After a tumultuous few years in production, “The Flash” finally hits theaters on June 16. 

“The Flash,” directed by Andrés Muschietti, follows Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) on a time travel quest to prevent his mother from getting killed. In doing so, he alters spacetime and creates a world without metahumans. This leaves the world defenseless against Kryptonian General Zod’s (Michael Shannon) alien invasion. It’s up to him, a younger version of himself, Supergirl (Sasha Calle) and an alternate-universe Batman (Michael Keaton) to save the day and return Barry back to his universe.

The films coverage so far has been positive, famously by Tom Cruise and infamously by a Warner Bros Executive saying that it’s good enough to make public audiences forget Ezra Miller’s crimes. I’m going to be careful not to reveal any major spoilers and judge “The Flash” as both a DC comic nerd and a movie fanboy. That being said, I’m deeply conflicted with this movie.

The Good

Growing up on DC comics, all of these characters have a special place in my heart and own a big part of my childhood. Because of this, I enjoyed a good chunk of my time with “The Flash.” This movie is drenched in fan service, with plenty of little references to other DC media to keep any fan enticed. The biggest attraction for me and many others was Michael Keaton’s Batman and folks, he does not disappoint.

Keaton’s Batman is used to great effect. Sometimes it felt like some Bat-scenes seemed to take away from a movie that’s supposed to be about the Flash, but you won’t catch me complaining. Calle’s Supergirl was a good addition too. However, she often felt more like a plot device than an actual character, something that often happens with Kryptonians. The cherry on top, and probably my favorite part of the film, comes near the terribly messy third act, with plenty of fan goodies to be enjoyed. Though, it became a little cumbersome to “The Flash’s” plot at times as they slowed down the movie to say “Look at this! Remember that?!”

Still, there were moments I was left feeling giddy like a little kid. All of the references and super moments enthralled the DC fan in me, but as a movie lover, I simply can’t say it was good.

The Not So Good

Put simply, there are far too many technical issues and story discrepancies for me to recommend this movie to someone that enjoys movies and movie-making. The years of production hell show their scars prominently in the editing and special effects department. The staccato editing between obvious reshoots leaves a few scenes visually confusing. Most CGI characters look worse than Renesmee from Breaking Dawn.

Worse yet, I found Miller’s performance as the younger Flash to be incredibly agitating and unlikeable. Perhaps this was Muschietti’s purpose for this character in an attempt to make the older Flash likable. But, when one out of two main protagonists makes me want to swallow a Batarang every time he’s on screen, you’re probably doing something wrong.

If you’re a DC fan or even just a Keaton Batman fan, see it. You’ll have a blast. If you’re not a fan, take a gander at a few of Ezra Miller’s offense charges and go from there. 

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@thezachus