LAS VEGAS – “The Flash” wasted no time running right into fan’s hearts.
An unfinished cut of the eagerly anticipated DC superhero film (in theaters June 16) premiered at CinemaCon Tuesday night before a packed house of theater owners, studio executives and journalists.
Yours truly thought it had a big heart and found the narrative, which centers on the Flash (Ezra Miller), who uses his super-speed to save his parents and in the process accidentally breaks the world and meets his 18-year-old self. The film puts a nifty superhero spin on a “Back to the Future”-type tale, and Michael Keaton’s return as the Caped Crusader after 30 years is a good reminder that he’s the best movie Batman of them all. (For real, he should have done way more of these back in the day.)
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Slashfilm’s Jenna Busch gave a “chef’s kiss” to the returning superhero. “I didn’t realize how much I needed Keaton’s Batman in my life again,” she tweeted.
Erik Davis of Fandango.com called the movie “tremendous,” citing its inventive storytelling and “so many nerdy details.”
“The Flash” is one of the last films coming out before the big DC universe reset, and Rob Keyes of Screen Rant tweeted that it “fits nicely as a bridge story” between the old and new franchises.
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Germain Lussier from iO9 echoed the “Back to the Future” vibes and said it “might be a tad too ambitious but it’s also just incredibly satisfying, heartwarming and fun.”
Miller’s legal issues – including arrests in Hawaii last year for disorderly conduct and suspicion of assault, a burglary charge in Vermont and accusations of teenage grooming – weren’t addressed in Warner Bros’ CinemaCon presentation.
Collider.com’s Steven Weintraub tweeted that the star has “made a lot of mistakes but they are soooooo good in this movie.” And Cinema Blend’s Sean O’Connell praised “two outstanding performances” from Miller in “The Flash.” “It’s magical. It presses every button. I’ll see it 1,000 times.”
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