Fans of the Flash and Batman alike have been eagerly waiting for a film centered around the titular character, The Flash.

Finally, the film, “The Flash,” was released in theaters across the country on June 16. The film was immediately met with vastly mixed reviews. The movie did better with audiences than it did with critics, earning a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics and an 83% with audiences.

Directed by Andy Muschietti with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, the film features new and old characters from the Detective Comics (DC) franchise.

Reprising his role as the Flash is Ezra Miller, who previously played the character in the 2017 film “Justice League.” For some fans, what is most exciting is the inclusion of Michael Keaton, who notably returns as an alternate version of Batman. Keaton has not played the DC super hero since the 1992 film “Batman Returns.”

A number of actors reprise their roles as various characters in the DC Universe. One actor, Michael Shannon, stars as the main villain, General Zod. Shannon reprises his role as Zod, having previously played him in “Man of Steel” 2013.

Other cast members revisiting their previous roles include Ben Affleck returning as Batman in the regular timeline, Gal Gadot returning as Wonder Woman, Antje Traue returning as Faora-Ui and Ron Livingston returning as Henry Allen.

Other noteworthy additions includes Sasha Calle, who appears as the character Supergirl. Supergirl has not been seen in a DC film since 1984. Viewers also see Maribel Verdu appearing as the Flash’s mother, Nora Allen, and Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, The Flash’s main love interest. Nicholas Cage appears as yet another Superman variant in the film. Cage was originally set to play the character in the canceled 1994 film “Superman Lives.”

The Flash is yet another superhero film about alternate universes: a new trend when it comes to comics-based films. Therefore, it greatly relies on computer-generated imagery (CGI) to make these fantasies come to life.

Later in the film, there is an extended portal scene in which our main characters are thrown into a crossroad of every universe. In this sequence, the viewer sees CGI versions of Christopher Reeve as Superman and Helen Slater as Supergirl. The two portrayed the characters in the 1970s-1980s franchise “Superman.”

Through GGI magic, Adam West also returns as Batman. The iconic actor played the character in the 1960s TV series “Batman.” Finally, George Reeves, who portrayed the character in the 1951 film “Superman and the Mole Men,” returns as Superman. 

Similarly, the main side character of the film, a version of Barry Allen from a different universe, was completely edited in. Ezra Miller portrays both Barry Allen in the normal universe and Barry Allen in the alternate universe which he is transported to.

The film follows the Flash as he travels across universes to defeat villains, notably going to the Batcave, Batman’s lair to recruit other heroes. The Batcave in the film has many references to the 1989 film “Batman” starring Keaton.

The first occurs when the alternate version of Flash opens a bag, and it laughs at him. This refers to the laughing gas that the Joker uses in the 1989 “Batman” film. The next reference comes later in the film when Keaton says the line “Let’s get nuts,” which is a line from the same film.

One of the most notable things about the film is how it is an action film, a superhero film and a comedy film all in one. This makes it an entertaining watch as viewers are astounded by the action and find the comedic portions of the film funny. Ezra Miller’s role as The Flash and the alternate Flash is depicted as a comedic duo, which again, is very entertaining to watch.

DC fans have been waiting for a film centered around The Flash since the 1980s. While a screenplay was written for a film starring the Flash in the late 1980s, but this ultimately led nowhere.

In the mid-2000s, Ryan Reynolds, who later went on to portray Deadpool in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was cast to play Flash in a film reminiscent of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films. Again, this concept did not reach fruition.

It was finally in 2013, with the release of Superman film “Man of Steel,” that the current version of the film was written. The screenplay went through several rewrites over the years until 2021, when filming for “The Flash” started.

The film was met with mixed reviews by viewers in the Linganore community. Sophomore Isaiah Sadowski had a strong opinion of the film. He reported that he did not enjoy the film.

“It sucked because it didn’t have Spider-Man in it,”  Sadowski said.

However, he did have positive things to say about Michael Keaton’s return as Batman, who he noted is his favorite character in the film.

“I thought it was pretty epic,” Sadowski said.

Sophomore Dylan Beall-Downes has not yet seen the film but was looking forward to seeing it. In particular, he was excited for the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman.

“I mean, have you seen his previous Batman roles?” Beall-Downes said.

Despite doing well with fans, the film has been met with controversy surrounding actor Ezra Miller, who plays The Flash in the film. 

After the movie was filmed, Miller took an extended trip to Hawaii. From March 7 to March 28, Miller was the subject of several police calls on the island. According to 10 calls placed over Miller’s erratic actions, the actor was filming people, loitering and verbally insulting people. 

Miller was rumored to be housing a mother and her two children, whom he met in Hawaii. According to Rolling Stone magazine, during their stay on Miller’s farm in rural Vermont, the children got their hands on unsecured firearms.

Despite all of this negative attention, Miller has not yet been fired from his role as The Flash. However, this may soon change as Warner Brothers (WB) has not given a clear answer as to Miller’s future with DC Comics.

In reaction to Miller’s chaotic behavior, many small organizations and individuals have attempted to boycott the film. Many people have refused to watch it.

Despite all of the controversy, “The Flash” is a good superhero film, with comedy sprinkled throughout. If a person wants to watch a fun superhero film with the family, then grab some popcorn.

In the end, “The Flash” is a must watch for fans of the DC Comics characters. Not only does it feature the titular character but it showcases other characters  and actors from days past, perhaps its most appealing aspect.