“The Flash” Brings An End To DCEU And Secures Its Rank As The Fifth Best-Reviewed Movie

The Flash receives mixed reviews amidst plans for a new DC universe

As the curtains close on the era of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), The Flash serves as the last movie of this chapter, and as a bridge towards a new DC universe led by James Gunn. Despite the early buzz and excitement that surrounded The Flash, the movie’s review scores have come in mixed, with a 72% review score and a 98% audience score, as reported by Forbes.

In the grand scope of the DCEU

The Flash’s score of 72% places it squarely in the middle of the rankings when compared with the other movies in the DCEU. Forbes lists the current critical ranking from highest to lowest as follows:

1. Wonder Woman (93%)
2. Shazam! (90%)
3. The Suicide Squad (90%)
4. Birds of Prey (79%)
5. The Flash (72%)
6. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (71%)
7. Aquaman (65%)
8. Wonder Woman 1984 (58%)
9. Man of Steel (56%)
10. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (49%)
11. Joss Whedon’s Justice League (39%)
12. Black Adam (38%)
13. Batman V Superman (29%)
14. Suicide Squad (26%)

Forbes suggests that some of the scores are too high, while others should be higher. Forbes argues that the DCEU as a whole did not fare well with critics.

The DCEU’s move towards a new universe

This mixed reaction to The Flash only strengthens the impression that DC is moving towards a new universe as it appears that the company has squeezed every last drop from this iteration of its universe. Forbes suggests that there just isn’t much more to get out of this universe, and that a clean slate is required to give the superheroes a fresh start.

The DCEU’s lacklustre performance might have prompted the company to take a new direction. With The Rock and Henry Cavill Superman’s rivalry idea being dubbed one of the worst ideas to emerge from the DCEU, it appears that DC has decided to wipe the slate clean and start over.

The audience’s perspective of The Flash

Despite the mixed reviews, Forbes predicts that audiences will likely enjoy The Flash more than critics. This assertion is mainly based on the nostalgia hits that the movie offers, such as Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl characters. The article further suggests that while audiences might see some of their favourite characters again, the DCEU has effectively ended with this movie.

Conclusion

The Flash’s mixed reviews seem to be a reflection of the confusion that has surrounded the DCEU in recent years. While it had its moments of excellence, the DCEU, on the whole, failed to measure up to the high expectations set by its rival, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It remains to be seen what the future holds for DC, but for now, it appears that the company is poised to start afresh and create a new generation of superheroes to fall in love with.

References

• The Flash ends the DCEU as its fifth best-reviewed film