In a tweet made just a few months ago, James Gunn, who’s the co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, stated that his favorite film of 2023 (so far) happened to be the contentious Ezra Miller starrer, The Flash. On a separate occasion, the acclaimed filmmaker additionally affirmed the cinematic brilliance of the Andrés Muschietti-helmed project, calling it, “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.”
Such statements had led to the blossoming of revitalized hope within wary fans who deemed the endeavor a goner, following the string of serious controversies in which the leading actors of the film found themselves irreparably entangled. Even early reports on the test-screening scores of The Flash referred to it as having paralleled the likes of a triumphant masterpiece like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Alas! Such remarks have turned out to be deplorable exaggerations. The Ezra Miller-led film, as asserted by critics and long-time fans of the DCEU, was a mediocre pursuit at best. While the narrative may have managed to capture the audience’s attention, the third act seemed especially lackluster. What, however, absolutely astonished (and enraged) movie-goers was the shoddy CGI.
The Flash‘s CGI Shocked Fans And Critics
The film was criticized mainly for furthering the phenomenon of superhero fatigue, relying particularly on meaningless, unmoving nostalgia with its endless uncanny cameos. Its attempt to traverse an intricate multiversal tale barely manages to scratch the surface of the subject matter. Failing to subvert clichés and norms within a trope that is increasingly being overused, the Andrés Muschietti undertaking failed to sustain itself at the box office through word-of-mouth promotion, at the very least.
There is not much going on in the movie that would persuade people to watch it. Instead, the opposite seems to be true. The clashing of many contrasting elements caused an uproar on the internet, with fans feeling particularly upset about how the movie was marketed by James Gunn. Setting such high expectations ultimately ended up costing the endeavor a lot.
Even if one were to excuse certain aspects of the storytelling, in the name of an outwardly “fun and thrilling” entertainer, it becomes almost impossible to defend the grotesque nature of the CGI incorporated in The Flash. That is not to imply that no attempts have been made. Director Andrés Muschietti, in reference to one of the scenes, justified the usage of distorted VFX as an intentional facet of the premise—calling it intrinsic to the Scarlet Speedster’s perspective.
Even if the reliance on uncanny CGI was a deliberate creative choice, it did not succeed in winning over viewers or critics. This subsequently turned into one of the aspects people have incessantly started to mock about the 2023 DCEU project. Netizens have been sharing snippets and pictures of particular scenes from the movie where the visual effects look particularly appalling. One of these scenes has a CGI representation of Henry Cavill with a physical appearance that is comparable to that of characters from early 2000s video games.
Talk about an epic send-off.
Henry Cavill’s CGI Model In The Film Is Being Ridiculed
The film’s use of uncanny CGI models became an issue of online debate. While people are clinging on to their Muschietti-esque defenses, calling such incorporation purposeful, others have begun to lambast the sequence. Some are claiming that The Flash has humiliated Henry Cavill’s legacy in the DCEU. The rest are comparing the sequence and the model to either a PS3 video game cutscene or a derelict wax statue.
Take a look at what the users have to say:
no guys you don’t get it the movie is SUPPOSED to look like gmod https://t.co/A3g8acBKCP
— october (@ghostofoctxber) July 18, 2023
Super Disrespect 😭 pic.twitter.com/UuuWRQUp7z
— AHMED AMEEN (@sheikahmedameen) July 18, 2023
The lack of dignity/respect is almost laughable
— Officer Danny Burino (@DannyBurino) July 17, 2023
Me in 2022: I really hope Henry Cavill gets some kind of appearance in The Flash so Black Adam isn’t the last time we see him.
Me in 2023: God I wish Black Adam were his final appearance as Superman now. https://t.co/Hu6KGvqhke
— Channel Pup (@channel_pup) July 17, 2023
That’s a fat load of bs dude. If the director has to actually justify why it looks bad then it’s horrible. As much shit as tailka got, at least he admitted that some of the CGI in L&t was bad and didn’t try to give a BS excuse
— Lyla (@Slipstrada) July 17, 2023
My favorite early ps3 model
— Megaten_Newbie (@Megaten_newbie) July 17, 2023
Last year, the news of Henry Cavill’s departure as the franchise’s definitive Superman disappointed many. People had high hopes for his future in the DCEU. At the end of the day, the fans had to make peace with the fact that James Gunn‘s conceptualization of the upcoming DCU slate did not have a space for Cavill’s Superman to return. Furthermore, the co-CEO of DC Studios wanting a younger iteration of Metropolis Marvel led to the casting of David Corenswet. A new generation demands a new face. Such decisions become somewhat justifiable.
What was at least reasonable to anticipate from The Flash, which appears to be Henry Cavill’s final expedition as Superman, was an honorable or respectable portrayal of the adored, fan-favorite version of the legendary character. Unfortunately, Cavill’s rendition didn’t get much of a send-off; all it got was an abhorrent computer-generated sequence that failed to leave a lasting impression in the minds of the audience.
As the disastrous consequences of its commercial failure haunt Andrés Muschietti’s The Flash and Warner Bros. Discovery as a whole, fans of the franchise have been left with only two options now: accept the future as it is or regret the potential of what could have been.
Source: Twitter
