Considering all the heinous things Ezra Miller's guilty of, I felt conflicted about seeing this film...but in the end decided that everyone else involved with the film didn't deserve to be punished for Miller's crimes by having their hard work boycotted. Also, I've been waiting since the 1984 Helen Slater movie to see the character of Supergirl on the big-screen again. That and the return of Michael Keaton's Batman were the main draws...and it's not until they appear that this movie really gets going. The first hour or so is quite the slog, as you're forced to sit through Miller's Barry/Flash and the painful so-called 'humour' that accompanies his character (if you found him annoying *before*...this won't change that), Batfleck attempting a Bale-style Batman growl, a drawn-out effects sequence involving raining CGI infants that'll probably coin the phrase 'microwave the baby' (becoming the new 'jump the shark'/'nuke the fridge') and a dull underdeveloped romance with Barry's love interest, Iris West. The only bright spot? Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, who's the gift that keeps on giving, her Lasso of Truth providing an actually genuinely amusing moment before she flies off to continue being awesome (and hopefully NOT be erased by James Gunn 'rebooting' the DCEU, since she was one of the only good things to come out of it).
Turns out the three certainties in life are death, taxes and Barry Allen messing up timelines/the multiverse, as He-Of-The-Funny-Run runs SO fast that he time-travels back to prevent the death of his mother and clear the name of his father blamed for her murder...which is all connected to a can of tomatoes (yes, REALLY). As if his running didn't already look ridiculous, just imagine him doing that on the spot to give us a glimpse of what moving through time looks like inside the 'Speed Force'. As to why the figures look overly-CGI'd in this sequence, I imagine it's because CGI is the only way to give us glimpses of previous incarnations of certain characters towards the film's end (most of which I was spoiled for and one of whom is a dearly departed actor, which I'm sure will further fuel the debate regarding CGI resurrecting people...but I was so surprised/over-the-moon to see his character's cousin right there alongside him that I was willing to forgive it). Think things would immediately improve upon Barry's time-travelling? Think again. Now we're stuck with TWO of him (the younger of which acts like he was dropped on his head as a child).
I guess it'd be unfair to not acknowledge Miller doing an adequate job portraying two versions of Barry...but honestly? Once you've seen Tatiana Maslany's phenomenal work in the TV series Orphan Black, all other actors-portraying-multiple-versions-of-themselves pale in comparison. Prepare yourself for plenty of exposition throughout the film, as there's hardly a scene without any from this point on. It's one bungle after another for the Barrys, as recreating the lightning/chemicals accident that gave Future Barry his powers so Past Barry gets them too results in Future Barry losing his. With no Diana or anyone useful existing in this new timeline, they seek out Bruce Wayne...but it ain't Batfleck. Enter Keaton (or at least his stunt double), looking decidedly homeless (despite still living in his Tim Burton movie mansion restored to its full gothic glory), kicking the Barrys' butts until they annoy him into helping them. He then attempts to explain how Future Barry has effed things up with an awkward/painful-to-watch spaghetti metaphor.
Those who've waited to see another outing from Keaton's Batman almost as long as I've waited to see a new big-screen Supergirl will finally get what they've been longing for when he suits up to aid the Barrys in freeing Superman from a Russian prison...though once again, it's not who they expect and we're instead introduced to Sasha Calle's Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. With Ezra Miller's crimes threatening to overshadow this project, I felt sorry for all involved...but especially Sasha Calle, since this was supposed to be her big debut, bringing a new version of Supergirl to life after the character had previously only been seen on the small-screen (in the series Smallville, and then later, Supergirl) since the 1984 movie. Calle's interpretation of the character is quite different from that of Helen Slater's, Laura Vandervoort's or Melissa Benoist's. This Kara hasn't really anything to smile about after humans immediately locked her up upon her arrival to Earth. However, she learns that not ALL people are d*cks (speaking of, all the references Barry makes to that particular appendage in the movie weren't funny...despite the writers apparently thinking they were) and agrees to help the Barrys, plus Keaton's Batman, stop General Zod invading Earth (which, oh yeah, is another result of Future Barry's screw-up).
While I appreciated seeing Supergirl kick serious butt, I was disappointed the display of her powers we were treated to was only the bare minimum. On top of that, she's defeated by Zod not once, not twice...but OVER AND OVER AGAIN (I'm sure those who dislike female superheroes will get their jollies from watching that), which I thought was a shockingly disrespectful way to treat the debut of a new Supergirl. Sasha Calle deserved better! Also criminally underused is Antje Traue's Faora-Ul (who was the ONLY part of MoS that I actually *liked*). She made a more menacing villain than Zod previously and I was looking forward to more of her...but this time around she's barely featured/not even given any dialogue before being easily dispatched. SUCH a waste (on the plus side, Cavill's Superbland receives similar unceremonious treatment, which will surely upset the Cult of Cavill). The treatment of Supergirl/Faora is just one example of what annoyed me about this movie. For every 'good' bit, there were umpteen 'bad' bits (Aquaman's post-credits scene, drunkenly collapsing facedown into a puddle of water outside a bar, perfectly sums up the current state of the DCEU). The only recommendation I can make regarding this movie is come for the Keaton, stay for the Supergirl.
Turns out the three certainties in life are death, taxes and Barry Allen messing up timelines/the multiverse, as He-Of-The-Funny-Run runs SO fast that he time-travels back to prevent the death of his mother and clear the name of his father blamed for her murder...which is all connected to a can of tomatoes (yes, REALLY). As if his running didn't already look ridiculous, just imagine him doing that on the spot to give us a glimpse of what moving through time looks like inside the 'Speed Force'. As to why the figures look overly-CGI'd in this sequence, I imagine it's because CGI is the only way to give us glimpses of previous incarnations of certain characters towards the film's end (most of which I was spoiled for and one of whom is a dearly departed actor, which I'm sure will further fuel the debate regarding CGI resurrecting people...but I was so surprised/over-the-moon to see his character's cousin right there alongside him that I was willing to forgive it). Think things would immediately improve upon Barry's time-travelling? Think again. Now we're stuck with TWO of him (the younger of which acts like he was dropped on his head as a child).
I guess it'd be unfair to not acknowledge Miller doing an adequate job portraying two versions of Barry...but honestly? Once you've seen Tatiana Maslany's phenomenal work in the TV series Orphan Black, all other actors-portraying-multiple-versions-of-themselves pale in comparison. Prepare yourself for plenty of exposition throughout the film, as there's hardly a scene without any from this point on. It's one bungle after another for the Barrys, as recreating the lightning/chemicals accident that gave Future Barry his powers so Past Barry gets them too results in Future Barry losing his. With no Diana or anyone useful existing in this new timeline, they seek out Bruce Wayne...but it ain't Batfleck. Enter Keaton (or at least his stunt double), looking decidedly homeless (despite still living in his Tim Burton movie mansion restored to its full gothic glory), kicking the Barrys' butts until they annoy him into helping them. He then attempts to explain how Future Barry has effed things up with an awkward/painful-to-watch spaghetti metaphor.
Those who've waited to see another outing from Keaton's Batman almost as long as I've waited to see a new big-screen Supergirl will finally get what they've been longing for when he suits up to aid the Barrys in freeing Superman from a Russian prison...though once again, it's not who they expect and we're instead introduced to Sasha Calle's Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. With Ezra Miller's crimes threatening to overshadow this project, I felt sorry for all involved...but especially Sasha Calle, since this was supposed to be her big debut, bringing a new version of Supergirl to life after the character had previously only been seen on the small-screen (in the series Smallville, and then later, Supergirl) since the 1984 movie. Calle's interpretation of the character is quite different from that of Helen Slater's, Laura Vandervoort's or Melissa Benoist's. This Kara hasn't really anything to smile about after humans immediately locked her up upon her arrival to Earth. However, she learns that not ALL people are d*cks (speaking of, all the references Barry makes to that particular appendage in the movie weren't funny...despite the writers apparently thinking they were) and agrees to help the Barrys, plus Keaton's Batman, stop General Zod invading Earth (which, oh yeah, is another result of Future Barry's screw-up).
While I appreciated seeing Supergirl kick serious butt, I was disappointed the display of her powers we were treated to was only the bare minimum. On top of that, she's defeated by Zod not once, not twice...but OVER AND OVER AGAIN (I'm sure those who dislike female superheroes will get their jollies from watching that), which I thought was a shockingly disrespectful way to treat the debut of a new Supergirl. Sasha Calle deserved better! Also criminally underused is Antje Traue's Faora-Ul (who was the ONLY part of MoS that I actually *liked*). She made a more menacing villain than Zod previously and I was looking forward to more of her...but this time around she's barely featured/not even given any dialogue before being easily dispatched. SUCH a waste (on the plus side, Cavill's Superbland receives similar unceremonious treatment, which will surely upset the Cult of Cavill). The treatment of Supergirl/Faora is just one example of what annoyed me about this movie. For every 'good' bit, there were umpteen 'bad' bits (Aquaman's post-credits scene, drunkenly collapsing facedown into a puddle of water outside a bar, perfectly sums up the current state of the DCEU). The only recommendation I can make regarding this movie is come for the Keaton, stay for the Supergirl.