The Flash

[Khaldun]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vwaD9cHLNw

Basically: Ezra Miller as The Flash runs so fast that he finds a way to uncast himself from the role, or so I'm guessing. But also runs into Michael Keaton's Batman and (I'm guessing) the Supergirl of the new DCU (maybe). And meets General Zod of Man of Steel. And, according to Gunn in a tweet, there's an entire third act that is even crazier that isn't in the trailer.

I'm still not interested--the whole thing feels like a combination of nerd Easter Eggs and an unnecessary exercise in creative housekeeping.

[HaemishM]

I watched this last night and it was decent up until the climax. The ending just utterly shit the bed and left me puzzled, both as a part of a larger cinematic universe as well as just "why would you write that?" Lots of fan service, a good quarter of the movie was a love letter to the Tim Burton Batman films. The big fight scenes against Zod and Supergirl were all good. Ezra Miller's best performances were when they were acting with themselves in the dual roles of Barry and younger Barry. The effects on that pairing were fantastic. Just about every other CGI effect in the movie, from the baby hospital scene at the beginning to the multiverse and speed force was just absolute, utter garbage. Like amateur Blender model bad. As good as the other effects were, I can only assume that the particular plastic look of these scenes was intentional and I cannot fathm for the life of me why.

This movie proves once again that nostalgia fan service is not a viable box office strategy. The movie absolutely tanked at the box office, despite being HEAVILY marketed, especially the Batman bits. One can't really conclude for sure that Miller's legal troubles didn't cause it or just contribute to it, but if there was ever an indication that the folks in charge at Warner Bros. of the DCEU stuff just had no concept of how to make a successful franchise that wasn't Batman.

[Riggswolfe]

I watched this last night and it was decent up until the climax. The ending just utterly shit the bed and left me puzzled, both as a part of a larger cinematic universe as well as just "why would you write that?" Lots of fan service, a good quarter of the movie was a love letter to the Tim Burton Batman films. The big fight scenes against Zod and Supergirl were all good. Ezra Miller's best performances were when they were acting with themselves in the dual roles of Barry and younger Barry. The effects on that pairing were fantastic. Just about every other CGI effect in the movie, from the baby hospital scene at the beginning to the multiverse and speed force was just absolute, utter garbage. Like amateur Blender model bad. As good as the other effects were, I can only assume that the particular plastic look of these scenes was intentional and I cannot fathm for the life of me why.

This movie proves once again that nostalgia fan service is not a viable box office strategy. The movie absolutely tanked at the box office, despite being HEAVILY marketed, especially the Batman bits. One can't really conclude for sure that Miller's legal troubles didn't cause it or just contribute to it, but if there was ever an indication that the folks in charge at Warner Bros. of the DCEU stuff just had no concept of how to make a successful franchise that wasn't Batman.

I haven't seen it yet but I suspect the low box office is a combination of people not wanting to see Ezra Miller after all the bad press and maybe people thinking "it's all getting reset anyway, why bother?"

[HaemishM]

I could definitely see the James Gunn reset button being a damper on excitement for the franchise amongst the hardcore nerds, but I'm not sure the general public that buys most of the movie tickets would know or give a shit.

[Khaldun]

I think it is a complete damper for the general public. Why would you want to go to watch a film whose main appeal is that it's cleaning up the mess of a previous corporate strategy plus a massively tainted star like Ezra Miller plus a character nobody gives a fuck about plus fanservice about franchise properties that no one loved or that people under 50 never saw? What is this film besides those things? Who on earth gives a fuck about any of that besides some completist?

[Reg]

Bah. They should have gone with Grant Gustin.

[Khaldun]

Somebody might have actually cared if they did, I suppose.

[HaemishM]

The decision many years back to completely keep the TV shows and its stars and characters separate from the movies was one of the truly dumbest decisions Warner Bros. made about the DC franchises, though really it was one among many.

[Threash]

and I cannot fathm for the life of me why.

Because they did not want to spend money in a throwaway movie from a dead franchise. The only reason this got released at all was the incredibly good reviews they were getting.