The Flash Movie review: What happened to the man in yellow?

Warner Bros. officially releases the long awaited Flash movie internationally after a troubled history on the project.

The film which serves as the final goodbye to the world built by director Zack Snyder, who was responsible for Man of Steel, and the Justice League movies, sees Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton make their last appearances as Batman, much to the dismay of fans.

The film sets itself around the theme of closure, as it centers itself around a man who has to come to terms with his mother’s death and letting go of the past.

It builds its storyline around Barry Allen, a character who is gifted with an incredible ability of speed who chooses to use it to go backwards in time to prevent his mother’s death and rescue his father from going to prison for it. However, unknown to Barry, going back to alter an event that was responsible for shaping who he was as a person, held catastrophic consequences for time and even the multiverse in general.

The Flash film sets its own narrative that elevates the plot of the story, creating a balance between darkness and humor, fun and drama while also sending across its central message; everything happens for a reason beyond our control, and getting stuck in them causes as much pain than we let on.

Prior films based in the DC Extended Universe franchise of films had troubles building upon its message, but The Flash however sets itself apart from the rest, taking on the emotional feel of relieving a past pain and coming to terms with it.

But despite its attempts at creating that emotional feel, the film ends up missing the mark; underestimating the importance of the Man in the yellow suit, the Reverse Flash/Eobard Thawne.

The story is well versed amongst fans of the comic book character from which the film was based, which the film chose to deviate a lot from, by omitting this key character that shaped the story.

The Reverse Flash character in the source material was largely the man responsible for the death of the titular character’s mother, Nora Allen, which stemmed from his deep seated hatred towards Barry and the fact he could not let go of that hate.

That hate became so disastrous that it almost led to the end of reality itself.

However, in the film, the man in yellow is omitted from the story, leaving the plot hanging on the fact that Nora Allen’s death was rather an accident from a burglary gone wrong than a murder born out of the desire to inflict pain.

This cuts out the emotional impact the story sets out for by having Barry not confront the actual killer responsible for his pain, which somehow ends up cheapening the story and the theme the film was aiming for.

Despite the narrative shortcomings, director Andy Muschietti showcases his skill in crafting an engaging and visually stunning film. The pacing is generally well-maintained, with action sequences seamlessly blending with character-driven moments.

Ezra Miller delivers a solid performance as Barry Allen, effectively capturing the character’s wit and vulnerability. Affleck and Keaton bring their respective Batman interpretations to a satisfying conclusion, leaving a sense of nostalgia and reflection for longtime fans.