The Flash (TV Series) Film Reviews

The Flash (TV Series) Film Reviews

Barry Allen is a Central City police forensic scientist with a reasonably happy life, despite the childhood trauma of a mysterious red and yellow lightning killing his mother and framing his father. All that changes when a massive particle accelerator accident leads to Barry being struck by lightning in his lab. Coming out of coma nine months later, Barry and his new friends at S.T.A.R labs find that he now has the ability to move at superhuman speed. Furthermore, Barry learns that he is but one of many affected by that event, most of whom are using their powers for evil. Determined to make a difference, Barry dedicates his life to fighting such threats, as The Flash. While he gains allies he never expected, there are also secret forces determined to aid and manipulate him for their own agenda. Written by Kenneth Chisholm

The live action DC show we deserve.

Barry Allen was introduced during "Arrow" season 2, which was the show in its prime. After setting him up in the universe, they went on to make a show based entirely around Barry Allen becoming The Flash. Since "Arrow" was getting darker and darker, "The Flash" went in the opposite direction. It's the tonal antithesis of "Arrow". Lighthearted, quirky, and silly, yet grounded enough to make us care, and the writing is just as sharp and witty as you'd hope.

When the characters were first introduced in the "Arrow" episode, I thought I would hate them in "The Flash". But after a few episodes, each character is developed with a certain role in the show, and it works wonders. Harrison Wells as the enigmatic mastermind behind STAR Labs, Caitlin as the straitlaced neurotic scientist, Cisco as the sarcastic pop-culture referencing comic relief who comes up with each villain's "super" name, and Barry Allen as the relatable everyman who was struck by lightning and became the fastest man alive. Then there's Barry's family - journalist Iris West, his foster sister and secret love of his life, and the detective with a heart of gold Joe West, his foster father. The best part is the chemistry between them all. There are clashes between the strict Wells and the snarky Cisco, Barry and Iris' boyfriend Eddie who you're not too sure about at first, and Eddie and Joe West with the usual "you're dating my daughter" dynamic. But none of it comes across as artificial. You believe all of the character interactions because they're developed well enough so that you're fully aware of how each person would react to each situation, and the writers are spot on when it comes to their motivations and actions. 

The acting itself is surprisingly great. It's refreshing in a CW show to have a likable good actor as the lead, and Grant Gustin knocks it out of the park. He's usually upbeat and quirky but when he's given the important emotional beats, he pulls them off well enough to tug at your heartstrings. Everyone else is great too, even the "freak-of-the-weeks" like Captain Cold played with appropriate coldness by Wentworth Miller. The writing is also excellent for the most part. It takes a few episodes to get going but once it starts up it does not slow down. As the story starts to unravel and the plot slowly reveals itself, it's hard to take your eyes off the screen. There are more than a few jaw-dropping episodes such as the season 1 finale, and superb looking special effects and CGI monsters, namely Gorilla Grodd and King Shark.

Like "Arrow", there are some soap opera-y moments, but they're placed sparingly enough in the series that they don't take you out of the show. The dialogue is silly sometimes but that's what gives it its charm. It's not supposed to be brooding and gloomy like "Arrow"; it's light and upbeat while still delivering truly awesome comic book moments. And the threatening villains remain threatening - the Reverse-Flash is legitimately menacing, and the tone shifts appropriately for the episodes that he's in. In short, the writing is consistently great while managing to throw a few surprises at you along the way.

"The Flash" is a must-watch for "Arrow" fans, comic book fans, or action sci-fi fans in general. It's a fun take on the superhero genre and once it hits its stride, it delivers some of the coolest superhero ideas ever explored on TV. Sure, there's some filler, there's corniness. But when it's supposed to be emotional, it is. When it's supposed to be badass, it is. It's not a perfect show by any means, but it delivers on exactly what it sets out to. "The Flash" is a blast.

A Great Show For Kids and Adults Alike

My daughter (8) and I both enjoy watching this show. She got interested in Flash from her classmates at school and now awaits eagerly each week for the new episode. I had never read a Flash comic book growing up so was totally unfamiliar with it. The great part is that my daughter has now gotten me really hooked on this show. The plot lines are well devised and the show is entertaining and well-paced. Nuclear Man was probably the best episode so far with a great combination of action and good acting. The character of Dr Wells is brilliantly crafted as alternately good and evil, and Grant Gutsin gives a brilliantly nuanced performance as Barry Allen. Cant wait to find out more about the origin story as the season advances and the story of the death of Barry's mother Nora is developed further. Hope this show continues for several more seasons.

This show is near perfect

The Flash is awesome! With only one season down it's proved it is a force to be reckoned with! It's got an amazing cast, incredible stories, visual effects, acting, cinematography. Season 1 is in my honest opinion the BEST LIVE ACTION SUPER HERO ADAPTATION EVER!

A lot of the reviews on here say the Flash is really bad. Like one of the worst shows ever, claiming that the only reason it has a rating over 8/10 is because of fandom.....this isn't true. They are basing their hate of the show on the first few episodes. I can honestly admit that the first few episodes aren't that great, I can admit that. It felt like a mediocre series. However once you hit the mark of Episode 9.....that's when the real fun begins. The stories from there only get more involving, intriguing and overall amazing.

The whole Reverse Flash Story is perfectly executed, with plot twists and turns thrown at you nearly every episode. It was hard to see what would happen next! It just kept getting better and better. The Flash actually stands up as being BETTER than Arrow....and far better than Smallville....regardless of what some reviews say.

Needless to say The Flash is the definitive superhero ride. It's going to be tough for season 2 to match season 1 or even exceed it, but Arrow Season 2 did it, so why can't the Flash.

I do have some negatives though, none of which are the show's characters, heck even Iris West is a cool character, far better than Arrow's Laurel Lance. Some of the negatives stem from the first few episodes which other reviewers use as a basis to criticise the entire show. Don't judge it all if you haven't seen it all...cause if you'd have seen it all....you'd realise your first thoughts were silly.