Film review- The Flash (2023)

Starring Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle

Directed by Andy Muschietti 

By Roger Crow

There was a time when we just got superhero movies, with one protagonist; one villain; epic set pieces and an actual story. But then the need for more meant two villains, maybe three, and one hero. And an actual story. And as the genre mutated, fans wanted even more. They wanted a reminder of how good the previous movies were, so we got the multiverse. Yes, other versions of Spider-Man for example could co-exist, and fight super villains, even if they were killed in other movies. The enormous success of the last few Spidey movies (animated and live action) meant Hollywood backers knew there was safety in numbers, so as long as there’s a handy explanation of the multiverse, then anything goes.

I’m sure there are plenty of fans of DC Comics’ hero The Flash out there, and given the seemingly random moment in Batman vs Superman (2016) when a hint of what was to come was included in that epic letdown, DC bosses have been planting seeds for The Flash movie for some time. 

(Suicide Squad and Justice League also boosted the hero’s profile, and not to be confused with TV’s The Flash, which is apparently a different thing altogether). 

This film is a game of two halves. On the one hand is the fact that Michael Keaton’s Batman is back for the first time since 1992, which is a cause for celebration. On the other is a weird Big Bang Theory-style sitcom which plays out with hero Barry Allen (Ezra Miller). ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be fun if there were two of them, like in Keaton’s clone comedy Multiplicity, and one was really annoying?’ Well, sort of. In fact both Barrys are pretty annoying, but on the plus side there is one of those amazing set pieces when the lightning-fast hero attempts to save a load of babies, and a nurse, and a therapy dog, from a collapsing building. It’s basically a revamp of those bits in the X-Men movies when Quicksilver did the same sort of thing.

Anyway, we know what Barry can do, and like all great heroes, he suffered a loss at a young age. But what if you could run so fast that you could turn back time and prevent that tragedy from happening? How would that change things? 

Well, as we all know from countless similar movies like Back to the Future (which features a clever Eric Stoltz rather than Michael J Fox nod), it creates a paradox, aka alternating timelines. Except in this reality, Barry and his alt-version, the super annoying one, can co-exist. 

Following cameos from Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, we eventually meet up with Keaton’s Batman, who is now a shaggy haired, bearded recluse in Wayne Manor. 

For a hardcore Batfan like me, the recreation of 1989/1992 era Batman is a joy, from the suit, the HQ and the toys to Danny Elfman’s sublime, albeit revamped score. It’s just a shame Bruce moves like a 20-year-old stunt double and looks like a superbly weathered pensioner.

So both versions of The Flash team up with Batman 89/92, and break the alt-Supergirl (Sasha Calle) out of prison. In this world there is no Superman, as 2013-era General Zod (Michael Shannon) explains. Yes, the ground zero of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is revisited again, like it was in Batman vs Superman. Can old Batman and The Flash stop this version of Zod? 

Naturally there’s an epic set piece in which our heroes tackle the Kryptonian villains, and the whole thing feels satisfying, like a video game cut-scene. But then there’s a load of stuff in which both Barrys try to change the outcome of the battle, and like a bowl of Bruce Wayne’s ‘exposition spaghetti’ from earlier in the movie, the whole thing turns into a hot mess of alt timelines. And like anyone who saw the 1998 version of Lost in Space, there’s a serious reminder of what obsessive time line meddling can lead to. 

I’m a huge fan of sitcom Two Doors Down, so one person I didn’t expect to see in this mega bucks comic book conversion was Kieran Hodgson, stealing the movie from under Ezra Miller’s  nose in the first few minutes. 

A minute later, the brilliant Sanjeev (Unforgotten) Bhaskar is doing the same thing. Some of the reason is the movie was partly shot in Glasgow, which is one of the go-to places for blockbusters needing ‘American’ streets but without paying New York prices. (See also World War Z, The Batman, and the last Indiana Jones movie).

So while The Flash isn’t as bonkers as the Aquaman movie, it’s so frantic you may need a lie down. It also needed trimming by 20 minutes, and may have been stronger without that loving homage to George Reeves and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. We also get a look at what Nicolas Cage’s Superman would have looked like from the aborted 1998 Tim Burton version. 

The Flash is not without merit, and the final gag with a laugh-out-loud funny cameo from a well known coffee salesman is worth sticking around for. 

It’s just a shame the running scenes still feel so inert, like they did when Eric Idle’s super-fast hero in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen chased projectiles and pulled off amazing feats with differing degrees of success back in 1988. 

Ideally there’s a version of this movie where The Flash is barely in it; a blur if you like, and given Miller’s headline-grabbing issues in recent years, morally that may have been the best option too. 

As fun as bits of The Flash are, I’m not desperate for a sequel, unless Michel Keaton and that other guy from the finale turn up and dominate the movie, then count me in. 

Cast 8

Effects 8

Score 8

Script 7

Rewatchability 8

Roger Crow

Film Review-The Creator (2023)

Starring John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Allison Janney

Certificate 12

Directed by Gareth Edwards

By Roger Crow

Once in a blue moon there comes a sci-fi epic that’s not a sequel, an adaptation of a comic or video game, and has a vast scope and scale that genuinely amazes. 

Years after helming one of the best Star Wars movies, Rogue One, Brit director Gareth Edwards is back with The Creator. 

Imagine if James Cameron, Akira’s Katsuhiro Otomo, Neill Blomkamp, the much missed Syd Mead and a few other visionary types merged with Edwards and made a movie. This is the result.

Boosted by the presence of John David Washington as Taylor, the hero who goes on an epic journey with a hybrid human/cyborg child, there are times this feels like Apocalypse Now with robots. If Sarah Connor had clashed with Terminators in Nepal, this would sort of be the result. 

Edwards burst onto the sci-fi scene years ago with his micro budget hit Monsters, which cleverly merged VFX with on-location footage to brilliant effect. He was then snapped up for a Godzilla reboot, and that paved the way for Rogue One. This is his first proper stab at a non-franchise project since Monsters, and it’s a feast for the eyes and soul. 

Never has a year been more about the pros and cons of AI, and the movie, released at a time when the Hollywood strike over the AI threat to jobs has been prevalent, tapped into that fear. 

Like District 9, which examined apartheid with a sci-fi twist, this examines a brave new world where humans and AI-droids can live together while an orbiting gun platform wanders the earth threatening everyone.

In the mix is gravel-voiced Ralph Ineson as a top brass military type, and a barely recognisable Allison Janney as a kick-ass soldier with a grudge against the droids. 

There are echoes of Blomkamp’s Elysium, and assorted anime epics, but this is still impressive stuff from a superb film-maker who coaxes fine turns from his leads. 

Madeleine Yuna Voyles is remarkable as the young heroine, and the fact it only cost $80million is staggering. The film looks like it cost three times the amount thanks to filming in some fantastic locations. Certainly cheaper than building the sets.

There is room for a sequel, though it’s anyone’s guess whether that will happen. Ideally seen on a huge screen, though I watched as a digital download, and wished I had seen it at a cinema. And now I feel like I need to see it again to soak up that incredible attention to detail. 

An astonishing creation.

Henry Winkler: The Fonz and Beyond (Audiobook)

By Roger Crow

One of my favourite memories from years of celeb interviews was the time Henry Winkler spent 10 mins discussing his life story. 

“What a pleasure!”, he remarked with genuine honesty as we started chatting.

It left me hungry for more, and now I get to spend hours with the man who was an icon to millions. 

His long-awaited autobiography has been on my pending list for months, and when it finally drops, I listen to about four hours in one sitting. 

And it was well worth the wait. 

We may think we all know the story of how a jobbing actor became an overnight star thanks to ‘that’ sitcom, but it soon becomes apparent that’s just the tip of a fascinating iceberg. 

Born of German-Jewish stock, Henry’s dad was smart enough to get his family out of harm’s way before the Nazis killed them. They settled in America, where young Henry was constantly berated for being unable to read. What they didn’t realise was he was dyslexic; it was a time when such a word meant nothing, and countless other students were deemed troublemakers or ‘dumb dogs’ because of their inability to read.

Anyway, skip to him getting the acting bug and that inevitable casting call to play Arthur Fonzarelli, the greaser bit-part character in sitcom Happy Days. Star of the show, Ron Howard, was a child actor who already had a decade’s experience under his belt by the time he played Richie Cunningham, the lovable protagonist at the heart of the comedy. 

What nobody expected was how much the Fonz would take over the show. Winkler, having obvious trouble reading his scripts, would improvise some of the dialogue, and when questioned why, he would say he was capturing the ‘essence’. 

His frustration with one script led to him cruelly hitting it. Howard took him for a walk one day and told him not to as the writers were doing their best with a tricky job. It gave Winkler a newfound respect for the writer’s craft. 

As the Fonz grew in popularity, the big cheeses wanted to change the title to ‘Fonzie’s Happy Days’. Winkler begged them not to as it would diminish the contribution of the rest of the cast. He got his wish. 

There is a mention of how that notorious scene which became synonymous with a show outstaying its welcome. Winkler had mentioned to the producers that he was a pretty good water skier, and before long the Fonz was in California on water skis in a leather jacket, naturally, jumping over a shark. 

Yes, that phrase ‘Jump the Shark’ eventually got picked up by a college kid, and suddenly everyone was saying this show or that show had reached THAT point in its upward trajectory, and the only way was down.

Inevitably Ron Howard felt more pushed out of the show which had meant to be a vehicle for him, so he went off to become a film director. 

Ron and Henry remained firm friends throughout, though when Happy Days finally ended after a hugely successful run, typecasting had left Winkler in a tricky spot. Yes, he tried to break away from the cool Fonz image with films like Heroes, which he made with Harrison Ford, but it proved a hard job. 

Winkler’s private life, crashing at the houses of friends in California, including Charles Haid from Hill Street Blues, eventually led to him getting his own place. His romance and eventual marriage is revealed in great detail, partly by his wife, and there are a few cases of over sharing. Hey, it’s an autobiography, but as a guy who has spent some time in therapy, there’s a feeling that writing the book is also a sense of catharsis. 

Fast forward to the 1980s and Ron Howard directs his old mate in a comedy called Night Shift with rising star Michael Keaton. 

Winkler turns to directing, and though he has a great time helming a Dolly Parton movie, he has a trial by fire with Burt Reynolds, who frankly comes across as a bit of a nightmare. (Can’t help but feel Burt had a beef with Winkler for stealing some of his thunder during his heartthrob years). 

Years later Henry is asked if he wants to direct a comedy called Turner and Hooch by one of Hollywood’s biggest cheeses. He jumps at the chance, but it’s clear the powers-that-be aren’t happy with his work and he’s fired. 

He’s asked by Wes Craven to appear in Scream, and duly does so, but without a credit on the poster. However, he is asked to do Press, and obviously the film is a huge hit. 

The memory of the Fonz starts to fade as Henry ages like a fine wine. Eventually he decides to dictate a story about a kid called Hank Zipzer, whose dyslexia makes him a pretty unique character in a world of kids’ literature. The books become hugely popular, but no US network wants to make a series about a dyslexic kid, so the show is made in Blighty by CBBC. Naturally Henry makes an appearance, while fan Adam Sandler hires him for assorted films. 

There’s also the odd curve ball of trivia. For years I’ve been impressed with former Corrie star Jessica Barden, who went on to make brilliant indie gems like Scarborough, and cult TV saga The End of the F****** World. She only went off to marry Henry’s son, which still blows my mind. Imagine having the Fonz as your father-in-law. 

Apparently many authors reading their own work for audiobooks are given a couple of days. Henry was given around 100 hours, and it’s that extra attention which really makes his autobiography shine as he savours every word, and occasionally gets carried away with those memories. 

I’ll never forget the day a Hollywood icon spent a few minutes telling me about his life and career, and there’s not much difference listening to the audio book, especially his chapter about achieving success in the brilliant comedy drama Barry, which finally landed him a coveted Emmy. 

We all wish we could be as cool as the Fonz, even the man who breathed life into him. But Henry Winkler’s own degree of cool is to keep his feet on the ground when he’s one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. And also to stay sane in the years that followed, as well as triumphing over adversity and giving hope to countless young readers who had no idea what Happy Days was. 

What a pleasure indeed. 

Verdict? Ayyyy for effort, naturally.

Berserker by Adrian Edmondson (Audiobook)

By Roger Crow

It’s hard to remember a time when Adrian Edmondson wasn’t in the public eye. For about 40 years, since The Young Ones burst onto BBC2, he’s been a constant presence. And though only a few episodes of that anarchic sitcom were made, the characters achieved an immortality thanks to constant playground and office impressions. “Yes, we’ve got a video!” being one of Ade’s oft-repeated phrases in the mid-1980s as the novelty of VCR and actually having such a magical device went from being a rarity to commonplace. 

Adrian’s rise from Bradford-born obscurity to actor, and comedy icon, is one filled with glorious anecdotes and often touching stories. 

His school days in Yorkshire, when he was subject to physical violence at the hands of the odd teacher in Pocklington, are often heartbreaking.

It’s leavened by that feeling of elation when the acting bug bit hard, and Edmondson’s eventual meeting with Rik Mayall. Of course for years his comedy partnership with Rik was the stuff of comedy legend. They were a simpatico double act who graduated from the horrors of student digs in The Young Ones to the miserable, yet hilarious, Bottom, which turned the Tom and Jerry-style cartoon violence of two characters hitting each other with frying pans, into an art form.

Inbetween all of these TV hits are the first dabbling with stage comedy via the Comedy Store, that fertile training ground for many a rib-tickling legend, and the offshoot that became The Comic Strip. Channel 4’s series of usually one-off films didn’t always hit the spot, but creative genius Peter Richardson (original choice for Mike in The Young Ones) helped turn the show, and assorted film features, into memorable slices of escapism. 

The memories of making The Pope Must Die, and Adrian being wrongly arrested, are chilling. 

Naturally there are stories about the time he met Jennifer Saunders, and they fell in love, and the effect their respective projects had on the famous. One story in which Adrian was working on a pop promo and attracted a surprise reaction from Joni Mitchell, a massive Young Ones fan, is a real ‘Pinch me – did that just happen?’ moment. As is the time Jennifer and Adrian were invited to Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger’s house, because she wanted to star in a reboot of Absolutely Fabulous. As Jen liked a glass of wine, Jerry and Mick’s attempts to find any in the house were surreal. 

Most touching of all are Adrian’s thoughts on his own mental health, and the fates of a couple of friends who took their own lives. There are more than a few times during the audiobook, which is beautifully read by the man himself, when you may find yourself tearing up. The death of his own father is also incredibly moving. 

Far from being a laugh-a-minute series of anecdotes, Berserker is one of the most touching autobiographies of 2023, written by one of British entertainment’s greatest creative forces. 

Adrian rarely ever watches old episodes of The Young Ones, so if you see him on the street, don’t bother asking if he remembers that relatively obscure line from one of the classic shows as chances are he won’t. That’s all history, and what a history it is. 

Yes, he does mention the time he appeared in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, because writer/director Rian Johnson was such a fan of Bottom, he filmed his own version based on one of the scripts.

And yes, there is a moving section in which he discusses life after Rik’s quad bike crash, and how the now much-missed funnyman couldn’t understand why they weren’t working together anymore. The fact Mayall and Edmondson pitched an apparently dreadful script for a new series, (in Ade’s hope it would get turned down) then got a green light, is testament to how beloved the duo were. 

There have been so many great celeb autobiographies this year, but Berserker may be the one that is hardest to get out of your head.

Dr Who: retro review – Hell Bent

Original broadcast December 5, 2015

Written by Steven Moffat

Directed by Rachel Talalay

It helps if you’ve seen predecessor Face the Raven, which is a prolonged death scene of sorts for Clara Oswald. The age-old Monkey’s Paw story is dusted down and given a fresh spin. That leads into the ultimate Groundhog Day story, Heaven Sent.

Having watched HS, then HB and finally FTR, it’s a case of filling in the blanks, but this being Who, it shouldn’treally matter. Knowing where the Doctor is going when he’s given the teleport is more terrifying. And with FTR, that nagging feeling of: ‘Are those stars in waiting Letitia Wright and Naomie Ackie?’ pays off. Of course they are.

Thankfully after years of waiting, Who embraced the diversity issue, or lack of it, by 2015, and gave some real talent a chance to hone their skills.

Aptly for a story about having your memory wiped, I didn’t recall a thing about Hell Bent, the follow-up to one of the best Capaldi Who eps.

Once you get past the Western overtones in the first act, the pompous jargon and self importance, and lack of tension because he is the invincible big cheese sheriff bringing order back to a corrupt town, the beating heart of it is an old guy who waited billions of years because he had a crush on Jenna Coleman’s Clara, which is completely relatable.

Funny how The Last Jedi featured the same stand-off between a load of imperial forces and Luke Skywalker a few years later.

Tear-jerking stuff, mainly because Jenna just burns up the screen with her brains and beauty. Not always a given considering the dumbed down companion cliches.

Capaldi-era Who was okay, but would have been so much less without an actress who clearly has animated Disney genes in her DNA, and pretty decent acting chops, as the recent soap saga Wilderness proved.

And nice to see top turns from Maisie Williams and the ever-reliable Donald Sumpter, who added heft to Game of Thrones, and Claire ‘Hellraiser’ Higgins.

A shame about that shot of an American diner flying through space, as we really didn’t need that hammering home. However, there are far more positives than negatives in this often touching study of grief, loss, love and attempting to reset the clock, despite the fact everyone has their time. Sometimes, clocks have to stay stopped.