Say what you like about Zack Snyder’s take on Superman in Man of Steel, but there’s no denying it’s a phenomenal-looking movie. Even 10 years on from its release it contains some of the coolest superhero combat ever seen, with clear care and attention paid to every aspect of its VFX.
Sadly the same doesn’t seem to be the case in The Flash. The trailers had already been criticized for looking distinctly video-gamey and now some viewers have been left distinctly unimpressed following some early previews. Over on r/DC_Cinematic an advance viewer notes that The Flash shares many direct elements in common with Man of Steel, like Zod and Kryptonian tech, coupled with Supergirl’s fighting style, yet looks worse:
Replies point to this being a wider issue in the VFX industry that’s affecting multiple movies. Notably, Weta was the lead studio for Man of Steel, though it is now committed to James Cameron’s Avatar sequels, thus it doesn’t have time for The Flash. This means that Warner Bros will have had to spread The Flash VFX work over multiple studios around the world, and quality can vary quite drastically. That’s coupled with a trend for last-minute changes to VFX shots, which means artists can be hard at work on a movie right up until release day.
All that said, a big part of why Man of Steel still holds up is that Snyder knows exactly how he wants his movies to look and can communicate that to VFX artists. As shown in his live commentary streams he personally storyboards all his movies before switching a camera on, meaning that he can discuss with the VFX studio very early in production which key shots have to be completed and when.
The Flash had a chaotic production and almost certainly didn’t get that luxury, which is why it’s being outclassed by a movie ten years its senior.
The Flash hits theaters on June 15.
