Starring: Ezra Miller, Ron Livingston, Michael Keaton, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Sasha Calle, Maribel Verdú, Ben Affleck
OUR RATING: ★★☆☆☆
Story:
DC Comics superhero action adventure directed by Andy Muschietti. In The Flash (2023) worlds collide when Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman (Michael Keaton) out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian, albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in, and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life, and making the ultimate sacrifice to reset the universe.
Best Quotes
Sandwich Guy: What can I get you?
Barry Allen: Usually it’s my usual, and she usually has it ready because I’m usually late.
Sandwich Guy: Well, don’t keep me in suspense.
Barry Allen: It’s a PB and BRHC on a roll.
Sandwich Guy: Okay, so “PB” would be peanut butter, I’m assuming?
Barry Allen: Yes. “BR”, bananas, raisins. “H”, honey. “C”, cheese on a roll.
Sandwich Guy: Aren’t you blessed with a fast metabolism.
Sandwich Guy: You can’t rush a good sandwich, dude.
Barry Allen: I’m late. And I’m starving. And curly-haired girl isn’t here. And her name is Sara. And she has a boyfriend.
Barry Allen: This is the middle of the morning. Why is our bat-friend even awake? Call Superman.
Alfred Pennyworth: That was my first thought. Sadly, he’s otherwise engaged.
Barry Allen: Classic. What about Diana?
Alfred Pennyworth: My other first thought. Rather annoyingly, she’s not picking up.
Barry Allen: Well, how many first thoughts, exactly, did you have before you first thought of me?
Barry Allen: [to The Flash fan] Sorry if this sounds weird, but are you actively eating that candy bar? Maybe you could throw it to me? In the name of justice.
Bruce Wayne: Somebody has to save the rest of the world, so I was going to do that. If you don’t mind.
Barry Allen: Sounds about right, Bruce.
Barry Allen: Look, Alfred. I’ve come to accept that I’m essentially the janitor of the Justice League. Which sucks. But I’ve come to accept it. But I can’t help but notice, that it always seems to be a bat-mess that I’m cleaning up.
Barry Allen: Running on empty, Alfred. Do you hear that? That’s my stomach. No. No. It’s the collapsing east wing.
Barry Allen: [to the nurse he’s saved] I understand that these events can be psychologically scarring. You should seek the services of a mental health professional. The Justice League is not very good at that part yet. Trust me.
Bruce Wayne: My ego’s far too big to say “thank you” to someone else. I developed this all-powerful persona to compensate for my childhood trauma.
Diana Prince: The Lasso of Truth. Never gets old.
Bruce Wayne: [as they are both touching the Lasso of Truth] I’d do a lot better just giving all my money away. Yes, if I really wanted to end crime, I should end poverty.
Barry Allen: I know sex exists. I’ve just never experienced it.
Barry Allen: The sex thing was a metaphor for gothic literature. There was just no way to recover from that.
Bruce Wayne: Just let it go.
David Singh: You have a lot of potential, Barry. You shouldn’t still be getting me coffee after all these years.
Barry Allen: You’re right. That’s true.
David Singh: Go get me a coffee.
Bruce Wayne: So, let’s imagine, that it is, in fact, possible for you to run faster than the speed of light, and in so doing, travel back in time. It still would be wildly irresponsible.
Barry Allen: I knew you were going to say this.
Bruce Wayne: Yes. Because, Barry, if you were to go into the past, any interaction you have with your parents, or yourself, you step on the wrong blade of grass, you have no idea what the consequences to that could be.
Barry Allen: No, I know. The butterfly effect, right?
'Not every problem has a solution. Sometimes you just have to let go.' - Nora Allen (The Flash) Share on X
Barry Allen: But, Bruce, I could fix things.
Bruce Wayne: You could also destroy everything.
Barry Allen: I could save her. I could save both of them. I could save your parents.
Bruce Wayne: Barry, these scars we have make us who we are. We’re not meant to go back and fix them. And there’s nothing broken with you that needs to be fixed. Take it from an old guy who’s made a lot of mistakes. Don’t live your past. Live your life. Don’t let your tragedy define you.
Barry Allen: What if it’s supposed to define me? Your tragedy made you a hero.
Bruce Wayne: And also made me alone.
Iris West: Nice ride. You have fancy friends.
Barry Allen: Yeah, it was an Uber. Exec.
Iris West: I mean, I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. It’s like you lost both parents in one day.
Barry Allen: I did. I lost my mom to a tragedy. And I lost my dad to the failures of the justice system.
Henry Allen: [to Barry after travels back in time] You look terrible. You look old.
'These scars we have make us who we are. We're not meant to go back and fix them.' - Bruce Wayne (The Flash) Share on X
Barry Allen: [to Nora] Maybe we could make some new memories. Like we could go to the aquarium, or the circus, or to the park, and you could push me on a swing. That’s also weird, because I’m an adult now, so I’d probably motivate my own motion on a swing.
Barry Allen: [to his parents as he sees his younger self] Oh, s**t. I have to s**t. Outside.
Past Barry: [to older Barry] That’s my face. You stole my face. Think I’m having a mushroom flashback? Is that a thing?
Past Barry: This is mad trippy. So, we’re like in the future.
Barry Allen: No, wait. This is not trippy, dude. This is catastrophic. And, no, we’re not in the future. I was supposed to be back in the present, but I’m still in the past. And there’s not supposed to be two of me. You and I are not supposed to be occupying the same reality at all, let alone interacting.
'Don't live your past. Live your life. Don't let your tragedy define you.' - Bruce Wayne (The Flash) Share on X
Past Barry: I just can’t believe I’m a superhero who time travels.
Barry Allen: No, no, no. You are not anything. Which is good. You don’t want to be a superhero. It’s scary. And I get bug splatter in my teeth all the time.
Past Barry: Awesome.
Past Barry: How old are you like forty?
Barry Allen: Okay, you don’t stop talking. It’s not charming. It’s abrasive and exhausting. And, oh, my God. I am starting to realize what people mean.
Barry Allen: Just do me a favor, and promise me that meeting me isn’t going to screw up space-time.
Past Barry: Broski, I got you.
Barry Allen: S**t. I’m in so much trouble.
Barry Allen: How hard do you have to hit someone to make them forget stuff? If I hit you in the past, will it hurt me in the future?
Barry Allen: [to past Barry] Enjoy your life. Do you. Change literally nothing. I’ll see you again never.
Barry Allen: Tonight, September 29, the accident that gives me my powers. And if you’re not there in thirty minutes, then you won’t get the powers. Which means I don’t get the powers, maybe? And then, that would mean that I lose my way of getting back in time in the first place. And then I literally have no idea what happens.
Past Barry: Powers?
Past Barry: Wait. I get hit by lightning?
Barry Allen: No, no, no. You don’t get hit by lightning.
Past Barry: Okay, because for a second I thought you said…
Barry Allen: The lightning hits the chemicals, which then you get bathed in, and that’s what electrocutes you.
Past Barry: Okay, but I don’t want to be electrocuted though.
Barry Allen: Barry, the accident gave you powers, but took mine away. So, I don’t know how I get back. Without access to the Speed Force, I don’t know how I ever leave. Do you understand what I’m saying? I might be stuck.
Past Barry: Wait. I have powers now?
Past Barry: Holy speedballs.
Past Barry: Are we always this sleepy? And hungry and naked?
Barry Allen: Well, the first two, yes. The third one, no. I’ve figured that part out.
Past Barry: [after he puts the suit on] Tight. It hurts. You know where it hurts? In my d**k.
Barry Allen: Okay. I know. I know. But I don’t need to know.
Barry Allen: And then maybe we can find some way to get me back to the future.
Past Barry: Back to the Future. Yes! Eric Stoltz is chur boy in that movie. What an embodied performance.
Barry Allen: You mean Michael J. Fox?
Past Barry: Back to the Future?
Barry Allen: Yeah, in the movie Back to the Future?
Barry Allen: Zod’s looking for Superman.
Past Barry: What’s a superman?
Barry Allen: Superman is an alien who lives on Earth. I’m assuming still incognito. But, yeah. He’s an alien, and he’s very powerful. And he’s just the best. And then Zod is an alien from the same planet, also very powerful. But he’s just the worst.
Barry Allen: [as they enter the apartment] What is that smell?
Past Barry: Ugh. Could be anything. Honestly.
Barry Allen: Who’s that?
Past Barry: Oh. That’s Gary. That’s the smell.
Albert: Aquaman? Is that like a super mermaid?
Barry Allen: No, Albert. He’s not a super mermaid. Okay? He’s half Atlantean, half human with superhuman strength who can control marine life with his mind.
Albert: So, like a super mermaid?
Barry Allen: This is a disaster. I completely destroyed history.
Past Barry: Like Eric Stoltz.
Barry Allen: Okay, why do you keep saying, “Eric Stoltz”?
Past Barry: Eric Stoltz is Marty McFly.
Barry Allen: What?
Barry Allen: I’ve seen all of them, and Eric Stoltz is not Marty McFly.
Gary: [referring to his tattoo] Really? Then explain Marty McThigh here.
Barry Allen: I can’t explain that to you, Gary. That’s not your thigh. It’s the wrong actor, and it’s upside down.
Gary: [as he holds his leg up] Is it?
Barry Allen: The point is that in Back to the Future Marty McFly is very famously played by Michael J. Fox.
Albert: The guy from Footloose?
Barry Allen: No, that’s Kevin Bacon!
Patty: Bacon.
Past Barry: Kevin Bacon’s Maverick with the volleyball, the gay guys, and the planes?
Gary: Top Gun.
Barry Allen: I completely broke the universe. Marty McFly is Eric Stoltz.
Gary: Yes.
Past Barry: Thank you.
Barry Allen: I created a world with no metahumans.
Barry Allen: [referring to Wayne Manor] What is this, hell?
Barry Allen: You don’t have like Downton Abbey in your universe?
Past Barry: Downtown Abbey’s? The chain of like family-style restaurants? They’re like, it’s like cheaper Bananabee’s.
Older Bruce Wayne: When you go back and change the past, you create a fulcrum. You put yourself on a whole nother strand of spaghetti. New future. New past. It’s retrocausal. It goes both ways. Actually, it goes many ways. Maybe some other time.
Older Bruce Wayne: What you did was you changed the future and you changed the past. If a person is stupid enough to mess with time, what you eventually end up with is this. The multiverse. Some strands run almost parallel. There will be inevitable intersections, and others that are just wildly divergent. What it is, is a hot mess. It’s a crapshoot. It’s all just a crapshoot.
Older Bruce Wayne: And I’ll tell you something. A person would have to be an idiot to play craps with the space-time continuum.
Barry Allen: Yeah, an idiot.
Older Bruce Wayne: No one said, “Superman.” That might me a little on the nose.
Barry Allen: You call yourself Batman.
Older Bruce Wayne: Yeah. I don’t call myself Super Batman.
Past Barry: Wait. He’s Batman?
Barry Allen: What did you think we were doing here?
Past Barry: I thought this was the cousin’s dinner.
Barry Allen: We need you. In my timeline, Batman is our strategist. Our leader. The world needs Superman. And you’re the best detective in the world. You’re probably the only person who can help me find him. So will you help us?
Older Bruce Wayne: Pass.
Past Barry: Like pass the salt?
Barry Allen: He doesn’t want to help us, we’re going to use his bat s**t.
Past Barry: Bat s**t?
Barry Allen: Yeah. His bat stuff. His bat things.
Barry Allen: [to past Barry] You just walk around thinking that you’re so funny and so cool. And it’s embarrassing, because you’re not any of those things!
Barry Allen: I’m not very good with people. Even myself.
Past Barry: Oh. Come on, dude. You’re not that bad. You can just be kind of a d**k sometimes. But let’s face it, I am pretty obnoxious. But I just get excited.
Barry Allen: Different worlds, different times, yet there it is. Certain people, certain events, certain strands of spaghetti, drawn to each other like magnets. I’ve read all about temporal paradoxes and causal loops. But this is more than that. Inevitable intersections are something none of the theories could have anticipated because, well, how do you explain that except for fate?
Older Bruce Wayne: I’ll help you get this Superman. Then you’re on your own.
Barry Allen: Holy… You’er… You are…
Older Bruce Wayne: Yeah. I’m Batman.
Past Barry: I thought Batman was supposed to be your friend.
Barry Allen: Not this one. Not this Batman.
Past Barry: Wooh! This rips d**ks!
Barry Allen: That’s where you keep Superman.
Past Barry: Like a big scrotum.
Past Barry: He’s going to hack the Soviet security cyberscrotum with a flip phone?
Past Barry: You didn’t tell me we could get shot!
Barry Allen: Why would you assume we couldn’t?
Past Barry: Oh, great! To die at the feet of a Sputnik.
Barry Allen: What’s the play? Batman, what do we do? What now?
Older Bruce Wayne: Now we try not to die.
Kara Zor-El: Who are you?
Barry Allen: Holy Funyuns. Hi. I’m Barry.
Kara Zor-El: We’re Barry.
Past Barry: [to older Barry] Wait, so you thought a baby was going to protect us from this Zod guy?
Kara Zor-El: We came to this planet looking for a safe place to live, and they put me in a cage.
Past Barry: Yeah. A lot of humans are d**ks. But then there’s babies and ballerinas. And entertainment wrestlers.
Older Bruce Wayne: Tell me something. If you get your powers back, you can go anywhere. You can go to another timeline, another universe. Why do you want to stay and fight to save this one?
Barry Allen: Because this is the world where my mom lives. I went back in time to save her. I’m not going to lose her again.
Older Bruce Wayne: I lost my parents. But that pain made me who I am. I’m not sure I know who I am without it actually. I spent a lifetime trying to right the wrongs of the past. As if fighting crime would bring my parents back. You actually did it.
Older Bruce Wayne: So, I guess the plan is to douse yourself in industrial chemicals while electrocuting yourself?
Barry Allen: Yep.
Older Bruce Wayne: Want some help?
Barry Allen: Let’s get electrocuted.
Past Barry: This is going to work, right?
Barry Allen: Of course it’s going to work. Nothing we haven’t done before. Besides, this time we have Batman. What could go wrong?
Older Bruce Wayne: For the record, I think this is insane.
Barry Allen: [as he’s about to be electrocuted] Just you and me again, Mr. Lightning.
Kara Zor-El: [referring to the S on her suit] Do you know what this symbol stands for?
Past Barry: Supergirl?
Barry Allen: It means hope, right?
Past Barry: Hope, yeah. Does it mean hope?
Barry Allen: We are short one literal goddess, one friendly Terminator, and super mermaid. And we could definitely use a Batman. Are you in?
Older Bruce Wayne: You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts.
Barry Allen: [as past Barry is filming Supergirl flying] Barry, what are you doing?
Past Barry: What? Our kids are going to want to see this.
Barry Allen: Your kids?
Past Barry: Well, you know, like everybody’s kids. I mean, the children of the world. They’re going to want to see this.
Barry Allen: And, Barry, just so we’re clear what that essentially equates to is you and me versus the entire Kryptonian army.
Past Barry: Chill.
Past Barry: Okay, and the space giant, and Mistress Murder, are our responsibility too?
Barry Allen: Come on, Barbie.
Past Barry: Let’s go party?
Barry Allen: [as Bruce is mortally wounded] It’ll be okay.
Older Bruce Wayne: Not this time, kid. Maybe some other time.
Barry Allen: We can’t bring you back, can we?
Older Bruce Wayne: You already did. You already did.
Barry Allen: You know that I have to undo what I did.
Past Barry: No. It’s not a mistake. We can save her. And we can save them.
Barry Allen: No, we can’t. This is what Bruce was talking about. Barry, this is inevitable. We can try a million times, and we’re not going to be able to fix this. No matter what we do, this world dies. Today. Look around. Look at the damage we’re causing. Now we have to stop. Okay?
Past Barry: You’re the one who came and told me that I’m a superhero. And now you’re saying what? You don’t want me to be? Well, guess what! It’s too late! I am the Flash. And I can save everyone. Nobody dies!
Barry Allen: Barry, not every problem has a solution. Sometimes we just have to let go.
Past Barry: Let go of Mom?
Barry Allen: She’ll always be alive, somewhere in time. Always. Just not for us.
Barry Allen: I’m the Flash. What’s your name?
Dark Flash: I’ve lived more than you can dream.
Barry Allen: Not an answer.
Barry Allen: Please just look at what’s happening. These worlds, they’re colliding and collapsing. We did this. We’re destroying the fabric of everything. You have to stop.
Dark Flash: It stops once I’ve fixed it!
Dark Flash: [to Barry] How do you like our endless paradox? I made you create me, and now you’re the one in my way. No matter how close I get to winning this fight, you go back and let Mom die. You’re the inevitable intersection. And you do have to let go.
Nora Allen: [to Barry] I know I’m just a random lady in a store. But do you want a hug?
Court Reporter: Mr. Allen, can you tell us a bit more about what happened, please?
Barry Allen: Well, the tomatoes moved from the bottom shelf to the top shelf, and subsequently, uncooked the spaghetti. Unquote.
Court Reporter: I’m sorry, that makes absolutely no sense. What are you talking about, sir?
Barry Allen: Who the f*** is this?
Alternate Bruce Wayne: Hey, Barry.
Barry Allen: No. Where’s… You’re… No. You can’t… You’re not Batman.
Alternate Bruce Wayne: What’s wrong with you?
Barry Allen: [post-credits lines] They were all Batman. They were all Bruce Wayne. But each of them was a completely different person.
Arthur Curry: So, on the other line-time…
Barry Allen: Timeline.
Arthur Curry: I’m the same guy?
Barry Allen: Yeah. Actually, pretty much. You’re lovable, furry, loyal, motivated by bacon.
Arthur Curry: Alright, listen. Thank you for making it more simpler for me, Mr. Simple More.
Trailer: