Can The Flash outpace its problems? After long delays, the Scarlet Speedster arrives laden with off-screen controversies at a time when the DCEU, multiverses (Spidey aside), and superhero movies seem to be losing some traction. Perhaps it’s no surprise that Barry Allen’s fitfully fun, fan-service-freighted headline act sometimes looks like an expanded universe imploding to ambitious but often messy effect.
True, much of It director Andy Muschietti’s superhero debut entertains and surprises (less so perhaps in the latter case, thanks to those pre-release reveals). The story has emotional stakes, honed by Christina Hodson’s multi-stacked script. But The Flash also suffers from too many under-integrated elements in the mix, often caving to excess.
