"The Flash" - A Worthy Blind Buy? (1 Viewer)

The Flash: The Complete Series hits DVD on Tuesday and . . . I've never seen it before. But being a big DC fan, I'm really tempted to give it a shot. The price tag is a little high for my tastes, but I'm still highly concering buying it. Have there been any reviews for this set yet? Any comments or recommendations?

I don't have the set yet, Jim, but I loved the show when it aired. A must-have for me!

Jim, I've been told it was the worst episode of the entire run, but I saw my first Flash episode on a bonus disc that came with the fourth season of Smallville. I hated it and won't be trying the rest. You might want to rent, or maybe it's true that it was the worst and the rest will be okay.

Greg, I tend to agree that the episode on the bonus disc was not the show at its best. I recommend you give it another try.

Yeah, I didn't want to be the voice of doom since people love this show, but that one was a bad experience. I guess a bad pick on WB's part. I may at least give it a rental at some point, since you and a lot of others recommend it so highly.

I'm waiting for another Lois&Clark-type price drop a couple monthes after its release. Definitely will be buying this set eventually. Can't wait to see the Trickster again! Considering that character is so much like Mark's work on B:TAS as the Joker.

:star: If you are a BB rewardzone member there will be a special price this week. You'll save $5 since it'll be $34.99 rather than $39.99.

Very true. This is the closest Bats animated fans will see of Hamill doing a live action version of his Joker persona. I also think that Prank was the inspiration for Harley Quinn. Very similar in their natures and how they are treated by their objects of affection (Joker/Trickster).


On a side note. I read an article in TV Guide right after the show was cancelled. In it the then president of CBS says his moving the show around killed it and it was his fault. It was never given a chance here..but, did very well in S.America and Europe.

It's a good Superhero show, there are some weak episodes but overall it was a show that should've lasted beyond one season, it had style but it was never too campy.

John that's a good point seems like WB Sets get priced at 50% off if you can hold out.

This is one of my favorite Superhero shows. I even liked the one on that bonus disc!

so obviously I definately pre-ordered this one... and it shipped 2 days ago so hopefully I will see it by release day. If not thats ok... I know it is on the way... but I will definately be watching this set as soon as it gets here... shame there is no extras for it. But I am thrilled to finally get this entire series!

Yes.. Mark Hamill played The Trickster in 2 episodes. Though I don't remember them very well as I haven't seen these episodes in a very long time!

I so can't wait!

Back when it was airing, it was like watching a super-hero feature film every week for me. The production values (for the time) were incredible. I just couldn't belive I was watching it on tv for free every week.

After watching the episode in the Smallville bonus disc, I thought it had stood the test of time pretty well.

I think the odds are pretty much in your favor if you're a big DC fan. They did The Flash justice, in my opinion.

The same creative team went on to adapt another DC character, "The Human Target", with Rick Springfield. I thought they did a decent job with that, as well, but it didn't even last as long as "The Flash".

I remember watching the series back during its original broadcast run and I don't remember anything about it. I watched the bonus disk that came with the Smallville Season 4 set and I wasn't impressed enough by the episode to warrant picking up the set so I cannot recommend it.

As far as pricing goes, I know Best Buy has it on ad this week for $34.95. Not a very high price tag, mind you, if you're wishing to pick up on it. However, if you're wanting recommendation I would probably suggest picking up one of the other DC Comics television shows because I do remember that the writing period of that time for superhero shows were pretty cheesy, to say the least.

here's my $.02- take it fwiw.

i was so hyped for this show when it first aired but eventually lost interest while it was still being run, and didn't see all the episodes until years later.

the costume does look spectacular, and JWS makes for a great, likeable embodiment of the hero.
Amanda Pays was a fetching lead to me and the two did have some chemistry together. Not a lot of chemistry, but its hard to tell because the show never exploited it as well as it could or should have.
the supporting cast was...eh. the two cops who show up almost every episode to offer their comic relief schtick banter i find really annoying, his lab partner has little distinction beyond being the colorful young urban black role in the show, etc etc.

production values are high to a point, everything generally looks glossy and slick, but the special effects which the producers were highly touting at the time are really nothing special.
i remember them saying something like 'the speed effects are far more sophisticated than just undercranking the camera'...well they really aren't. they are par for the course, pre cgi and while the Flash zips around tying up a group of felons with a firehose, for example, you can tell the group of people are trying to stand perfectly still so that any small movements they might make are not sped up too.

also, the comparisions to Batman don't end with Elfmans score (unfortunately, i think). the whole show's attitude tries to adopt a darker, noir edge in the visuals, that was never a quality of the character that i remember (just the opposite really), including the willy nilly mixing of 50's industrial desgin with 80s contemporary for no real reason (except that the 50s designs sell that noir feel ) and even lifting the "you made me" mantra from the Burton film in the series pilot.
to me, it always felt like CBS was forcing the show to hew to a template (the Burton Batman template) that never really fit the property well. so instead of getting something fresh and unique, you get the milky water effect of it being neither one or the other.

lastly, this show was the last comic book/superhero show i remember being made before Joss Whedon with Buffy showed people how to do it right. one of the primary appeals of comics is their serial nature. they are soap operas for boys. The Flash was concieved (to its disadvantage, i think) in the mold of shows from the 60s and 70s were each ep is a stand alone episode and only occasionaly do you get references from previous shows or events, but no storylines that build over the course of several shows or the season.

it was a huge missed opportunity in my eyes.


that said, i'm still looking forward to picking it up tuesday. $34.99 is the BB rewards zone price. the normal sale price will be $39.99

Actually the scores were written by the hugely talented Shirley Walker. Elfman only wrote the theme.

Walker was involved in some of Elfman's earlier scores (including the first Batman) and was clearly instructed to score The Flash in Elfman's comic-book style.

John

I can't disagree with too many of the comments above. The show is very Burton Batman-influenced, and not especially true to the tone of the comic at times; but that doesn't mean there aren't some pretty good episodes in it. The problem was that the show was (by my memory) very inconsistent. The ones that Howard Chaykin co-wrote were very comic book-y (in a good way), while other eps were written by people who thought they were doing the Adam West Batman. (Ever seen Black Scorpion?)

Overall, it's worth the blind buy for anyone who grooves on DC Comics. If nothing else, you'll want to see the episodes with Trickster, Captain Cold, Mirror Master,and Nigthshade (a newly-created good guy, in two very cool episodes). The one titled "Who Watches the Watchmen" was quite good too. There will be a handful of eps you'll only want to watch once, but generally it's a good show--- a number of excellent eps (if you can ignore the comedy relief cops), a couple of terrible ones, and a few mediocre.

All I remember was liking it when it aired and falling off halfway through the season.

Maybe a test on Netflix first.

I'm not sure that Flash suit has aged well.

The Facemask on the Flash Suit always gave Shipp a goofy look like he was crosseyed, not sure what it was about it..

I just remember that one line he told a child at the end of an episode:

"If you ever need me... I'll be there in a flash."

I'd love to see this show again. Maybe I'll rent it first.

I agree with pretty much everything Paul said.

I remember being pumped-up about the show and what I saw being a bit disappointing. I decided to give the show another chance, though, and stuck with it through the sixth episode but, honestly, there was nothing compelling enough in the show to keep me hooked, beautiful though Amanda Pays is (if it'd been on HBO and she'd done nudity in it, that might've been another story!)...

I always felt it was a Batman rip-off, from the suit to the "look" of the city and, of course, Burton's theme music which was way too much like Batman. If he weren't copying his own work, he could've been accused of stealing! Very unoriginal theme music, but I guess he was doing as he was told.

Only bright point in the show for me was Amanda Pays, but not a big enough reason to keep me there week after week.

I'd strongly recommend a rental first, if you're even the least bit unsure. If you can't find the DVD set at rental, you might be lucky enough to find the two old VHS releases at your video store: the pilot movie and The Flash II: Revenge of the Trickster, which is a "movie" compliation with the two Trickster episodes.

I liked this show and will be buying it. I liked the theme music, even if some think it's a Batman knockoff. I disagree really, since the notes are quite different but the style is undoubtedly the same.

As many like Amanda Pays I found her to be the weakest link in the series. There was little chemistry between Shipp and her so for me the best episodes are those where she is either not in it or has very little to do in it. This show had little chance when it was on as it was contantly being pre-empted for Gulf War coverage. I'm sure there's a couple of eps not shown as a result of it.

I would not recommend a blind buy since this is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you enjoy the genre, I'm sure you'll enjoy this.