Superhero movies are a big and exciting commodity nowadays. There is no denial in this, as box office reports will show; however, it feels that the big two (Marvel and DC) look at their respective properties with different eyes. Marvel tries to treat their properties with a sense of awe and wonder, allowing us to have a myriad of adventures to choose from, be it from hiest film to a crime drama. DC wants to take a different approach, they want to "make movies about superheroes." This, sadly, usually means that most of their films have this tendency to be dark and bleak adventures that leave you with less of a feeling like you have been on an adventure and more like you have heard a person tell you why life is pain. While darkness works well with Batman, it can be hard to try and see a symbol of hope like Superman in this same bleakness. Which is why its odd that the tv side of DC takes on a whole different approach. Enter the Flash, a tv show that seems to understand what makes Marvel works. Here are a few ways that Flash works and might be a step in the right direction for the comic company.
1) Respect to the source material.
One thing that I feel that the directors of DC films do with their material is that they put in what they think looks cool. Superman kills a guy,YEAH! Joker kills Robin, YEAH! Batman beats Superman, YEAH!!! Jesus metaphors, YEAH!!!!!!!! While these are fine for some superheroes, it doesn't match all of them. If you listen to the reviews of FOX's recent failure in Fantastic Four, you'll hear about how bleak and somber the movie is. This is not to say that darkness is something to be avoided in all comic book films, Batman is something that works well in this regard, with stories such as the Killing Joke or the oft used Dark Knight Returns.
The Flash does none of these things, instead choosing to focus on what makes the character great and focus more on his legacy. He is hope, he is fast, and there is a bit of super science that is involved in all of it. While other DC films feel, at times, embarrased to be superhero films, the Flash revels in it. Whether it be references to the past (Tina Mcgee) the comics (the flash ring) or just general heroics. In the Flash, the series seems to do something that the film franchises are afraid to do-respect what the superhero is.
2) Light in the Darkness, embrace the fantastic.
"They will come back, because we need them to."
This was said by Nick Fury at the end of the Avengers, and it perfectly sums up a key difference between DC and Marvel. A light in the darkness. Again, Batman can handle the dark well, but that is who he is meant to be. He is supposed to be dark, serious, and black; however, he is one of the few. Superman shouln't be needed to be told that he is a hero, when an adult. We shouldn't be told that Batman can be a symbol every five minutes. These are things that can be inferred, but the DC films seem to need to tell us this without much substance. Indeed, it feels like the 'heroes' at times need to be told to be heroes. Or worse, to hold back from being heroes (the maybe quote) and to just let the world fade into darkness.
The Flash takes a different approach, as in once Barry gets the powers he wants to use them to help others. While there are episodes that have him deal with the repercussions of such a decision and have him to deal with problems with holding that vow, you never get the feeling that the right decision is to say no or that there should be doubt in being a hero. There is always a bit of light and the lash brings it. He embraces the light and the fantastic.
The fantastic is something else that seems to get embraced by Flash. Time travel, super science, supervillians, codenames, and more would be thrown away in a DC film in favor for more 'realistic' approach to things. Here's an experiment, say this sentence out loud and see how hard it is to keep a straight face-
"Realistically, if a man were to turn into a giant green man whenever he got enraged thanks to gamma radiation, then he would be only marginally strong."
How far did you get before you grinned or giggled? While you should always approach a subject with respect, there is still a bit of fantastic that you should always take with a grain of salt. That is what escapism is all about. We want to fly, to be strong, and fast, but DC at times feels like it wants to force us onto the ground and make us watch the bleakness of our lives play out on the big screen. While on the small screen, Flash does things like go through walls, go back in time, or face down a guy in a pouncho. The difference is that they made us believe in the characters, and thus, made the fantastical believable for us. While Superman is busy breaking necks or being beaten by Batman for the forty-seventh time, Flash is busy saving two people in a burning car or working with Arrow in an explosive team up. We want to defy the world, and the Flash gives us the opportunity to.
3) A story well told.
Another habit DC has in its production is the reuse of tropes in its films. Look no further than how Superman feels like Batman Begins, just with a guy in black and red as opposed to black and black. Flashbacks, doubt, needing to be told what to do, and even death of a villain. It feels like Goyer was doing a find and replace job on his own script and hoping no one would notice. It makes one wonder how Wonder Woman and Flash are going to go.
What happens in the Flash, however, is another story. Twists, turns, discoveries, and more. There were times when I was even shocked by where the story went and what did the creators have for me next. It made me look at Smallville at times and shake my head in a slow disbelief about how predictable the plots could get. Even Dark Knight rises, made by a master of twisting and turning the truth, felt very predictable. (Seriously, he basically telegraphed Talia's identity) The flash feels in particular engaging and makes it feel even better on a second watch.
So is the Flash a step in the right direction? I think so. Its just a shame that it feels like DC doesn't think so.
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