The Flash pre-release reactions been bizarrely polarized. Instead of the internet having a unified viewpoint on the upcoming DC blockbuster beforehand (e.g. everyone agreeing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 looked good or that Shazam! Fury of the Gods, uh, didn’t), some have been hyping up the Ezra Miller vehicle as one of the best superhero films ever while others have been doing nothing but roasting it.
One of the major points of contention for The Flash‘s critics is the VFX that’s been on show in its trailers. And the hate train has just pulled out of the station again in response to a GIF of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl battling Michael Shannon’s Zod going viral. The scene in question is believed to be from the movie’s big third act, and the supposed blandness of the location is leading to some unexpected nostalgia for… Joss Whedon? The guy who gave us 2017’s Justice League? Are you sure?
It’s true, although at least it’s nostalgia for Whedon’s seminal MCU event, 2012’s The Avengers. As heated fan @artwithinpod earned almost 20K likes for saying, the “gigantic flat plate of dust” that is the locale of the Supergirl/Zod tussle makes them “miss setpieces like the Battle of New York.”
Others argued that the heavy blowback Man of Steel got for its highly destructive third act has ultimately led to boring damage-free set pieces like this one. OK, DC fans praising Zack Snyder. Phew, we’re back to normal now…
It’s hard not to agree that some of the visual effects depicted in The Flash‘s trailers leave a lot to be desired (just look at poor Sasha Calle’s face hastily pasted onto Supergirl’s CGI body, like she’s a PS1 cut scene character), but we never thought we’d see the day when DC folks were getting wistful for Whedon’s contributions to the superhero genre, after he did the franchise a massive disservice that it’s still course-correcting from. Still, we have to admit, The Avengers‘ final battle remains one of comic book cinema’s best.
The Flash releases in theaters from June 16.