Starring: Alice Lucy, David Schofield and Casper Van Dien
Directed by: Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein
Rated: Unrated
Running Time: 92 minutes
Raven Banner

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite movie going experiences was 2007’s “Grindhouse,” by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Not so much the Tarantino portion, but the Rodriguez portion. After convincing several friends to drop money on a three-plus hour film, we were immediately rewarded as blood, guts, mayhem and tongue-in-cheek comedy took center stage. Even though there were only a handful of us in a mostly empty theater, there were times we could barely hear the movie over our own laughter at every exploding zombie head and intentionally bad scene. I sometimes wonder why more modern exploitation films aren’t made. Regardless, I’m glad someone did this year.

Heidi (Alice Lucy), of “Mad Heidi,” lives in the Swiss Alps with her grandfather, occasionally spending time (i.e. sex) with her lover, Goat Peter (Kel Matsena). Goat Peter, though, is quickly executed in the film by the fascist Swiss government in this alternate reality. Goat Peter’s crime? Selling illegal dairy products. In this cartoonish dystopia, Swiss Dictator Meili (Casper Van Dien) has outlawed lactose intolerance, conquered every inch of the dairy market, and is creating a cheese that forces the populace to be subservient Swiss patriots. After Goat Peter’s execution, Heidi is imprisoned, sending her on a trashy path towards vengeance.

“Mad Heidi” is what happens when you take an 1881’s children’s book, and smash softcore porn nudity, over-the-top violence, and out-of-date trashy storytelling in between the book’s pages. To say “Mad Heidi” is not for everyone, is like saying Jaegermeister is an “acquired” taste. Even the people watching, cheering and laughing during “Mad Heidi,” recognize it’s intentionally offensive humor, second rate CGI blood spurts and gore, and 80s action one-liners for what it is. Ridiculously amusing and oddly charming. The charm switch gets flipped on because of Lucy’s double sided performance of Heidi, a sweet relatable country girl who has to become a warrior badass. It helps that her nemesis is played by Van Dien, who may as well have eaten a spoonful of fondue before every cheesy line delivery.

The winks at other genre films is endless; all the way back to the sleaze of films like “Caged Women” to modern schlocky action-comedy like “Kung Fury.” With Van Dien on cast, the movie wastes no time in referencing “Starship Troopers,” and the references never get old as the film goes on. If I was to knock “Mad Heidi” for anything, it’d be that it’s a smidge too long and it doesn’t quite live up to the wall-to-wall insanity in other modern exploitation films like “Hobo with a Shotgun” or “Black Dynamite.” That being said, modern exploitation feels like an incredibly hard genre to pull off because exploitation is now the internet, and it’s hard to match the ferociousness of real violence broadcast into our eyeballs every day. “Mad Heidi” also has to tow this line of intentionally offensive stereotypes that are funny without upsetting modern sensibilities.

The great thing about modern exploitation and “Mad Heidi,” is that uptight people looking for the next thing to be outraged and shocked over won’t be watching the trailer for this film or looking at the poster and thinking, “I gotta check this out.” In a surprising way, it’s refreshing to watch something so politically incorrect, that you either have to hold your nose or roll with the offensive punches. I chose the latter. I relished every brutal bloody battle, every gruesome kill, every uncomfortable moment and all the little moments of absurd world building. For fans of any of the films I’ve mentioned above, or fans of B-movies with hyperviolence and immoral sexuality, “Mad Heidi” is a must. Also, someone find Tarantino and Rodriguez, and let them know another pupil of trash cinema has arrived.

Starring Russel Crowe, “The Pope’s Exorcist” casts out tone and horror surprises. Instead of jump scares and body distortion, this film relies on psychological horror keeping things grounded rather than providing action beats every few minutes. The result is something special with a fantastic performance from Crowe. This 1080p HD transfer looks stunning in the darkness and the DTS-HD 5.1 audio mis sounds even better. So, wait until night and turn off all the lights because this horror film is a stunner. 

The number of demonic possession films is staggering these days. Ever since “The Exorcist” was released in theaters in 1973, many filmmakers have tried to capitalize on both the financial and critical success it conjured up fifty years ago. Some have stood the test of time and others haven’t. One thing is for sure though, the recent possession movies were more related to showcasing jump scares and strange body movements for cheap audience reactions. While some of those work, most are immediately forgotten with a laugh and an eye roll. This is not the case with “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which takes its cues from the original “Exorcist” film in terms of its tone and grounded character work. Like “The Exorcist,” this particular movie draws from real experiences, particularly a real-life Catholic priest named Father Gabriele Amorth who was the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican. Russell Crowe plays the role of Amorth with such class and vigor during those climactic moments that it proves that Crowe has not lost one step in his perfected craft over the years. This priest is a charismatic man who must save a young boy who is possessed and is being hidden from the church to prevent mass hysteria. Again,  “The Pope’s Exorcist” doesn’t mess about with a possessed person climbing the walls like an insect or contorting their bodies into unnatural positions. This focuses more on the back and forth between the human and the demon, while each sits down and verbally fights trying to outsmart the other. Being a demon though, allows for certain hidden truths to appear within Amorth and the boy’s family, which ultimately try and tear a banded team of God from completing the exorcism – something that was shown in the original Exorcist. These scenes are terrifyingly brutal and breathtaking all at the same time. For horror fans though,  “The Pope’s Exorcist” is a breath of fresh air where jump scares and those usual suspected elements don’t creep up to bring the film to a downgraded action romp. This is character driven with some elements of horror to keep things on pace. Crowe is delightful and the psychological horror of his relationship to this demon and to the church is poignant and relates to how the church might act today if something of this caliber were to go down. It’s a horrifying story, one that is true that the filmmakers kept their class telling it correctly without all the hoopla of a modern-day action horror flick. It’s grounded and scary and should satisfy those horror buffs out there. 

In closing, “The Pope’s Exorcist” is a surprisingly great and  grounded horror film which relies on character development and the psychological horror of the narrative rather than jump scares. The 1080p HD image looks great in its low light filters and the DTS-HD 5.1 audio sounds amazing

“Insidious” haunts the home video space once again after a long absence with a brand new 4K image with Dolby Vision/HDR and a new fantastic-sounding Dolby Atmos track. All of this is located in a sleek new Steelbook with new artwork and a Digital Code. Truly a must for fans! A film that was released over 12 years ago, “Insidious” is a horror movie that created a worldwide phenomenon in horror. It spawned a franchise and movie universe in the horror realm that is still very much alive today and could be said to have reignited those ghastly and terrifying moments of joy for horror. Still after all these years, Insidious is a fun and scary movie with great performances and spooky visuals that can’t be unseen. It’s held up strong and should continue to do so. 

Here we have a middle-class family being upset by a ghastly presence. At first, the family seems to think that it’s the house that’s haunted. But after relocating, it is revealed that it’s it isn’t the house that’s haunted but one of the family members! And hence, the dark underworld has formed an insidious plot to do its ghastly deeds. 

Granted, this particular film isn’t all that different from the neo-horror films, depending heavily on standard spooky devices like the random, unexplained sounds around the house, or the sudden, disturbingly-loud increase in the musical score. But director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, who also partnered to kick-start the ‘Saw’ franchise, balance those scenes with plenty of visual creepiness. When the screeching cries of the house alarm goes off, dad (Patrick Wilson) runs downstairs to find the front door inexplicably wide open, as if someone ran out quickly (or ran in). Mom (Rose Byrne) sees faces standing over the baby’s crib and the figures of people walking around the house. There are no fake scares here. Filmmakers construct a thick air of alarm and go straight for the throat in order to startle and horrify. But before we even arrive at that point, Wan establishes a frightful, disconcerting atmosphere very early on. The instant the movie’s already ominous title occupies the entire screen like demonic vertical scratches, the room is saturated with piercing music which warns that something sinister this way comes. It feels like a clever combination of ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Omen’ with a subtle pinch of Hitchcockian suspense. Things really only start getting weird, however, after Dalton’s (Ty Simpkins) harmless accident in the attic strangely leads to a mysterious coma. The family’s torment grows progressively worse until we eventually find ourselves in an exceedingly fun haunted house thrill ride, which reminded me greatly of Knott’s Halloween Haunt back in their heyday. ‘Insidious’ also comes with an equally fun throwback feel to some classic paranormal flicks of decades ago, as if possessed by them but in a way that still feels original and terrifying. Tobe Hooper’s ‘Poltergeist’ is most obvious when Lin Shaye’s clairvoyant medium, Elise Reiner, shows up and gives proper explanation to the strange occurrences surrounding the family. Shaye is quite good in her portrayal, but the role and the things the character can do somehow seem limited so as to create a convenient excuse for dad saving the day. The movie also seems to sidestep ‘The Amityville Horror’ and goes for more of the classic scare stylings akin to ‘Legend of Hell House’ and ‘The Shining.’ And it’s all the better for it, because it delivers on what it promises – a frightfully atmospheric good time. I imagine there will be some serious nitpicks, namely the second half not quite living up to the first, but frankly, without some of that discussion on astral projection, the visually cool trip through “The Further” would not be possible. Besides, the old woman in the black wedding dress more than makes up for any shortcomings. The lipstick-face demon not so much, but he’s still sort of cool to look at. In the end, ‘Insidious’ is a slow-burning tension builder overflowing with hair-raising, spine-tingling atmosphere which can proudly sit alongside such paranormal horror classics as ‘The Innocents’ and ‘The Sentinel.’ 

Bottom line, if you don’t own the Blu Ray of “Insidious,” then the 4K UHD is a great addition to your collection (providing you’re a horror fan). Even if you have the Blu Ray, the 4K upgrade is well worth it. This film is dark most of the time and there are some imagery that can be seen clearly only with 4K Blu Ray. Such as the visitor in Dalton’s room, where he is more pronounced on 4K. “Insidious” is a great horror film. 

Steve Alten is the author of the book series “Meg”, which has spawned six sequels (seventh on the way) and a very successful movie franchise as well with Meg 2: The Trench coming to theaters August 4th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Steve about everything upcoming including his next books The Loch: Heaven’s Lake & Meg: Purgatory as well as the Meg Legacy collector’s box set, which will include all seven books in the series.

John Miligore is the man behind the new movie “Ouija Shark 2”! He not only starred in the film but also wrote and directed it. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with John about the movie and his many roles.

The pandemic hit everyone differently.  For the women of the Book Club, it meant having their conversations virtually.  Now that things are back to “normal,” the ladies decide to meet again.  In Italy!

Oscar^® winners Diane Keaton (Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give), Jane Fonda (80 for Brady, “Grace and Frankie”) and Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal, Parenthood), and Oscar^® nominee Candice Bergen.  
 
“An irresistible crowd pleaser” (Deadline), BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER showcases an all-star supporting cast alongside the four esteemed leading ladies including Oscar^® nominees Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven, The Godfather Part III) and Giancarlo Giannini (Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale), Primetime Emmy Award^® winner Craig T. Nelson (“Parenthood,” “Coach”), and Primetime Emmy Award^® nominee Don Johnson (Knives Out, “Miami Vice”).
 
The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

The cast bring a familiarity to the film, as if they truly are old friends, and play wrll off each other.  The Italian landscape is beautifully shot and well transferred and jumps off the screen while the sound, in DTS-HD MA 5.1 is crystal clear.

Bonus material is scarce and includes:

Book Club: Back In Session (6:05) – Standard EPK that takes a look at the filming while highlighting moments from the first film.

Still Stylish (5:19) – You can’t have a film with four stylish actresses and not talk about their wardrobe!

The Women In Italy (5:29) – A look at how the filmmakers chose Italy as a location as well as the adventures the cast and crew had there.

• MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
• Starring:  Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell and Ving Rhames
• Directed by:  Christopher McQuarrie
• Rated:  PG 13
• Running time:  2 hrs 43 mins
• Paramount

Tom Cruise just turned 61 last week.  But when you watch his latest action thriller you may not believe that.  To call his latest “Mission Impossible’ epic “a non-stop rollercoaster ride of action” may actually be a slight.

A new, top secret submarine is testing out it’s new technology – one that makes it entirely invisible to any kind of radar.  As the sub is about to end it’s journey the captain is alarmed to find his sub being identified and fired upon.  This can’t be happening.  Right?

While the first two film in the “Mission Impossible” series were entertaining, heled by acclaimed filmmakers Brian De Palma and John Woo.  Yet, there always seemed to be something missing.  That missing piece was found in Part III, under the direction of J.J. Abrams.  A combination of action and story that continues wth the seventh installment of tghe series, “Dead Reckoning.”,

This time the story finds Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his Impossible Mission team (Rhames and Simon Pegg) trying to find the way to stop an A.I. program known as the Entity that is becoming more and more sentient.  Along the way, they cross paths with a world class thief (Atwell), a true villain (Esai Morales) and even their own government, which, of course, is an oxymoron since by rule the government has no knowledge of their actions.

And what action it is!  From high speed car chases and train rides to an amzing freebase jump of fthe back of a motorcycle (no spoilers here – it’s in the commercials) the film actually is a non-stop roller coaster ride of action!

In between the spectacular set pieces is a well crafted story, co-written by director McQuarrie, who won the Oscar nearly three decades for the legendary “The Usuasl Suspects.”  The story here has the same attention to details that McQuasrrie brought to “The Usual suspects” and we are kept guessing who is good and who is bad with each new twist.

Despite a running time of nearly three hours, the film flows smoothly, with nary a slow moment on screen.  That being said, I can understand why they decided to split the story into two films, as I can’t see audiences sitting through a five hour plus epic, no matter how entertaining it is.

One more note.  Cruise is a producer on the film and my only thought is because no other producer would insure him.  He has upped the ante of his stunts in every “Mission Impossible’ film and his work here is among the best I’ve ever seen on film.

You’re mission, shoud you decide to accept it, is to check out “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” as soon as you can.

On a scale of zero to five I give “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” four and a half stars.   

• INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
• Starring: Harrison Ford and Mads Mikkelsen
• Directed by: James Mangold
• Rating: PG-13
• Running Time: 2 hrs 34 mins
• Walt Disney Studios

Sometimes things should be just left alone. Like a hornets nest or steaming pile of dog poop. This is also applicable to the entire “Indiana Jones” franchise after “Raiders of the Lost Ark” made its mark. Sure, 1989’s “Last Crusade” was fun with the late Sean Connery as Indy’s father, but the rest of the films have been forgettable to say the least. They are akin to staring at the sun because in an instant you realize it was a mistake to look. I wish I could say “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” was some superb sendoff to Harrison Ford’s iconic character. Unfortunately, it contains retread villains, a lackluster storyline, and a bow at the end that is too neatly tied.

With special effects to make Harrison Ford look young again, “Dial of Destiny” takes us back to 1944 during the Allied liberation of Europe. One more time Indiana has been captured by Nazis who are desperate to get away with their loot before the Allies take it from them. One Nazi officer has a fascination with the holy Lance of Longinus artifact, which he believes Hitler will use to turn the war around. Jones, aided by Oxford archeologist Basil Shaw (Toby Jones, “Captain America: The First Avenger”), is also in pursuit of it. However, the real prize as it turns out is half of Archimedes Dial, a mechanical, astronomical calculator designed to find fissures in time. Something that is highly prized by Nazi astrophysicist Dr. Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen).

Fast forward to 1969 New York City where we find a much older and depressed Indiana getting ready to retire from his professorship. His marriage to Marion is in tatters and no mention of his son, Mutt is made initially. Enter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Fleabag”), the daughter of his late friend Basil who pulls a reluctant Indiana into a race to complete the Archimedes Dial before Dr. Voller, who helped the United States develop its space program, can find it, and rewrite the history of World War II.

That’s all you will get of out yours truly. What I can say is that while it’s fun to watch Ford don the Indiana fedora again, the story is about as tired as his character. The initial 30 minutes or so is fun-filled popcorn entertainment, but it becomes boring. Unlike finding the Holy Grail, the so called “Dial of Destiny” is less exciting than finding what the prize is in a box of Crackerjacks. There are multiple characters from Indiana’s past who make what are glorified cameos, but these do little to improve the story. Mikkelsen, who has a unique skill to bounce between good and bad guys, is perhaps the lone bright spot with a truly villainous performance. Other than that, the remaining performances are either lackluster or annoying.

Overall, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” should have destined for the straight-to-dvd bin at your local convenience store.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” receives two-and-a-half stars out of five.

• MERMAIDS’ LAMENT
• Starring:  Dayva Summer Escobar and Justina Mattos
• Directed by:  G.B. Hajim
• Rated:  Not Rated
• Running time:  1 hr 31 mins
• Tween Sea and Sand Productions

Imagine having the ability to swim and socialize with your friends all day, not a care in the world.  If you’re a mermaid, life is pretty good.  At least until you get caught in a fishing net.  Then life can be pretty brutal.

Beautifully shot, with a script by director Hajim that delves into much more then you might expect, “Mermaid’s Lament” is buoyed by two very different performances, one almost silent and another raging.

Oee  – pronounced Oh-Eee – (Escobar) finds herself on a beach, totally alone and scared.  She makes her way to the highway, where she is spotted by Dr. Nell Jamison (Mattos), who takes the young woman first to town and, after Oee encounters a few troublemakers, to her home.  Dr. Nell is a psychiatrist and Oee is a woman in need of one.  Oee has lost her voice and this fact, along with a few things Dr. Nell considers “unusual” form not only a doctor/patient relationship but one that might be considered mother/daughter.  Nell truly cares for Oee and her well-being, but she also has some baggage of her own that effects her work and her relationship with Oee.

Both Escobar and Mattos bring true emotion to their performances, a fine achievement when you learn that both actresses are making their feature film debut.  The cinematography, by co-DPs Roselia Hernandez and Ronn Murray, is beautiful, particular the underwater shots.  The story is also complimented by an original musical score by Jessica Jarvis and Sharneisha Joyner.

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Mermaids’ Lament” three stars.  

• JOY RIDE
• Starring:  Ashley Park, Sherry Cola  and Annie Mumolo
• Directed by:  Adele Lim
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 35 mins
• Lionsgate

After moives inspired by “The Simpsons” and “Bob;s Burgers” I have waited patiently for a “Family Guy” film.  Sadly, Seth McFarlane has not heeded my wishes.  That being said, with a script co-written by long time “Family Guy” writer Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, “Joy Ride” is a great consolation prize.

Audrey (Isla Rose Hall) is an Asian girl who was adopted by white Americans as a child.  Her parents, hoping to help her appreciate her heritage, introduce themselves to another Asian family at the playground.  There she meets the family’s young daughter, Lolo (Chloe Pun).  The two become best friends and set out on their paths as adults.  However, despite their shared heritage, their paths are quite different.

Outrageously funny, and just a little naughty, “Joyride” is a major filmmaking achievement, avoiding the stereotypical portrayal of Asians on screen and replacing them with a well written and well performed story that feels real.

Now an adult, Audrey (Park) is an attorney who is asked to represent her firm to a prospective client in China.  Nervous for a multitude of reasons, she takes her bestie Lolo (Cola) with her, along with Lolo’s cousin, Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), who is a huge KPop fan.  Audrey also plans to meet us with Kat (Stephanie Hsu), a friend from college who has found success on a Chinese soap opera.  As Audrey and her friends start their adventures, they all find much more then they are looking for.

This film has been compared to Kristen Wiig’s “Bridesmaids,” and rightly so.  Where the former film showed that women can be as raunchy as men, “Joyride” takes that achievement a step further, showing a little seen side of a culture that is often portrayed as cold and unemotional.

To say any more would give away some major plot points, but suffice it to say that the laughs are plentiful, with a few truly emotional moments thrown in to balance the story.  If you’re in need of a laugh – a real, genuine belly laugh – then I highly recommend “Joy Ride.”

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Joy Ride” four stars.  

Casper Van Dien is known best as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers. Casper has two new movies coming out, the first is “The Flood”, which is an alligator flick and the second is the first Swissploitation flick, “Mad Heidi”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about both of these movies and what else he has coming up soon!

Brandon Slagle is the director of films like “The Black Dahlia Haunting” and “Battle for Saipan” and the upcoming “Breakout” and “Arena Wars”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brandon about his latest alligator horror film “The Flood” and discussed the challenges with shooting with CGI and the elements.

“The Flood” will be available in Theaters, On Demand and Digital on July 14, 2023.

“The Flood” Synopsis: A horde of giant hungry alligators is unleashed on a group of in-transit prisoners and their guards after a massive hurricane floods Louisiana.

Jay Chandrasekhar is one of the members of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard. He has directed films you may know like Super Troopers, Beerfest, Club Dread and more as well as 150 TV episodes.

Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jay his upcoming stand-up tour, as well as getting the scoop on Super Troopers 3 & WeedFest aka Beerfest 2!

• INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
• Starring:  Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads MikMikkelsen
• Directed by:  James Mangold
• Rated:  PG 13
• Running time:  2 hrs 34 mins
• Walt Disney Pictures

If Adventure has a name…it must be Indiana Jones.  A great tag line for 1984’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”   Nearly four decades later, those words still ring true.

Our story begins in 1939, where once again Dr. Henry Jones, Jr – Indy to his friends – (Ford) is battling his old nemesis, the Nazi Parry.  This time the bad guys are trying to posses the lance that pierced Jesus on the Cross.  They also have a little something something created by the great mathematician Archimedes that, if the story is true, can be used to influence time.  Not a bad trinket to have on your shelf.

Packed with non-stop action from beginning to end, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” gives our hero one last adventure, and it’s a doozy.  The story picks up in 1969.  Man has just returned from the moon, thanks in part to a German mathematician (Mikkelsen) who may or may not have had a run in or two with Dr. Jones.  While the astronauts have their parade, Dr. Jones is teaching his last class, heading into what he believes will be a quiet retirement.  But a surprise visit from his Goddaughter, Helena (Waller-Bridge) gives him one last chance to put on the fedora.

Though I really enjoyed it, many fans were disappointed in 2008s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which was directed by the master Steven Spielberg.  What would a film directed by the man best known for “Walk the Line” and “Cop Land” offer fans?  The answer?  Plenty!  Mangold sets a frantic pace throughout the film, breaking up major action set pieces with brief moments of conversation to give the audience time to catch its collective breath.

The cast is stellar, with Ford once again at his adventurous and wisecracking self.  Waller-Bridge matches him stunt for stunt, and is a great Ying to Ford’s Yang.  Supporting work by Toby Jones, Antonio Banderas and young Ethann Isidore keep the film moving when the action slows down.  It’s a cliché, but I would pay to see Mads Mikkelsen read the phone book.  In films as diverse as “Casino Royale” and “The Hunt,” he has given some masterful performances.  His work here is another triumph.

Though rated PG 13, the film is a little darker than other films in the series (and I say that knowing that a character had his heart pulled from his chest in “Temple of Doom,” helping to usher in the PG 13 rating.  There are some violent scenes in “Dial of Destiny,” and that well-known sound effect called the “Wilhelm Scream” gets quite a workout.

That being said, it’s a true pleasure to see Indiana Jones back on the big screen, where he and his adventures belong.  After all, it’s not the years.  It’s the miles!

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” five stars.  

• THE FLASH
• Starring: Ezra Miller and Sasha Calle
• Directed by: Andy Muschietti
• Rating: PG-13
• Running Time: 2 hrs 24 mins
• Warner Bros.

I find it tragic that the DC Extended Universe is coming to a halt thanks to James Gunn’s takeover and future reboot. In comparison to Marvel Studios, the DCEU’s releases have admittedly been uneven – who can forget “Wonder Woman” but who wants to remember “Birds of Prey”? Yet, the DCEU brand was often darker than the Marvel slate, which gave its own uniqueness. While “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is set for launch in December, it will have a hard time not being anti-climatic after following the absolute thrill ride that is “The Flash.” Overflowing with surprises (this review will be spoiler free), “The Flash” is one of the best DCEU movies ever made with a terrific, dual performance by Ezra Miller and great supporting performances by Sasha Calle as Supergirl and Michael Keaton as Batman.

After helping Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) stop a robbery in Gotham City, Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) revisits his childhood home where his beloved mother was murdered. Still grieving her loss and dealing with anger of his father being wrongly imprisoned, Barry accidentally travels back in time using the speed force. He tells Bruce who warns him of the dangers of messing with the past. Of course, Barry ignores it.

While attempting to fix his family’s tragedy, Barry is attacked by an unknown assailant and is knocked back to the year 2013 where he encounters an alternate version of himself. When General Zod (Michael Shannon) arrives, the two Barrys try to assemble the Justice League, but it proves futile with one exception. It is at Wayne Manor they find a much older, disheveled Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton).

Our Barry and Bruce learn the Russians are holding who Barry thinks is Superman but turns out to be his cousin, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Sasha Calle, TV’s “The Young and the Restless”). Their plan is to free her and find a way to stop General Zod, but time and fate have certain rules as our Barry learns.

Directed by Andy Muschietti (2017’s “It”), “The Flash” is a thrilling experience full of surprises from start to finish. Some of the special effects may not look so special to some, but that’s more a matter of personal taste to a degree. The storyline has a good deal of emotional depth when it comes to Barry’s history and complexities, which are fleshed out with skill by Miller. It is rare for someone to pull off a good performance at playing a double of themselves and Miller succeeds with flying colors. The most enjoyable aspect, and the one that received the most vocal response from the audience yours truly saw it with, is the appearance of Keaton who has a substantial role in the story. It is a joy to say the least to see him on the silver screen once more as the caped crusader.

Is there such a thing as superhero fatigue? Perhaps. I have believed since the original “Blade” that comic movies would become the new Western, a once overly prolific genre. What it boils down to is the writing and an ability to maintain a high creative level that will keep the movie-going public’s interest. “The Flash” may be a victim of that fatigue, which would be disappointing as it is a truly fun summer flick in every sense.

“The Flash” receives three-and-a-half stars out of five.