THE FLASH : Tuesday 13th June 2023.

I saw the M Rated 'THE FLASH' at an early screening this week two days ahead of its official worldwide release. This much hyped and eagerly awaited American Superhero film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be the thirteenth instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and is Directed by Andy Muschietti whose previous feature film making credits take in his debut with 2013's 'Mama', then the Stephen King novel adaptation of 'It' in 2017 and 'It Chapter Two' in 2019. This film is released in the US this week also, following multiple delays caused by Director changes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and post-production setbacks. It had a production budget of about US$220M, and has garnered mixed or average reviews.

The film opens up with a Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) late for work and hurriedly walking into his local cafe to collect his usually pre-prepared breakfast from the obliging female assistant working the counter, but on this day she is off sick and so his breakfast has not been prepared. He painstakingly looks at his watch and gives the young male assistant his order who would rather pass the time of day chatting than prep up his morning sustenance. Barry's phone rings and it is Batman's trusted butler and assistant Alfred (Jeremy Irons) demanding that he is urgently needed in Gotham City to attend a robbery at a hospital where the thieves have made off with a suitcase containing vials of a deadly virus. While waiting for his order Barry reluctantly asks whether Batman can attend to the scene or Wonder Woman even, but both are it seems indisposed. Barry makes his exit to the bathroom and appears out in the street as The Flash. What follows is The Flash's superspeed run to Gotham City to attend to the hospital that has seen a huge sinkhole appear immediately outside and the entire wing of the hospital about to come crashing down into it. Of course high up in the hospital tower is a suite containing several new born babies, a nurse and a therapy dog who all go crashing out the plate glass window as the side of the building begins to topple. But, with The Flash on the scene he is able to save all the babies, the nurse and the dog and bring them to safety on the ground. 

In the meantime the Batman (Ben Affleck) has arrived on his Batbike and is chasing down the villains through the streets of Gotham, amongst much vehicular carnage, the exchange of rapid gunfire, mortars and burning rubber. Eventually, Batman brings the last villain to heel while dangling off a bridge with the villain holding onto Batman by his fingertips and Alfred blurting down the phone to not allow the case of virus vials to fall into the river. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) appears and using her lasso of truth hauls Batman and the villain to safety. Job done, the city saved and the three part ways with The Flash returning to the cafe just a few minutes later for the assistant to hand over his custom made breakfast. 

Barry then goes to work and is chastised by his boss for being late - a perpetual habit it seems. Later, as The Flash, Barry revisits his childhood home where he fondly remembers his parents Nora (Maribel Verdu) and Henry (Ron Livingstone). Nora sends Henry out to the local supermarket to buy an extra can of tomatoes for a special pasta sauce she is making. With the young Barry upstairs in his bedroom, he sees his father return and hears his mother scream out. Rushing down to the kitchen, Barry sees his mother slumped against the kitchen cabinet with a knife sticking out of her stomach and his father holding the knife yelling out for Barry to call 911. However, Henry is accused of her murder and imprisoned, with the trial set for tomorrow. Barry speaks with Henry over the phone, with Henry telling his son that the court case is a foregone conclusion and that all the odds are firmly stacked against him, just before the phone call is cut off automatically.

Racked with emotional turmoil, Barry inadvertently runs at such a speed that he travels back in time, and upon returning to the present day has a conversation with Bruce Wayne about it, saying that he can change the past and save his mother and father, and that he could do likewise for Bruce and save his parents too. But Bruce explains that if you mess with the past you can cause untold damage to the future, and to drop the idea. At that Bruce jumps back into his Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 and drives off. Despite Bruce's warnings The Flash goes back to the time of Nora's death, and changes the outcome so that she lives.

When The Flash attempts to get back to the present-day, he winds up in an alternate 2013 where Nora is alive. Barry greets his parents warmly and settles down for dinner over a bowl of pasta, but through the kitchen window he sees his past self approaching the house. He quickly dashes outside and intercepts his younger self. After explaining the realities of time travel to a bewildered younger Barry, he realises he is in the day of the lab accident that bestowed upon Barry his powers - 29th September. And so the older Barry takes the younger Barry to the Central City Police Department where he helps give his younger self his powers during a freak storm in which a lightning bolt strikes the side of the building through a window and smashing a mix of chemical bottles spilling all over him, but in the process, the older Barry looses his powers. Older Barry attempts to train younger Barry in the use of his powers but has trouble doing so, as his younger self is a lot more impetuous. Later with the pair out in the city, they learn via TV news broadcasts, of General Zod’s (Michael Shannon) invasion on Earth. And so the two Barry’s go to Wayne Manor in the hopes of locating Batman, as the pair need all the help they can get if they are to save our little green planet from destruction.

Entering the somewhat run down and neglected Wayne Manor, they find an alternate version of Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) who has long since given up on crime fighting since Gotham has become one of the safest cities in the country. However, explaining the predicament the two Barry's now find themselves in, they convince him to help them find Superman who is being held captive in a Russian base high up in the Arctic Circle. 

Upon gaining entry to the base they eventually find the massive steel sphere that Superman is encased in. Instead though of finding Superman, they find his cousin Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle) who is physically weakened and mentally drained, but they rescue her anyway. After doing so and escaping through the roof of the base, Kara quickly recovers her powers when exposed to the sun's solar energy, and she almost single handedly dispenses with the small army of Russian soldiers guarding the base. The older Barry asks Bruce to help him get his powers back by recreating the accident that bestowed him those powers in the first place. The first attempt fails and nearly kills Barry prompting Kara aka Supergirl, to fly Barry into the storm and get struck by lightning which has the desired effect.

Supergirl and Batman join the two Barry's in attempting to defeat Zod, who by now has begun the process of destroying Earth. During the battle with Zod, Supergirl learns that Zod killed the infant Kal-El when his pod got knocked off course. She is naturally enraged. Just as Supergirl overpowers Zod and seemingly gains the upper hand, Zod manages to kill her and take a sample of her blood which he will use to revitalise the dying planet Krypton. Batman meanwhile sacrifices himself to save the Barry's.

The younger Barry insists he travel back in time to save them both and does so multiple times but keeps failing, each time becoming a slightly darker unhinged version of himself, and as the time continuum becomes increasingly fragmented. The older Barry tries to reason with the dark Flash but his attempts prove futile in the Speed Force as the multiverse begins to implode, but not before older Barry has visions of alternate Supermen (Christopher Reeve, Adam West, George Reeves and Nicolas Cage). A future version of Dark Flash then arrives to kill his younger self, so saving the multiverse and restoring the equilibrium. 

In the aftermath, Barry fixes the timeline and reconciles himself with his mother's death. Back in the present day new evidence is provided in Henry's court case so earning him his freedom. Outside the court house Barry is met by his former girlfriend, Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) who asks him out on date at which he quickly responds with a resounding yes, after which Bruce Wayne pulls up in his Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 who is not the Ben Affleck version of the character, but the George Clooney version. If you sit in your seat right until the end credits have rolled, you'll see a scene in which Barry is assisting a very drunken Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) while telling him of his recent experiences. 

'The Flash' is arguably one of the best DCEU big screen adaptations to date and Director Andy Muschietti has proved himself more than capable in helming a cinematic extravaganza such as this. The action sequences are exactly what we have all come to expect from a Superhero movie, and the CGI rendering whilst not perfect is passable. Ezra Miller is well cast in the role of dual Barry Allen's/The Flash and seeing Michael Keaton reprise his role as Batman for the first time in thirty years is a real trip down memory lane, whilst nods to former Batmen and Supermen also adds to the nostalgia, but is probably there more for the fan service than to add any weight to the plot lines. There are moments of real humour and emotion interspersed between the action set pieces that help elevate this final instalment in the DCEU, before new joint CEO's James Gunn and Peter Safran's new franchise - the DCU rolls out, above many of the also-rans that have gone before. The final act is long and drawn out however, and overly repetitive, and just how many more films do we need to have in this genre that feature a multiverse for Chrissakes - after all we've had two in the last two weeks, plus a whole bunch more in recent years. Nonetheless, 'The Flash' is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket. 

'The Flash' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ANTEBELLUM : Tuesday 6th October 2020.

'ANTEBELLUM' which I saw earlier this week is a MA15+ Rated American horror film Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz in their feature filmmaking debuts. Originally slated for an end of April release date, this was pushed back due to the impacts of COVID-19 to the 20th August before being temporarily suspended from the release schedule all together. Subsequently, the film was released through video on demand on 18th September in the US, and saw its theatrical release in Australia from last week. Costing US$15M, the film has so far recouped US$4M and has garnered mixed or average Reviews so far. 

The film opens up on a sun drenched day on a Louisiana cotton plantation sometime in the early 1860's during the American Civil War. Run by the Confederate States Army who treat the enslaved black workers with disdain, complete disrespect and with a harsh hand. The slaves are not permitted to speak unless given permission to do so, they are not permitted to speak with one another and any that dare try to escape are quickly captured, killed and then burned in a crematorium. Eden (Janelle Monae) is amongst a group of slaves who has clearly been there only for a short while. She is favoured by the Confederate General (Eric Lange) who treats her harshly and one night brands her on the lower back with a red hot poker, and chastises her for crying out in agony ordering her to stop her whimpering. 

Six weeks later a group of new slaves are carted on to the plantation. Among the new group is a pregnant woman whom the female owner of the plantation, Elizabeth (Jena Malone) calls Julia (Kiersey Clemons). She is placed under the care of Eden. Over the course of her first few days Julia asks Eden to plan their escape, but for Eden timing is everything and instead asks her to lie low and to keep her head down in compliance until the time is right. Shortly thereafter a big dinner is held for all the Confederate Soldiers with the slaves waiting on. 

The General says to his men that the women are there to cater for their every need and want and that they shall not refuse any request. A young and very nervous soldier named Daniel (Robert Aramayo) is introduced to Julia whom he takes a liking to. He is too nervous to talk to Julia so the General intervenes and orders Julia to take him back to her cabin. In the cabin Daniel beats and kicks Julia in the stomach for speaking to him without his permission. The next day Julia miscarries in the cotton field, and the day after that Eden finds Julia hanged from the rafters of her cabin. That night the General rapes Eden, and she falls asleep.

The next morning Eden wakes up to the sound of her mobile phone ringing, but she is not Eden, she is Veronica Henley, a renowned and highly qualified sociologist, and this now serves as the backstory as to how she came to be on a Louisiana cotton plantation in the early 1860's. That morning she is scheduled to fly out of home to Louisiana to speak at a seminar and launch her new book at the same time. Her loving husband Nick (Marque Richardson) and young daughter Kennedi (London Boyce) make a fuss over breakfast. After her presentation to a largely gathered group of black and Asian women, her friends Dawn (Gibourey Sidibe) and Sarah (Lili Cowles) take Veronica out for dinner. In the meantime, Elizabeth, posing as a company representative, sneaks into Veronica's room, rifles through some papers and steals one of her lipsticks. 

After dinner wraps up, the girls gather for a group selfie outside the restaurant just as two Uber's pulls up. Veronica climbs into one for she needs an early night as she has a plane to catch at 6:30am the next morning leaving Dawn and Sarah to catch the second Uber and party on elsewhere. Inside the Uber Veronica is attempting to speak to Nick but the music in the car is turned up high. She asks the driver to turn it down and then notices looking in the rear view mirror back at her it is Elizabeth. From behind, a hand grasps Veronica around the face and she is knocked unconscious by Elizabeth's husband Jasper (Jack Huston). 

Back now on the cotton plantation, Veronica wakes and now doggedly tells one of her fellow male captives Eli (Tongayi Chirisa) that they will attempt an escape later that night. Eli's wife had previously attempted to escape and she was killed and burned in the crematorium as a result. While the General is sleeping, Veronica steals his mobile phone that she had previously seen him angrily speaking into in the early hours of one morning. However, she drops the phone when Daniel is walking by with another soldier, both of whom are more than half drunk. Picking up the phone, the soldiers are perplexed that someone would defy orders by bringing a mobile phone on to the camp when it is strictly forbidden. Veronica and Eli hide in the undergrowth as the two soldiers approach having heard something. One soldier leaves having said it's nothing, leaving Daniel to take a leak. Eli kills Daniel with a hatchet. The pair quickly discover that the phone can only be unlocked with facial recognition, and so Veronica goes back to the cabin to find that the General is awake. 

A fight breaks out and Eli is killed by the General with the hatchet embedded into his heart while trying to protect her. Veronica manages to stab the General with his own sword before unlocking the phone and calling Nick and sending him her location so that he can alert the Police. She pulls down the Confederate flag flying in the grounds and wraps the General's body inside it. She then drags his limp body to the crematorium. Jasper by now has been alerted to the commotion and runs into her. Veronica lures him and another guard into the crematorium and locks the three of them firmly inside, before setting it alight, leaving the men to burn to death as she steals the General's horse and rides off.

Various soldiers all pursue Veronica on horseback shooting at her randomly. They all fall away or succumb to the dense undergrowth, except for Elizabeth who doggedly chases after her. Coming to a clearing Elizabeth reveals that she handpicked every slave on the plantation except for Veronica, whom she kidnapped at her father's insistence and that she would be his jewel in the crown. Veronica knocks Elizabeth off her horse, a fight breaks out with Veronica ultimately gaining the upper hand by putting a rope around her neck, and then dragging her along behind her horse at speed for several hundred meters until she hits the stone plinth of a Robert E. Lee statue, breaking her neck instantly. Veronica flees the pursuing soldiers into the chaos of a battle, revealing that the plantation is actually part of a Civil War lifelike reenactment park owned by the General under his real name, Blake Denton. Veronica escapes as the Police arrive to liberate her and the other captives and the park, named Antebellum, is bulldozed sometime thereafter.

I have to say that I enjoyed 'Antebellum' more than most critics it seems fair to say, did. Whilst hardly a horror film in the true genre meaning of the term, there are certainly moments that can be described as horrific as slaves are either killed or maimed without mercy by their overbearing Confederate masters, but then when a slave gains the upper hand she also meets out her own vengeance without mercy and with just as much violence. The first act labours somewhat as it sets the tone of what is to follow, but the second and third acts certainly make up for the earlier shortfalls as the plot twist comes more into focus. Janelle Monae certainly proves her acting chops in her first major lead role whilst Eric Lange, Jena Malone and Jack Huston all ham it up admirably tarred with the same brush. Gabourey Sidibe looks out of place arriving on the scene as though she has walked into a comedy film, all larger than life, gushing with self confidence, and totally out there (but then I guess she is playing a self help guru here!). There are parallel stories at play here with the cultural oppression and racial discrimination just as evident today as it was 160 years ago, and with this reenactment park being able to fly under the radar of any authorities and get away with murder most foul for God only knows how long, this is surely a metaphor for white supremacists and the BLM movement as it is raging through the US right now. First time Directors Bush and Renz certainly know how to capture and maintain the interest from the opening frames to the last, whilst asking you to suspend all belief that a place like Antebellum can even exist. 

'Antebellum' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-