The Flash Review: Did Ezra Miller’s Legal Troubles Take The Fun Out Of Multiverse-Hopping Epic?

The Flash (PG13)

Starring Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Kiersey Clemons, Sasha Calle

Directed by Andy Muschietti

Arriving just two weeks after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Flash is another crowd-pleasing multiverse-traversing caper that asks: can science change destiny? Timelines are thrown into disarray when Barry Allen/The Flash (Miller) tries to correct a past family tragedy. He should know better than to play God: that position has already been filled! To undo the catastrophic damage (Shannon’s General Zod returns!), he enlists a retired Batman (Keaton), Supergirl (Calle), and another Barry (in Bill & Ted mode) from another dimension. Think the humour and pathos of Back to the Future filtered through superhero havoc. If you pay no mind to Miller’s run-ins with the law, it’s mesmerising to watch him juggle three roles with aplomb. Keaton is a scene-stealer too. His OG Dark Knight is the Doc Brown to The Flash’s Marty McFly (who happens to be the butt of a recurring gag); their emotionally complex dynamic deserves more screen time. Tom Cruise reportedly cold-called director Muschietti to gush over the movie after an early sneak peek. You, too, would want to ring Muschietti up to congratulate him. That,­­ and maybe ask him how he pulled off those cameos… and why some of the SPFX is a bit dodgy. Just saying. (3/5 stars) in cinemas now

Photo: Warner Bros Discovery

Extraction 2 (M18)

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Tornike Gogrichiani

Directed by Sam Hargrave

With Extraction, Hemsworth finally lands himself a bona fide franchise outside New Asgard as broken soldier-of-fortune Tyler Rake. He miraculously survives the first movie (the resurrective power of sequels!) to accept another mission: to spring a family out of a Georgian prison. The first half is an exercise in sheer audacity, featuring a breathlessly insane 21-minute ‘oner’ jailbreak. It sets the bar so high that in the second half — bad guys want revenge! — struggles to keep up. But there’s enough shit blowing up and shoot-outs to keep things interesting — and a trail of breadcrumbs that leads to the next extraction. (3/5 stars) now on Netflix

Stan Lee (PG13)

Starring Stan Lee

Directed by David Gelb

Stan Lee sometimes gets too much credit for creating Marvel’s stable of iconic heroes, so much so that his collaborators, notably artists Jack Kirby (Fantastic Four) and Steve Ditko (Spider-Man), often took a bad seat. It’s a story we don’t hear enough of and one that Gelb’s documentary briefly touches on. Who’s the creator? The person who came up with the idea or the artist who drew it and gave it life? Discuss! Another area that could’ve delved deeper: Lee regretting not copyrighting his own creations before Marvel came under new management. “I was heartbroken,” he said via archival footage. (3/5 stars) now on Disney+