What does Michael Keaton's appearance in "The Flash" mean for Tim Burton's Batman
movies? Why was Supergirl not so super in that final battle? And how does this time
travel thing even work? These are the moments in "The Flash" that make absolutely no sense.
Director Andy Muschietti clearly loves the DC characters, but he
had to incorporate so many elements into "The Flash" that the result is packed with
blink-and-you'll-miss-'em appeals to fan nostalgia.
"Is this what I think it is?"
Most egregiously, the film includes Michael Keaton's Batmobile from "Batman" and "Batman
Returns" in a highly-publicized appearance, only for it to do ... well, absolutely nothing.
We first see Keaton's Batmobile when the two Barrys visit the Batcave and discover
the vehicle concealed underneath a protective sheet. Muschietti provides a lavish reveal for
the massive car, and even allows young Barry to take a nap in its driver's seat. Unfortunately,
the Batmobile never leaves the Bat Cave, instead yielding to a reworked Batwing for
the grand climax. Why introduce such a cool prop if you're not going to at least rev up the engine?
"It's the car, right? Chicks love the car."
Plus, considering the various updates to the Batwing and Batcave, it makes little sense
that the Batmobile looks exactly like it did 30 years ago. At some point, Batman should've traded
in his car for a new model, even if it would've prevented this bit of fan service from occurring.
The opening sequence of "The Flash" offers a fun glimpse at part of the Justice League in
action. Barry races to a hospital to rescue a dozen babies from certain death, while Ben
Affleck's Batman pursues a group of goons on his "Dark Knight"-inspired Batpod. Overall,
this scene provides enjoyable thrills and showcases Batman's vast arsenal of
gadgets. However, when the chase transitions to a confrontation on
a bridge with Wonder Woman, the tone of the film arguably takes a hard left turn.
In broad daylight, where everyone can see him, Batman greets Diana with a goofy smile
that recalls 2017's disastrous "Justice League" while wearing the worst-designed
Batsuit in movie history. Bruce's attire looks like it's made out of plastic and is
overloaded with components. Moreover, the suit doesn't seem to fit Affleck,
sagging in all the wrong places. It's evident that the costume designers wanted to cater to
Zack Snyder fans while also appeasing those who wanted a lighter version of the hero,
but it arguably fails to satisfy either group. Batman is a billionaire superhero whose entire
deal is hyper-competence; there's no way he'd settle for that costume. Considering that "The
Flash" likely marks Batfleck's final appearance, this last hurrah is a bit disappointing.
The big draw of "The Flash" for many fans was Michael Keaton's return as Batman, reprising his
role from "Batman" and "Batman Returns." However, while Keaton does appear in "The Flash" and takes
part in a few impressive fight sequences, his part in the story arguably feels arbitrary and rushed.
"Yeah. I'm Batman."
Other than fan service, there's no reason for him to be here. Initially,
Keaton's Bruce appears as a grizzled, slightly unstable old man. Soon, though, we learn that
Gotham City has become a crime-free utopia, rendering Batman unnecessary. Bruce decides to
don the cape and cowl once more when Barry asks for his help, but the transformation occurs far
too quickly, leaving the impression that some material was left on the cutting room floor.
And while the character was a major part of the marketing campaign, we don't get to to
explore this version of Bruce Wayne and how he's changed in the 30 years since his last appearance.
The fate of the characters that populated Tim Burton's Gotham City remain unknown,
if they even exist in this universe. For some fans, Keaton's presence feels like
a superficial nostalgia play at best, and a cheap marketing ploy at worst.
The ending of "The Flash" left many fans scratching their heads. Early on,
we learn that even a small change to history, like moving a can of tomatoes,
has ripples across the multiverse. The timeline is so fragile that Barry must go back in time
to prevent his past self from saving his mother. However, at the end of the film,
we see two puzzling events: First, Barry has a heartfelt conversation with his mom,
and then he moves an entire shelf of tomatoes to strengthen his dad's alibi. Surprisingly,
the only consequence of these actions is that George Clooney now plays Bruce Wayne.
Since Batman's origins predate the death of Barry's mother, why was one of the only
significant impacts of this change related to Batman? Perhaps Barry slipped into an alternate
dimension — but wouldn't that mean that yet another version of Barry exists? It's not
good if fans left the film more concerned about the implications of George Clooney's appearance
in the DC Extended Universe than Barry saving his dad from a lifetime in prison.
One of the highlights of "The Flash" is Sasha Calle's Supergirl,
a dark and intense take on Kara Zor-EL. The character fits right in with the vibes Zack
Snyder established for this shared universe, and leaves a lasting impression despite her
limited screen time. However, she meets her demise much too quickly.
In "Man of Steel," Superman easily overpowers Zod and his minions. Even after Zod reaches
the peak of his powers, Superman defeats him in combat and ultimately takes his life. In
"The Flash," Supergirl confronts Zod during his arrival on Earth,
before he's had a chance to adapt to Earth's yellow sun. However,
despite her immense strength, Supergirl struggles to defeat him. In fact, as Barry discovers,
there are no scenarios in which Supergirl or Batman save the planet from Zod.
Is Supergirl significantly weaker than Superman? How does Zod's weapon manage
to pierce her invulnerable skin? Why is Kara so ineffective against him? The film doesn't provide
any answers to these — or other — questions, leaving us more confused than captivated.
There's another odd moment in "The Flash" involving Supergirl. After escaping the
Russian facility, she becomes disillusioned with humanity and flies away. Conveniently, however,
she chances upon Zod's army just as they launch their attack on Earth. Zod notices her, and the
scene cuts back to the two Barrys and Batman as they attempt to restore old Barry's powers.
Surprisingly, Supergirl returns, deciding that Zod must be stopped. She lifts Barry into the sky to
be struck by lightning. The plan succeeds, Barry's powers return, and everyone gears up for battle,
flying back towards Zod's army. Meanwhile, the U.S. military somehow manages to hold
their own against these advanced beings, despite teetering on the brink of defeat.
The major issue is the lack of urgency our heroes display. While Barry's desire
to regain his powers is understandable, the entire team noticeably lacks the motivation
to take immediate action. Additionally, neither Supergirl leaving the military
nor Zod spotting her and not pursuing her make sense. It arguably feels a bit
like the characters had to wait until the third act before they did anything.
During "The Flash," it's hard not to get distracted from the film wondering whether
or not Tim Burton's Gotham City exists in this universe. We see elements from Burton's films,
such as his Wayne Manor, various gadgets and suits from "Batman"
and "Batman Returns," and Joker's laughing bag. At the same time,
Metropolis resembles the one in "Man of Steel," and Barry's neighborhood is entirely ordinary.
So, is this the world where Burton's films take place, or is it an entirely different
universe that happens to include another version of Keaton's Batman? If the latter,
then why does Danny Elfman's iconic score accompany Keaton's arrival? And why all the
references to "Batman" and "Batman Returns"? It doesn't quite add up, and leads to a distracting
choice no matter how good it feels to see Michael Keaton drop lines like this again.
"You want to get nuts? Let's get nuts."
If Warner Bros. wanted Keaton's Batman to return,
why not have Zod emerge in a world that blends Burton and Snyder's styles? That might have been
more acceptable to those fans that were pulled out of the movie by this choice.
"The Flash" makes extensive references to Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel," even
recreating moments from the film, like Zod's attack on Earth. However,
"The Flash" often fails to provide context for these scenes, and includes moments that defy
previously established logic. In "Man of Steel," Zod recognizes Metropolis' significance to Kal-El
and specifically targets the city to hurt him, which leads to the film's divisive finale.
In "The Flash," Zod's World Engine hovers over Metropolis and causes chaos, but the film fails
to provide a clear explanation for why he chose that location. Considering that Zod was guided to
Earth by Supergirl's beacon, it would've made more sense for him to focus on her location. Logically,
the climax of "The Flash" should have taken place in Russia, not America.
Further, the film doesn't address how the codex ended up in Supergirl,
or whether Jor-El intentionally used his son as a distraction. Zod explains that he
killed the infant Kal-El while trying to extract the codex from his body,
only to discover it was in Kara all along. The lack of answers to these questions and
the glossing over of finer details is perplexing. Viewers shouldn't be wondering about the logic
of where the final battle is taking place while the final battle is happening onscreen.
In the closing moments of "The Flash," George Clooney returns as Batman, while Jason Momoa makes
a post-credits appearance as Aquaman. However, the future of the DC Extended Universe is uncertain
at best, particularly with James Gunn promising a full-on reboot of Warner Bros. DC properties.
If there is another "Flash" movie in this continuity, will Clooney reprise his role
as Batman? Will Gal Gadot continue as Wonder Woman? "The Flash" tries to serve as a satisfying
conclusion to the Snyderverse, but it feels like more of a reset, leaving room for potential
sequels. Setting up stories that we're probably not going to see is an odd and confusing choice,
given that Warner Bros. knows that Gunn and Peter Safran's new take is just a few years away.