Summary
- The Flash movie had subpar VFX that was heavily criticized by viewers, which contributed to its financial losses at the box office.
- Concept art for The Flash showcased a more visually appealing version of the superhero’s suit and powers compared to what was seen in the final film.
- Director Andy Muschietti defended the intentional design choice of the film’s distorted CGI, but the movie’s ambitious scope and numerous characters made it difficult to execute effectively.
The Flash did not have the best VFX, and new concept art for the movie appears as an improvement to the DCEU film’s visuals. Ezra Miller played Barry Allen in The Flash, marking the first time the hero got a solo movie. Sadly, The Flash was not as well received as DC expected it to be, with the movie losing millions at the box office. The most criticized aspect of the movie was its VFX, and even The Flash‘s parade of DC Easter Eggs and references were not enough to make up for the film’s poor visuals.
On ArtStation, concept artist Pablo Dominguez (via @TaurooAldebaran) shared early designs for The Flash that look better than the finished film.
The concept art features Miller’s Barry Allen wearing the old armor-like suit from 2017’s Justice League, likely due to the art being made early into the process. The Flash‘s suit ended up looking too rubber-like in the film due to the faulty CGI, making the old one in the concept art look better. The same can be said about how The Flash’s powers look more interesting in Dominguez’s art than they did in the movie, as The Flash‘s multiverse action was not as stunning as it should have been.
Why The Flash’s VFX Looked So Bad
The Flash had several instances of bad CGI, and that turned many people away from the DCEU movie. Among the most egregious cases of subpar VFX found in The Flash are the “Baby Shower” sequence at the start of the movie and the film’s multiverse cameo sequence that takes place near the end of the film. The Flash‘s multiverse cameos in the Chronobowl were supposed to be jaw-breaking, but instead, iconic DC heroes were brought back looking like video game characters.
There are some reasons for why The Flash‘s CGI looks unfinished. Around The Flash‘s release, the movie’s director — Andy Muschietti, who will helm the new DC Universe’s Batman reboot film, The Brave and the Bold — revealed that the film’s divisive CGI was intentional. Muschietti defended the movie’s poor CGI, saying, “The idea, of course, is we are in the perspective of the Flash. Everything is distorted in terms of lights and textures.“
Muschietti also said, “It was part of the design so if it looks a little weird to you that was intended.” Adding to the director confirming that The Flash team deliberately made the film’s VFX sequences look weird is the fact that the film had a lot going on. From multiverse cameos to two versions of Miller’s Barry Allen — one younger and one older — and plenty of action between different heroes and villains, The Flash was an expensive movie that, sadly, could not live up to its hype.
Related: Pablo Dominguez/ArtStation (via @TaurooAldebaran/Twitter)
