Review: 'Flash' is fast-moving, fun and brings back familiar faces

If it's not one multiverse, it's another.

Coming hot on the superhero heels of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," "The Flash" is an almost-as-excellent universe-hopping live-action extravaganza.

Nearly always moving at what feels like the speed of light, it's a zippy and entertaining blast. And yet it nonetheless manages to serve up a few heartfelt moments amid all its carefully choreographed chaos.

As trailers have made very clear, among the familiar faces showing up in "The Flash" is Michael Keaton, who played the Dark Knight in Tim Burton's 1989 megahit "Batman" and its 1992 sequel, "Batman Returns."

And while we get a lot of Keaton — initially as wealthy industrialist Bruce Wayne, retired from caped crusading and living alone in his mansion — "The Flash" benefits from a super-fun performance from Ezra Miller.

For our purposes, we'll set aside the controversial "Perks of Being a Wallflower" actor's well publicized issues, even as concerns have persisted that their involvement will hurt the movie at the box office. What matters here and now is that Miller is consistently engaging and regularly comical as the titular hero and his socially awkward alter ego, Barry Allen.

As the story begins, Barry is called to Gotham City by Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons), the butler of his universe's Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), to help clean up what Barry sees as just the latest "Bat-mess."

Flash has to save a bunch of babies falling through the air from a collapsing hospital wing and Batman stops the bad guys — with a little help from a mutual friend.

As a result, Barry is late for work as a police forensic investigator for Central City, frustrating his boss, but what else is new?

Mainly, he's focused on the legal proceedings of his father, Henry (Ron Livingston), who is still trying to clear himself in the murder of his wife and Barry's mother, Nora (Maribel Verdu, "Y tu Mama Tambien").

When Barry realizes he can use his power to travel through time and potentially alter the past, Bruce tries to talk himself out of it, noting that the murder of his own parents turned him into the hero he is.

Barry doesn't listen, of course, and — after being knocked off course a bit — finds himself at his childhood home shortly before the incident that gave him his powers. He encounters his parents, who believe him to be their college freshman son home for dinner — and then his younger self.

The junior Barry is stoked to learn he may soon gain this molecular magic, while the senior Barry wants his help in setting things right — without telling him everything he knows. (Miller is so good acting opposite themselves that you forget you aren't actually watching two virtually identical actors share the same physical space.)

The Barrys soon have a bigger problem: General Zod (Michael Shannon) — a powerful Kryptonian first seen in this universe in 2013's "Man of Steel" — arrives on Earth with planet-altering ambitions.

Ultimately seeking the help of the missing-in-action Superman, the Barrys first go in search of Keaton's Batman, who gives a lesson in how time travel can create branches in reality. (Bruce uses a plate of spaghetti to illustrate his point. It's very effective.) But as important as all of that is, "The Flash" never bogs down in multiverse mumbo jumbo.

The movie is terrifically directed by Andy Muschietti, working from a screenplay by Christina Hodson ("Birds of Prey," "Bumblebee").

The tale draws from two comic book story lines, 1961's "Flash of Two Worlds" and 2011's "Flashpoint." Culminating in a big battle involving Supergirl (Sasha Calle, "The Young and the Restless"), the ordeal is meant to teach at least one of the Barrys a lesson about sacrifice.

Know that James Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy"), the new co-CEO of DC Studios, has said "The Flash" "resets the entire DC Universe," so changes certainly lie ahead. (As should be the standard operating procedure for a superhero movie by this point if you're into this stuff, you'll want to sit through the end credits.)

Universe reshaping aside, given just how enjoyable this first "Flash" flick is, we'd certainly welcome a second.

'The Flash'

3.5 stars out of 4

Rated: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity.

Where: In theaters Friday.