave Henry out.

[@thewolfofwallstreet627]

@@Whalewraith I don't understand how going back in time leads to multiversal characters being swapped. Like how does preventing Barry's mom's death from happening lead to Batfleck being replaced by Keaton's Batman, who's much older? That literally makes no sense, and it makes me think that the writers were just making stuff up because they thought it was cool without really putting any real thought into the story itself.

[@Mattmurdockk431]

The actress' name is Maribel Verdú and she's been making movies in Spain for ages. She also had a part in 1992's Belle Epoque, one of the few Spanish movies been awarded an Oscar.

[@MelodyTCG]

The biggest issue for me is I felt lied to We were told this movie would act as the reset for DC but in the end it didn't reset anything.

[@kevintyson1947]

Its why Im pissed. It was the ONLY reason why I went to patronized criminal miller

[@MelodyTCG]

@@kevintyson1947 exactly. DC didn't keep saying that I wouldn't have seen it

[@windghost2]

Agreed 100% and to piggy back on that. I was hoping for a good movie to watch and talk a lot about. Asides from the Speed Force scenes, that’s all I really want to talk about.

[@concept5631]

​@@MelodyTCG *WB, not DC

[@robboyte1101]

6:23-6:50 -- That's exactly what made the Affleck Batman so interesting to me. This is a middle-aged, seasoned Batman. Still highly skilled and capable, but mature, thoughtful, and far more aware of his vulnerability and mortality. A solo Batfleck movie could've explored that wonderfully. I tell you, that was a MISSED opportunity.

[@KevvoLightswift]

The solo Batfleck was slated to be a horror movie, with Deathstroke killing off all Batman's friends. No thanks. Not interested in such a grim tale.

[@robboyte1101]

@@KevvoLightswift Do you have a link for that? Because I never read or heard anything about that.

[@AvengingTiki]

Regardless of what he was or wasn’t planning it feels like Affleck walked away from the project because the studio wasn’t going to give him enough leeway to make the movie he wanted. He is a shockingly good director, and I was very excited when he agreed to direct a solo Batman movie; but wasn’t surprised when he ultimately walked away.

[@KevvoLightswift]

@@robboyte1101 I'll see what I can find for you.

[@robboyte1101]

@@KevvoLightswift 👍

[@Jason-xt8br]

The two Barry plot line was so annoying, but one of the more unnecessary issues with the movie was the cameo scene. What made Reeve's Superman, Adam West's Batman, and even Helen Slater's Supergirl good was the performance. Without the actual actors bringing relatability to their roles, it was essentially just a video game cutscene.

[@Jason-xt8br]

@@nicholasmeyer6116 Yeah, I guess your right. It's more of a personal issue, but the overall acting was a major problem, because of the main actors. Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle had basically nothing to work with, and Ezra Miller is an awful actor. Had they recasted him, they would have avoided not only the offscreen controversy and had a better flash actor to hold the movie together.

[@d3l3tes00n]

@@nicholasmeyer6116 They need to stop doing it with dead actors.

[@robertfrost8264]

@@d3l3tes00n They need to stop "de aging" living actors. The tech is trash. When Micky Mouse hires a dude making deepfakes on his home PC you know it's garbage.

[@minerman60101]

(I haven't seen the movie) That's an insult to video game cutscenes; they can have amazing voice acting, just look at a lot of the ones in Elden Ring. Morgott's is my favorite, but Rykard, Maliketh, Mohg, Godrick... so many great cutscenes which are pushed into being amazing by the voice acting.

[@sadchild9478]

@@nicholasmeyer6116it’s a major problem because a better scene could’ve been put there instead of what we got.

[@jknetwork6211]

Imagine being a huge fan of the Flash and just getting kicked in the balls left and right from the terrible series finale and then with this movie

[@stellviahohenheim]

You kept watching the series when they gaslight you over and over by telling the flash can't grow

[@ligokleftis]

on the other hand… spider-man fans are eating well

[@DarrinBell]

I’ve loved the character since Crisis on Infinite Earths in the Eighties. And I was a huge fan of the series for about four or five seasons. It went off the rails after that, but I’m still happy I got to see several good seasons of it. The film was fine. But Sasha Calle’s Supergirl upstaged The Flash, and I left the theater hoping she’ll be the one actor from that film who makes it into Gunn’s rebooted DC universe.

[@dr.balance3377]

at least the comics are good!

[@SuperSteph5]

As a Flash fan, it was pretty cool to see him get his own movie and showcase some of his powers like phasing.

[@kevingiven3463]

I liked the Nicholas Cage cameo as Superman, since he poured time and effort into hopefully bringing his version to life, only to have it cancelled.

[@misterzygarde6431]

As a fan of Shenmue the Animation and Fena Pirate Princess. I can’t tell you how cathartic it feels to see the Flash bomb seeing as David Zaslav wrote those shows off but kept the Flash despite Ezra Miller doing… what Ezra Miller does.

[@BoTheJo]

What zaslav is behind shenmue being cancelled?!?? I have even more beef with bro now

[@thema1998]

​@@BoTheJo I didn't know that those shows, the English dubs of those shows if you want to get technical, were written off until recently. I seriously question what David Zaslav is doing sometimes. Writing off so many shows and movies has actually caused Warner Bros. Discovery to *lose* more money than to save money! You'd think that he get the hint by now. 😒

[@Dave102693]

@@thema1998he’s gearing up for a fire sale

[@commandercaptain4664]

@Dave102693 Precisely. Executives no longer produce anything, now they’re just scalpers selling to other scalpers in a sick monopolistic ouroboros.

[@GPS_DS]

This has been one of the most divisive films I’ve seen. Not just cause of all the controversies surrounding it, but just discussing the movies quality. Some people really like this movie, some people despise it.

[@GuinessHangover]

I have yet to hear one person other than a shill movie critic claim to like this movie. I rarely walk out of movies, and I walked out 45 minutes into this. It was PAINFULLY bad.

[@SamaritanPrime]

It’s fitting, in a way. The DCEU started with a very divisive film, and now it ends with one.

[@GPS_DS]

@@SamaritanPrime It’s like poetry, sort of, they rhyme.

[@blackosprey2219]

​@@GuinessHangoverI've heard some say they really liked small bits of it, usually the stuff with barry's family and especially the mom. Not much besides.

[@GuinessHangover]

@@blackosprey2219 unfortunately some small moments of heart couldn't offset how off-putting two Ezra Miller's are, and how disjointed the rest of the movie is. It's clearly a movie that was heavily micromanaged by a studio, and is completely lacking in anything resembling a compelling story.

[@QuestionMan]

You shouldn't be sad that you never got an Affleck Batman film. Not because Affleck wouldn't have been great, but because the movie wouldn't have been great and Affleck's great portrayal wouldn't have been enough to save it. That's the part to be sad about.

[@aprophetofrng9821]

I hope they fully scrap every element of the hot garbage that is the DCEU. I'm sure Gunn will keep his favorites like John Cena as Peacemaker and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. And honestly The Suicide Squad movie from him was one of the three actually good DCEU movies (those being Wonder Woman, Shazam, and Gunn's Suicide Squad). I'm alright with those characters being kept. But everything else, trash it, throw it in a garbage disposal. Zack Snyder just doesn't know how to make a superhero movie, and he played a major part in why the DCEU sucked so much ass.

[@mottom2657]

@@aprophetofrng9821 A well, thought-out comment! Kudos!

[@DumbMonsta]

Something that I hated they never even try to find out who killed her… Like they played like whoever killed her is an unstoppable “And then somebody killed her!” Who? “And then his father was blamed!” Who killed her? “And then Barry is sad!

[@mohammednaseefbinmashood2722]

My cousin thought George Clooney just appeared as himself at the end of the movie for some reason and just rolled with it at that point

[@SZRLM]

Cap usually has a very forgiving take on movies and even he can't do that with this one. Let that sink in for a bit.

[@alejandroponce5234]

The film was garbage.

[@madtitan0825]

Personally the movie is fine but after watching it, it does piss me off with how desperate the studio try to sell this film as “one of the greatest superhero film of all time” and endless celebrities praising it like did we watch two different movie???

[@lanalan4157]

Trash

[@DoctorJammer]

Midnight is just super biased, he basically admitted it. The movie was fine. The action sequences were quite good, easy to follow and not just endless punching. The cameos were not as egregious as he makes them out to be.

[@lanalan4157]

@@DoctorJammer copium is strong in you lol

[@LeleJackMusic]

I don't hear anyone talking about the weird implications of having the Keaton and Clooney Batmen in the same movie. The understanding, I assumed, was that the first four Batman movies were the same Batman who had been recast. But now they're different Batmen from different universes.

[@commandercaptain4664]

With the same Alfred! He’s the key to everything…

[@FiraDeviant]

Its kinda shocking how hard a time DC has with making a freaking solo movie. Because making it a solo movie should be easy by NOT INCLUDING FREAKING BATMAN

[@commandercaptain4664]

That requires Warners to actually know the character’s lore and fashion a cogent story about it, which is anathema to any executive worth one’s Brookes Brothers suit.

[@JaeTheGent]

They left him in the Schumacher Universe and I find that HILARIOUS 😂

[@CalebByRamen]

So you would say Aquaman is in the Schumacher universe?

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Hope he likes neon…

[@cinderefell1399]

Quiet scenes that really put gravity on the situation is missing from most movies these days. Everything's a joke when the time calls for quiet moments.

[@reizak8966]

A line from the reboot of The Karate Kid said it best: "You gotta play through the pauses." Moments of silence in a song are just as important as the notes. It's the same with film.

[@Baikanon]

To be honest, while it had some very odd moments, I enjoyed the over the top scenes like saving the babies, and I appreciate the film being willing to dip into the emotional moments. The weakest part of it is definitely everything that isn’t Flash - which is a lot, unfortunately

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

When I saw Superman with long hair I thought "that CANNOT be Nick Cage, that movie never got made" - sure enough it was him

[@itstaemonson]

I finally watched the movie today and kept thinking that Keaton was gonna play Thomas Wayne. I had completely forgotten that he was playing Bruce.

[@maryjaneshoe-fm4yr]

Good review. You are one of the very few reviewers to allude to the refridgerator mother trope present in this movie. The mom exists for the sole purpose of giving the protagonist, Barry, a motivation to act the way he does. This is why there is little flesh on the bones of her character. Barry doesn't care about his mom's life outside her relationship with him so the movie doesn't either.

[@ShadowSonic2]

To be fair, it's the same with Uncle Ben (most of the time) and Martha Wayne too

[@malikpierre-louis3343]

​@@ShadowSonic2I mean yeah but Uncle Ben or Martha Wayne aren't the center of conflict, Barry's mom is the focus of flashpoint and she barely has character.

[@drewforchic9083]

I'm going to be completely honest. I knew about Nic Cage almost being Superman, and even the bit about him fighting a giant spider monster in his cancelled movie. I'd been fairly underwhelmed throughout The Flash movie until then, but Nic Cage's appearance got the biggest reaction out of me, because I completely wasn't expecting it, but instantly got the joke. I laughed out loud in the theater and got looks because I'm pretty confident I was the only one there (the theater was pretty empty) who understood the reference. The other cameos felt tasteless, since those actors have passed; if it had been just the Nic Cage one, it would have been better, since it's a nod, with his consent, to something he wanted but never had. It's kind of a condemnation of the movie that CGI-Nic-Cage-Inside-Joke-Cameo was my favorite part, but hey, what can you do.

[@KnightOfNewColu]

My girlfriend was so confused, I felt like the biggest nerd having to explain it later.

[@nickasaro8789]

THANK YOU! My big problem with Keaton as Batman in this movie is that there weren’t any references or thematic callbacks to ‘89 or Returns or any reason to have it be this version of Batman beyond the music and like 1 line. Like you said, it could have been swapped out for any version of the character.

[@swegeroni]

This is finally a review I agree with. Almost none of this movie worked for me aside from that Bruce and Barry scene with Ben Affleck and the scene of Barry and his mom. And I agree, the cameo scene dashed any good will I had for this movie. And it sucks, because I love Keaton and his Batman. But none of it worked for me. Bringing him back and hyping up Supergirl just to kill them over and over again was just unnecessary. But on the bright side, another great video. Always love hearing your takes.

[@thepubknight6144]

What's their obsession with showing Erza with sauce all over his mouth and chin in every trailer? Is that really important to the plot?.

[@Yannis1a]

And the thing is that you can have a movie with a lot of cameos and make it work like Across the spiderverse where you had so many cameo, but they felt more like they were use to expand the multiverse of the movie and more to add to the setting than just a wink and a nod to the audience

[@ericadventures5045]

I liked Keaton's batman. He had a bit of his character arc where he finally got to be batman again and fight one more time for someone who also lost his parents like he did. When Flash said, "Im sorry I couldnt save you" and he said, "You already did." That hit man bc it showed that he finally got his final fight in and got to die fighting. I think keaton was a bright spot in the movie 😅

[@vaxes]

I think you missed something massive. Keaton's Batman says that Gotham is the safest place on the earth. This is a Batman who has completed his mission, what would Batman become without any purpose and without any Alfred to guide him.

[@commandercaptain4664]

A nostalgia feat as this and No Way Home were really hamper the kind of superhero stories that could be possible, as if to say that “multiverse” is shorthand for “lore shmore, it’s easter egg time”. What’s even more exasperating is that the digital cameos just stand there doing jag all instead of participating, resulting in what could have been a wild movie that the Spiderverse ones easily achieve. Once again, cartoons excel over live action that uses cartoons as an embarrassing crutch.

[@ShadowSonic2]

Well, cartoons can do stuff that would just look weird in Live Action.

[@ionutcristian9650]

Nothing can save the movie from Miller's running. Recasting is a must.

[@DarrinBell]

That scene where he ran like that without his powers was enough to save it from his running. It was hilariously awkward.

[@KevvoLightswift]

Recast as Lucas Til or Grant Gustin.

[@DrFroyd123]

When captain midnight makes a review, I listen carefully

[@JeonardShadby505]

Now whenever I watch BATMAN '89 or BATMAN RETURNS, I'll always remind myself that this universe's Batman will now canonically die in the future after coming out of retirement to fight a giant alien robot, which does absolutely nothing to kill said robot.

[@KnightOfNewColu]

I kinda wonder if he’s just a universe adjacent Batman. Like a Batman similar to ‘89 and ‘92 but not THAT Batman specifically. I’ll have to see the movie with subs on streaming to see. That would bum me out too if true.

[@gordybishop2375]

They never addressed the lack of bat guano in the bat cave with all them bats

[@abdelali9279]

6:23 7:10 thank you for reminding me about the speculation about a Batman Beyond to appear alongside Keaton's Batman, that would've been just perfect, and the action scenes also would've made sense since Batman Beyond's suit is like an Iron Man suit but skin tight.

[@lingram001]

Actually enjoyed the movie way more than most of the other DCEU films. Brighter, lighter and more cheerful than those dark, grunge flicks they usually put out.

[@ShadoSpartan44]

i actually enjoyed this movie, even though i thought it was too "cartoony" for my liking. I am one of those synder fans, but i respect your opinion and agree in some areas. The main I think is you'll have a good time with the movie, especially if you've been following the DCEU so far.

[@luffylength]

Barry: claps a Kryptonian by phasing his hand through his chest easily. Barry: *Spends rest of movie confused on how to kill a Kryptonian*

[@dsnein]

I hate it when people don’t account for marketing in the cost announcement of a movie. Rule of thumb is that marketing is usually 1:1 cost of production. Ads are expensive. Don’t let Hollywood play off how much money they waste on crap.

[@commandercaptain4664]

1:1 is a fallacy established by fanwhiners who want failures to justify their dorklordship over others. The expense varies from film to film and is always factored into the overall ad budget of any studio’s fiscal year expenditures.

[@dsnein]

@@commandercaptain4664 Now explain how people ignore that usually films take 50% of domestic box office gross, and less overseas, which means they need to double the budget to break even. There is no fallacy here, just your nitpick. The point that people regularly ignore or are unaware of decent ballparking metrics for film profit remains. "it made 250 million and costed that you guys, its gonna profit the haters lose!" or something along those lines is a common sight and has no basis in fact.

[@DarkKnightofAnime]

I came out of the movie liking it more than I disliked it but there were still moments here and there that did have me scratching my head I think the biggest problem I have with this movie though is it felt like there were scenes left on the cutting room floor that would’ve helped in connecting one scene to the next better

[@solvseus]

Though I also enjoyed it, this is probably my biggest criticism next to the rubbery CGI and problematic actor.

[@formerfilmstudent8349]

Excellent video as always

[@Zombiesnyder13]

I still enjoyed this movie a lot

[@thestarkknightreturns]

I took this movie as my very last chance to watch my two favorite versions of Batman in one same movie. With that perspective, the movie doesn't disappoint: Affleck and Keaton are arguably at the top of their acting game portraying these versions of the same character. It also gave me one of my favorite top 3 Batsuits, in Bat-Keaton's new costume. Aside from that, it is also a movie filled with references to past versions of Superman which I particularly enjoyed. It was good to see, even for a still, Christopher Reeve's fundamental version of Superman onscreen one more time. On that note, I find amusing how little the movie cared about alternate versions of the actual Flash, the title character. I find it weird that Grant Gustin's and John Wesley Shipp's versions of the Flash went unnoticed.

[@e-scope]

Completely agree, it’s crazy how you just share the exact opinions as me. Great video

[@danieldevito6380]

I wanna know whose idea was it to have not just 1 Ezra Miller on screen, but 2. The Flash isn't a superhero movie, it's a horror movie and the 2 Ezra Millers are the monsters.

[@MetalGearRaxis]

Jesus christ, why are the close-ups of his face in-costume so deeply unsettling for me?

[@clearspira]

But... Batman wouldn't have helped more people if he ''just gave all his money away'' as the main reason why Bruce is a hero is because he's rich. He even admits this in the Joss Cut as being his only superpower. Every time he's saved the world/galaxy/universe is because he was able to afford the very best equipment. And anyway, Wayne Enterprises has a charitable foundation as part of it. He's already giving away vast amounts of his wealth.

[@alejandrotoro9676]

I think it’s just people trying to do a hot take because he is rich and there is a bunch of bad rich people out there. But like he is a guy dressed as a bat like he is not real and neither is Gotham. Can’t we just enjoy a story of a guy in a bat suit fighting a crazy clown 😅

[@commandercaptain4664]

Giving all his money away would solve very little because he’s only a billionaire, and absolutely no one could ever outspend the government. The problem being that he’s lived this long in his quest to save Gotham, but it still remains a gaping peepeebutthole. What real difference does he ever make? That’s Einstein’s definition of insanity, and there’s nothing heroic about that.

[@mcurran6505]

If DC they ever do another Flash film, I suggest they make Wally West the main lead. Out of all the flashes he is still the most recognizable and likeable of the versions.

[@Dave102693]

Agreed. Make it a Miles Morales Spiderverse type movie too.

[@demarcofilm]

gunn has some serious work to do to rebuild the dc brand

[@chasehedges6775]

Sooo true. At least he went out on a high with with the GOTG movies

[@exe_]

I wonder if they could have just taken the flashpoint Batman, maybe having him be Bruce’s dad would’ve made the actor’s age make sense. Suddenly having a lonely widower of a Batman is interesting enough to see on a theatre.

[@flbeachcat]

Your right! Afleck should’ve had his own movie! Would’ve been better than the flash!

[@ninjanibba4259]

No it wouldn't have, do you people ever learn?

[@turkoala9193]

Something that really bothers me is that the movie really tries to eat its cake and have it too when it comes to time travel. It says that Barry time traveled back in time in his own universe so he could bring his mom back but then says that the time that he went to with younger Barry actually has a different past than his own universe which means that in his own universe his mom still dies. It's basically trying to convince the audience that Barry time traveled when in reality he just hopped timelines but it also implies that by him going back in time to let his mom die the other timeline never occurs so this implies that Barry never actually time travels but rather can bring the multiverse in and out of existence at the snap of a finger and that's super messed up and confuses me so bad since none of it makes sense.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Dimensional time travel is the trickiest of all to function dramatically , and Hollywood is simply incapable of doing it.

[@appliedvisionbaseball]

Your take on Keatons Batman in this film is spot on and so thoughtful. Bravo my friend.

[@HotNickles918]

Batman would never accidentally grab the lasso. He’d figure out a way to use it on Wonder Woman before she ever had the chance to get him

[@delix787]

There was just way too much comedy in this film, Barry 2 was a little overboard being obnoxious!

[@ghostdog5732]

Shut up bruh

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

Even though it looked cool to me seeing both batmen flying around doing impossible things i agree its wierd seeing them do superhuman things that only Spider-Man and moon knight would do

[@jds2386]

I got to say your movie reviews are amazing 👏

[@fulcrum6760]

I like how an out of context and edited clip of the microwave scene crashed this movie.

[@babelr1]

I could be wrong about this, but I think the ending of the flash is actually a lot worse with the interpretation that I walked away with. There's a shot right before the courthouse scene where Barry looks at the cans of tomatoes. And if you remember, Bruce says the footage he got at the beginning of the film never catches his dad looking up to prove he was at the store. So when the footage in the courthouse shows him looking up, I believe it was implied that Barry still altered the past by moving the cans to the top shelf. And for that reason, that's why both George Clooney is in the movie as well as his tooth falling out. For me, that made the ending even worse, cause it shows Barry learned nothing about sacrifice and leaving the past alone, as he thought he could get away with still changing something.

[@wizardwor511]

There was some exposition halfway through about unavoidable events in the timeline. His dad being convicted was apparently unavoidable but his exoneration wasn't I guess

[@RecapsMovieZone]

This is a very interesting video. WOW... wonderful...

[@malachi412]

I like how they were asked for less ezra, and they gave us double the ezra. They could’ve given us a slightly tweaked version of the animated flashpoint movie, and people would have lost their minds.

[@guts311]

How was Keaton 'so poorly used' in the film? I don't get it. I thought his situation and most of his angle/arc was fine and kind of cool, along with his character and most of his lines and acting. Not the best ending to the character but that doesn't ruin it, especially since it's all getting rebooted anyway.

[@KevvoLightswift]

Yeah, I didn't follow Cap on this one. I thought Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle were the best parts of this film. I'd happily watch a solo Supergirl movie with her as Kara (even though Melissa Benoit did a decent job in season 1).

[@IcyDiamond]

I think his main point is that you could’ve replicated him with any Batman and not that much would change. Take Tobey and Andrew in No Way Home, I feel like a lot of what they do in the movie is super dependent on their previous characterization. Like Andrew saving MJ wouldn’t have been as poignant if it were Tobey since he’s saved MJ many times in his universe while Andrew lost Gwen. Personally I still enjoy the movie and Keaton’s cameo but I think Captain Midnight made a fair point.

[@nitehunter91]

​@@IcyDiamond I don't think so. Keaton was the live actions most obsessed Batman with being Batman and had his job taken away by the achievement of his own end goal. He's depressively bored and aching to getting back to action. And I was aching to see him back in action. It matched his character better than the others while reflecting my own condition as a fan of him. Plus, the aging former hero is already a tired trope, in my opinion. I don't understand the fans obsession of a decaying Batman when the guy wears a literal armor. Batman Beyond made it plausible through his heart condition, but I still think The Flash movie made its point by making Keaton lose every battle against the kryptonians. He's doing his best, but it still isn't enough.

[@CourtCjbLand]

It's weird to me that he didn't talk about this, Keatons Batman specifically points out that the world he lives in has been at peace for years and he has no motivation to do anything. It's the entire driving factor of his arc lol

[@madtitan0825]

@@CourtCjbLandthey didn’t explore much on that aspect it felt weak if called a character development

[@TedTakes]

If this was made as a DC animated direct to streaming movie it would have been a notably good one.

[@mandisaw]

It was made, twice - there's already a Flashpoint animated movie, true to the original storyline (Reverse Flash, Atlantis vs Themyscara, Thomas & Martha Wayne as alt-Batman and alt-Joker). It doesn't use the DCAU actors, but is still a good movie. There's also the Arrowverse take on Flashpoint, which changes some things to play out over a season, and without the League, but still packs a very strong emotional punch.

[@Dave102693]

Barely

[@Harper_1984]

10:33 -10:55 Dude, you hit it right on the head. I thought the exact same thing when I watched it last night.

[@matthewlee4834]

Loving the new red voice amplitude that you're using

[@EspiritualidadCiencia]

Jesus! It feels like I watched a totally different movie than everybody else. I had a blast with The Flash, laughed a lot, got excited and enjoyed the action. The cameos to me looked just like a homage of what was before and what could have been, almost as if they had shown a TV playing those characters... Anyway, I guess I can feel lucky for getting a new great movie that not many other got 🤷‍♂

[@horseheadproductions7038]

Guess you have no taste 😂

[@sir.raphimrevelator8644]

Just consume product, then get excited for new product! The movie had great scenes. But the sequences are janky. Remember at the beginning, when Barry had scenes concerning blood sugar levels..were was that limitation when he was trying to fix the timelines? The movie felt written by multiple people...not cohesive. Just a bunch of good ideas frankensteined together.

[@EspiritualidadCiencia]

Thank you for your valuable feedback, makes me realize how wrong I am for liking the things I like. Please forgive me for my inadequacy 🙏

[@irvanray1898]

@@EspiritualidadCiencia what a buffoon, you aren't supposed to like something that the masses don't like. nah, jest go enjoy what you like lol

[@twnyc3129]

I liked the movie a lot too. I am also a comic book fan who has read nearly all the Marvel and DC comics. I do not expect the movies to be replicas of the books. This movie was immensely better than Suicide Squad, Shazam, and Black Adam. There are so many KZbin videos now of people who pick movies apart and the comments section are full of people who enjoy doing that. So you will never see a positive comment here. They do this to movies whether they are good or bad. There is no pleasing them and it’s best to tune these people out. I’m a pretty negative guy myself but these people are just the absolute worst.

[@RastaGamesful]

This movie was forced to be a trainwreck. Since Snyder left direct DC films that was excpected.

[@morro190]

Snyder doesn't make very good dc movies

[@vkan1991]

Yes finally someone said it. Thank you Captain Midnight!

[@catborg780]

I really like how the time travel looked & the scene at the grocery store made me cry, everything else was terrrrible

[@EmMurdochCDP]

This was my first proper DCEU film (besides The Suicide Squad) but i knew this film was in development hell for years. There were glimpses of a good story but I could feel the parts where the writers got stuck and tried to tie the good parts together. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this way if I watch the rest of the DCEU films, but I’m sure the box office is hurting because casual fans like myself are struggling to catch on

[@KevvoLightswift]

Ehh...the DCEU didn't have a master plan and puppet master like Marvel's Kevin Fiege. You're probably better off staying away (although Synder's Justice League and the first Wonder Woman were good).

[@Luke_Go]

Biggest mistake Zack Snyder made? Casting Ezra Miller as Flash

[@chasehedges6775]

That and making Batman VS Superman.

[@Lamontira]

Then Affleck as Batman

[@nicksterwixter]

Wholeheartedly agree with you here. It's nice to hear you mirror my exact thoughts about Keaton after I left the theater--"That could have been literally any Batman". I'm almost sure the movie was originally written with either Ben Affleck or a new Thomas Wayne Batman in mind, and then when things went sideways with the Snyderverse and Affleck wanted out, they rewrote that whole middle section for Keaton, and then eventually convinced Affleck to come back for those opening scenes after the Snyder Cut happened and Affleck was more open again.

[@pauljakeman]

You deserve an award for sitting through that trash. Great video man.

[@jambononi]

It's like the reason the spiderman crossover cameo situation worked is because a) they're alive and its not weird or distasteful to see them appear, in fact it's a joy to see Toby Maguire b) they actually asked and answered the question, "What would happen if these three characters met and had to work together? And what do they have to overcome after all the things that happened to them in their movies" Seeing an aging super hero struggle is actually amazing. I'm thinking about things like Avatar: Last air bender when the uncle suddenly shows his true abilities because the moment requires it of him. It's soooooo powerful. Imagine seeing Michael Keatons Batman almost get beaten over and over but barely holds on and wins but at a huge cost to his body. It would be so powerful and show the true determination and genius of his character. But nah... Or Logan was awesome how he's still physically powerful but emotional done with life until he finds meaning in the girl to protect. I mean it's incredible. Anyway.... This is just popcorn crap, which is fine if they weren't using up great character opportunities. Because once you've cracked an egg it's hard to put it back together again and make a good version again.

[@LeonardoKlotz]

I enjoyed this movie because of Andy Muschietti I love when horror directors make superhero movies I'm really hopeful for his take on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold", because he's amazing

[@chowderman8888]

Right that's a good point to look at it. The directors that try to leave their mark on the film even with all the interference is something to look forward to

[@LeonardoKlotz]

@@chowderman8888 like Marc Webb in TASM Or JA Bayona in Fallen Kingdom

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

​@@LeonardoKlotzI like Marc Webbs the amazing Spider-Man movies

[@LeonardoKlotz]

@@NadeemShekh-uy9zn too bad he's working with Disney on their live-action remake of Snow White

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

@@LeonardoKlotz oh God I hope they don't mess that up

[@mr.bryteseid3189]

I like the idea that moving the tomatoes has a butterfly effect of changing who is batman, doing the DCU way od just ignoring him already existing at that point in time

[@williamford7013]

You've earned a new subscriber sir, I understand why the 643k other people are here. You'll hit a million plus in no time

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

9:18 that scene in Spider-Man 2 made me cry i want more scenes like that in other superhero films

[@Zombiesnyder13]

Aside from the CGI babies and the recreated CGI heroes I don't think they were enough to break the suspension of disbelief overall I had a really good time watching this movie

[@xrphoenix7194]

This is such a horrific adaptation of one of my favorite flash stories

[@professorbaxtercarelessdre1075]

didn't watch this film myself, didn't want my memories to be any more contaminated than they already have been, you made really good points though from everything you said, and it makes me sick to think they used digital recreations of the old superman actors like that

[@RayMcElroy50]

As much as I love Andy Muschietti's work in this movie I keep wondering what it would've look like if it had Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley as directors Considering their job in DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS It probably would've been a lot more comedic

[@cormano64]

Please love better things.

[@RayMcElroy50]

@@cormano64 like the MCU? No, thanks

[@IcyDiamond]

@@cormano64Who cares if he loves Dungeons & Dragons? Are you that insecure how about your opinions that you have to force them onto others?

[@blindmanai6957]

As bad as this film was, it makes you wonder how poorly Batgirl was going to be. I honestly can't imagine it being any worse than this movie, and I think because of stars like Keaton and Shannon, WB felt they had to release to the film in some capacity. I feel bad for Sasha, as I recall seeing her reaction to being cast in the film posted on social media, and she seemed genuinely excited to have been cast into what should have been a solid role for her career going forward. Anyways, thanks for sharing another video with us Captain. Cheers!

[@chasehedges6775]

I feel bad for Sasha as well. I hear she did a good job and she looked adorable

[@KevvoLightswift]

I think it still was a solid performance by her. Not great by any means, but I'd pay to see her again as Supergirl.

[@user-in1gv1uh2v]

​@@KevvoLightswiftHopefully with blonde hair next time.

[@blindmanai6957]

@@user-in1gv1uh2v save the blonde for Power Girl. Or even a Crisis on Infinite Earths where she gets to team up with Melissa Benoist.

[@NotChillin]

This man upset the movie didn’t go deep into the second Batman’s life story in a FLASH movie:

[@captainmidnight]

If they're going to include him, they need to do him justice. I don't think they should have included him here at all, but once they did, it's on them to earn that choice.

[@NotChillin]

@@captainmidnight i disagree, they could have went with any Batman to be the second Batman but they went with Michael Keeton. (Rightfully so, considering he’s the most beloved Batman so it fits to give him the most screen time of the 3.) Justifying his inclusion with a prolonged background that will eventually cease to exist moving forward does nothing for the current flash movie. Some people would be okay with sitting through an extra hour of fluff Batman during a 3 hour flash film but I don’t believe it’s necessary.

[@MrMichaelLoyd]

So cool the bit where Barry says 'It's Morbin Time!', a reference to Morbius, which is a film that grossed 32 billion dollars in its first week alone.

[@ShadowSonic2]

Oh God, this stupid meme again?

[@pauldavidartistclub6723]

You’re absolutely correct that given the tragic ends of Reeves and Reeve, their memories should not be brought up in the context of this movie…let alone the horrible idea of resurrecting ANY deceased performer’s likeness in a new production, whether their estate approved and might get some money or not. I’m just wondering though how any review of this picture, or any production can go by without the mention of Miller’s off screen shenanigans and even assaults (at least in this day and age, and given how recent his news-making was). That’s like any discussion of Lindbergh not mentioning his pro-fascist foibles…And Ezra has no world-changing major accomplishments under his belt! Otherwise, an astute review

[@commandercaptain4664]

That would be up to the estate, ultimately. James Earl Jones has already signed a deal to have his voice digitized for any future use of Darth Vader, so when he becomes one with the Force, that will be the second constant of the universe (the first beings change).

[@pauldavidartistclub6723]

@@commandercaptain4664 poor James Earl Jones. To think he was a top notch, incredibly respected Shakespearean actor, but now is willing to be the long played out Darth Vader in perpetuity. Easy paychecks certainly corrupt.

[@ShadowSonic2]

@@pauldavidartistclub6723 He's always been fine doing stuff for money, remember Two and a Half Men? "To be completely honest, I didn't know Charlie Harper. But any man who, with his dying breath, would set aside $25,000 and a first-class air ticket so I could deliver his eulogy is aces in my book!"

[@pauldavidartistclub6723]

@@ShadowSonic2 sorry, not into Two and a Half Men

[@idilali7398]

I like the 89 batman suit showing the difference in fighting style. Showing less armor means more speed and flexibility.

[@V4Vonnie]

That intro go hard. I just had to say that.

[@thehalcyonflight]

The thing about nostalgia... it makes you remember and FEEL like yesterday was better than today... and thats essentially what all these multicerse movies are... showing you the things that you remember were better... because todays movies ARENT as good... but whats sad is that THIS will be the final movie we get to see Keaton as batman.

[@KevvoLightswift]

Would you rather have a bad Flash movie with him as batman or a bad batman beyond movie with him as batman? All things being equal, I'm sure had they gone that route it would have sucked as well (not that the animated series was bad, but WB has a horrible habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory). At least we got to see him again.

[@thehalcyonflight]

@KevvoLightswift honestly a bad Batman Beyond. Because that would've felt organic. And the notion of "at least we got to see him again" is again, based on nostalgia. It's great to see him, sure. But theres no reason it couldn't have been in a more well thought out movie. Instead it felt more like "let's get Keaton. People will buy tickets because he's in it.

[@KevvoLightswift]

@@thehalcyonflight Ah, I see your point. Well again, consider the source. WB just can't make smart decisions at all, even when they have the blueprints for success right in front of them.

[@MC7791]

I watched this movie all the way through and at the end I was like "what the hell did I just watch?" I found Millers performance to be terrible as either Barry. Young Barry is a total and annoying idiot. Was it ever even explained who killed Barrys Mother? I dont think so. The cameos added nothing to the story and the CGI was terrible. Supergirl was not flashed out at all and just ends up getting killed. I Liked some of the parts with Keaton but his introduction was stupid and he ends up getting wasted. The Clooney cameo.. what was that supposed to mean? This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. As a whole it made no sense