A Flash of Insight: Two Lingering Thoughts After Watching “The Flash”
Despite “The Flash” not setting the box office ablaze in China, it’s a film with great entertainment value and high production quality.
I caught it early, but only now have I found the time to pen my thoughts. The plot still resonates with me, prompting me to share these reflections.
With the film’s initial buzz fading, fewer people are paying attention. However, I’d still like to share the two most striking impressions I had while watching it.
Spoiler alert! Proceed with caution.
The Essence of Speed and Perspective
1. The World in Slow Motion: A Speedster’s View
The film kicks off with a high-octane scene where The Flash rescues falling babies. He replenishes his energy mid-air before safely delivering each infant to the ground within seconds.
For a brief moment, I felt immersed in The Flash’s perspective, as if the world had slowed to a standstill.
It made me realize, the world must seem incredibly slow to someone who moves so fast.
My reflection on this scene isn’t about the fantasy of a superhero or the envy of extraordinary power. We are, after all, just ordinary people.
Instead, I wondered if there are “fast people” among us, individuals who see further and move quicker than most. Do they catch glimpses of our slow progress as they sprint by?
Perhaps I’m overthinking it.
The director might not have intended this interpretation.
Yet, the thought lingered. Even superheroes face unsolvable problems, grappling with complexities that surpass our everyday worries.
Is there truly a life devoid of hardship, a state of complete happiness?
Troubles are an inherent part of the human experience. We’re all just figuring out how to navigate life in our own way.
2. Accepting the Unchangeable: Letting Go of the Insoluble
The Flash is haunted by his mother’s death in a past accident.
He’s determined to change it, not to find the culprit, but to bring her back to life.
An impossible feat for ordinary people, but he’s a superhero.
With enough speed, he can reverse time and alter the past.
So, The Flash travels back to the day of the incident.
To minimize disruption, he subtly places the tomato cans his mother forgot to buy into her shopping cart, hoping to prevent his father from going out again and leaving his mother vulnerable.
This would also prevent his father from becoming a suspect in his mother’s death, due to the lack of video evidence of him reaching for the lower-shelf tomatoes.
Believing he’s succeeded, The Flash is thrown off course during his return to the future, landing in an altered timeline.
The plot then delves into the “multiverse” theme, recently popularized by Marvel and DC.
Some viewers might feel fatigued by the multiverse concept, but “The Flash” offers a different take.
It’s not about different versions of the same hero from different universes, but about the same Flash in different universes.
For fans of both superheroes and the multiverse, this film is a delightful blend.
The old Batman’s explanation of the multiverse and its nexus points using scattered spaghetti is brilliant in its simplicity.
Changing even a small detail can have significant consequences.
Putting the tomato cans in the cart alters a person’s fate.
However, without this change, he wouldn’t have met the other Barry Allen, learned to navigate the new world, or realized how annoying he used to be.
It’s a necessary part of his growth.
When The Flash loses his powers, he must rely on his experience to guide the younger version, explaining the background to the audience.
But ordinary people can’t fight.
He needs to regain his powers.
Becoming The Flash the first time was a coincidence; the second time requires courage.
Supergirl shields The Flash from a lightning strike, and the sight of her scorched skin is painful to watch.
It’s a reciprocation of The Flash’s rescue of Supergirl from captivity.
Supergirl’s power level is clearly in a different league.
(PS: Supergirl’s physique is stunning.)
During the battle with the villain, Batman and Supergirl are killed.
The Flash refuses to accept this fate, repeatedly traveling through time to save them.
But he’s constantly injured, becoming unrecognizable from the repeated time travel, yet he refuses to give up.
This is an unavoidable nexus point in the multiverse.
It cannot be changed.
The Flash finally understands his mother’s words.
Some problems are unsolvable, so we must let go.
He returns to the supermarket and puts the tomato cans back on the top shelf.
Then, he says a dignified goodbye to his mother.
To her, he’s just a stranger, but she gives him a mother’s love.
Back in the future, his mother is still gone.
However, because the tomatoes were moved to the top shelf, the security camera captured his father’s face, providing the alibi he needed to win his case.
As The Flash celebrates, he suddenly finds himself in another altered timeline.
The main story ends here.
The post-credits scene with Aquaman is likely a prelude to “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
The film is filled with Easter eggs that DC fans will appreciate.
Like Marvel fans enjoying the ensemble effect of “The Avengers,” there are surprises and emotional moments.
I’d like to add that after watching “Fast X,” I felt like it was a DC and Marvel collaboration, with so many familiar faces.
“The Flash” features cameos from Wonder Woman and Aquaman, who also appear in “Fast X.”
The cast doesn’t disappoint, but the plot is just okay.
Final Thoughts
3. A Solid Superhero Flick
“The Flash” has great visuals, a complete story, and a lingering aftertaste.
Overall, it’s a solid four-star (8/10) film.
While I often give near-perfect scores, I still feel there’s room for improvement.
But where it falls short is a matter of subjective taste.
There’s no right or wrong answer, and we shouldn’t force our opinions on others.
I bought an IMAX ticket, and the viewing experience was indeed amazing.
To fully appreciate this kind of film, it’s worth investing in a ticket for the best possible experience.
The scenes where The Flash travels back in time, with the interweaving memories, immerse you in his mind.
And the convergence of the multiverse before the finale is simply stunning.
You have to see it to believe it.
It might be too late now, as IMAX screenings are probably limited.