Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 15, 2018

LEGO's latest movie is all about Flash, and it's titled The Flash, which isn't very flashy, but it does get the point across that this is Flash's movie. And Reverse Flash's movie, for that matter. The villain, who is faster than flash (and a speeding bullet, it would seem), is out to do his thing and bring his own brand of havoc to Metropolis. He has The Flash frazzled, but things pick up when Flash slows down to take a moment to rely on more than his (now waning) speed to put in motion a plan to save the day. The film doesn't deviate from classic LEGO formula. It's quick-paced and compact in runtime. It's a nuts-and-bolts production that brings enough humor and action, in equal proportions, to satisfy the brand's quota and entertain audiences who haven't grown weary of the formula.

The Joker is attacking Metropolis! Laughing gas has everyone in stitches. Lois Lane, on air, begs for the Justice League to help. And help they do. All the heroes have assembled, except Flash, who has overslept and is spending his morning doing good deeds around the city -- fixing a flat tire, for example -- and running all the way over to Gotham City for some tasty donuts. Joker nearly secures the upper hand but a late-arriving Flash delivers the knockout blow and fixes the Daily Planet building from its Joker-inspired transformed state. Flash’s celebratory post-battle flaunting is interrupted when someone faster than he -- Reverse Flash -- crashes the party. Flash quickly realizes that Reverse Flash has him caught up in a time loop, forcing him to repeat the same day, everyday. He’s ultimately fired from the Justice League and must battle his new arch nemesis on his own, but can he somehow, some way, remain one step ahead of someone so much faster than he?

Humor and action (and certainly color and essential LEGO building blocks) are at the center of The Flash. The movie flashes no promise of anything more, following pattern and holding serve as the classic LEGO-brand antics take center stage, with Flash, Batman, Superman, and everyone else in the movie merely facilitating the fun. The humor lacks edge. It's safe and even shies away from almost any "only the adults will get them" jokes, the most obvious of which is a brief parody of Apocalypse Now. Violence is met with a soft side, even in a scene in which Cyborg's body has been broken apart into basic LEGO pieces, leaving his still-talking head on the ground (and considering when characters "die" in any of the LEGO video games they simply fall into several pieces anyway, it's nothing that should be too shocking for seasoned franchise fans). But it's usually just a string of puns and empty laughs that keep the movie light on its feet amidst its core plot development and action scenes.

Action comes largely stock and standard, too. Color and movement dominate, leaving substance by the wayside. But it is a kid's show, not a dark and gritty Zack Snyder DC film, so the adherence to essential formula is not unsurprising, and it's very appropriate. The film opens with comically oriented Justice League-versus-Joker action and gradually shifts to Flash, at first fumbling about as he attempts to grasp and cope with his déjà vu and eventually traveling to some unusual places and meeting a few unlikely characters along the way to stopping Reverse Flash. That he must rely on other than his essential superpower makes for a nice little lesson for the young ones, exploring the importance of seeking more than one solution to a problem, but even with a couple of positive messages along the way, the movie settles into a comfort zone routine of action and frivolity and color and sound that should satisfy younger viewers and maybe even tickle adult franchise fans looking for a buoyant little escape from the core comic book entertainment landscape.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash zooms onto Blu-ray with a very high-yield 1080p image. Problems are few. There's very little shimmering, but there is some banding (significant in spots) and macroblocking visible. Otherwise, it's smooth sailing. Colors are impressively bold and rich, very glossy and bright, with plenty of display-pushing diversity on hand. Flash's red and Reverse Flash's yellow costumes are obvious highlights, but so too are Joker green and purple and various other colors worn by heroes and villains alike, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Poison Ivy. Clarity is superb, and the image is home to some pleasingly complex details, particularly in close-up where small plastic ridge texturing is tactile and plainly visible. Otherwise surfaces are a bit plastic-y in classic LEGO fashion. Those issues mentioned at the open of this paragraph are of some concern, but this is otherwise a very satisfying image of impressive textural accuracy and color explosion.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack features some impressive use of surrounds. General track activity is very active and agreeably fun, with zipping and swirling sounds enjoying full range within the five channels available to it. Sound traversal about the stage is seamless, while low-end support elements are nicely integrated to give the film a hefty, but never overbearing, bottom. Chaos often erupts all over the stage, and the track is engineered well enough to offer a seamless sense of traversal while maintaining sound field clarity. Music plays with healthy definition and full-stage immersion, including a fairly hearty, at times, surround implementation. Dialogue is clear and well defined with natural front-center placement and prioritization.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Beyond some trailers for a couple of other LEGO films, Warner's Blu-ray release of LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash contains no extras. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy voucher are included with purchase.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash is typical of the LEGO brand. While it, obviously, lacks the high-end excellence of the LEGO feature films, it holds its own with excellent digital graphics, a fun little story, a quirky sense of humor, good pacing, and a wide DC universe character roster. Modest expectations are key, as is a willingness to take the movie at kid-level face value. Video and audio presentations are excellent. No extras are included. Recommend, particularly to superhero and LEGO fans, young and old alike.