Credit: Warner Bros.The Flash (2023) is now available to watch at home!
It has been quite a journey for The Flash. Despite being able to break the sound barrier, it took a long time for the troubled production to wrap and finally hit theaters.
Last year, Ezra Miller, who plays Barry Allen/The Flash in the film, was suddenly marred with controversies relating to allegations of assault, burglary, harassment, and more, which led to arrests and restraining orders. Not the best spotlight for any upcoming blockbuster, especially one preceded by a string of major disappointments.
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The likes of Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Birds of Prey (2020), and more recently, Black Adam (2022) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), have done the DCU no favors, nor has the franchise’s inconsistent tone.
There are plenty of solid flicks in the DCU, though: Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), and Justice League (2021). Unfortunately, The Flash falls into the former mix of critical disasters and flops.
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It’s fair to say the film has good intentions, but the final product is nothing short of an enormous mess. The VFX is far too reminiscent of the Joss Whedon-directed Justice League, and the reliance on CGI generally gives the film an ugly, artificial look.
As for Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman, he is, of course, a joy to watch. But it’s no stretch to suggest that his involvement in the film may very well be one of the few reasons the film sold any tickets, with the other being those inevitable cameos.
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But it’s not all doom and gloom — you can still have fun with The Flash. Ezra Miller is, surprisingly, one of the film’s strong points. At the same time, newcomer Sasha Calle, who brings a darker version of Kara Zor-El/Supergirl to the DCU, is equally engaging.
You’ll also find some joy in the film’s many cameos, most of which, as you might expect, involve versions of superheroes from non-DCU movies. Plenty of “Multiverse madness” is also on offer, a trend that certainly won’t end with The Flash.
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But we’ll let you be the judge. The Flash is hardly the 2017 version of Justice League — it’s just a shame this is how the DCU is set to end, with James Gunn’s brand-new continuity starting in a couple of years with Superman: Legacy (2025).
Whether or not the “current” version of the DCU will be connected to the new one in any way remains to be seen, however, it’s pretty neat that The Flash has canonized numerous previously non-DCU films and television shows.
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So, if you haven’t seen the film yet, where can you watch it? Well, the “Scarlet Speedster” is as fast as they say. Just one month after racing into theaters, The Flash is now available to watch at home!
From today, July 18, The Flash is available for digital download by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The physical release of the film is set for August 29 on Ultra HD Blu-Ray, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Let’s hope the film performs better during its initial home media run than it did in theaters, where it grossed just $267.2 million against its $200 — 220 million budget.
Check out the trailer for The Flash below:
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As per Wikipedia, here’s the synopsis for the film:
Barry Allen/The Flash travels back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, which traps him in an alternate reality without metahumans. He enlists the help of Batman and the Kryptonian castaway Supergirl from alternate realities in order to save this world from the restored General Zod and return to his universe.
The Flash stars Ezra Miller (Barry Allen/The Flash), Sasha Calle (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), Michael Keaton (Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman).
Will you be watching The Flash at home? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!