The Flash: Yes, Internet, We're Also Disturbed About Barry's Microwave Baby Scene
Contains spoilers for "The Flash"
Andy Muschetti's "The Flash" is full of surprises, especially when it comes to cameos from some of the DC Universe's most beloved heroes and villains. However, very few fans were prepared for the scene which sees Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) put a baby in a microwave during a routine rescue mission at a collapsing hospital.
The scene in question actually depicts a few babies (and a dog) falling from the sky in slow motion, which is quite shocking in its own right. That said, the microwave stunt is truly mindblowing. Why does The Flash put the little child in the microwave? The film explains that if Barry tries to move humans extremely quickly, they could get sick or potentially die. To navigate this, he has to use objects that are within reach to move them. The baby, who ends up in a microwave, is heading toward a flame. The best way to save the child? Put them in a microwave, which protects them from the heat.
Yes, this is done to save the baby, but some people on the internet were disturbed by the whole ordeal — and they made their feelings known on social media. Twitter user @sponge_boi_ was appalled that the scene, which features a CGI baby, happens in the first five minutes of the film. "The Flash putting a baby in a microwave is an INSANE scene to even think about filming," @UsUnitedJustice wrote on Twitter. "Like, what the f*** is that idea."
With that in mind, let's see what other social media users have been saying about the shocking microwave incident in "The Flash."
The Flash's microwave scene is igniting the internet's fire
The baby sequence ultimately ends with all of the infants on a stretcher, safe and sound thanks to Flash's heroic efforts. However, it isn't sitting well with a lot of moviegoers, some of whom might not even see the film as a result. "I'm really trying to go in the Flash movie tomorrow with an open mind but people are saying he's putting a baby in a microwave and I'm just like idek at this point," @MrIllovative wrote. Reddit user u/Summerclaw was taken aback by the scene, writing, "That baby rescue scene was the most demented [thing] I've ever seen. I can't stop thinking about it."
Elsewhere, @dds2410 argued that the microwave scene is merely one disturbing element of a movie that's full of questionable content, such as the digital exhumation of deceased actors. "Excited about THIS???? Nah bruv, DISTRUBED is more the word. "The flash puts baby in a microwave to save(?) it? The resurrection of dead characters and putting Nic Cage instead of Cavill and having Clooney's head replace Keaton's at the end. Why???"
Twitter user @garlicsauce99, meanwhile, pondered the possibility of the scene being removed down the line. "Do you think DC is gonna have to edit this out if a kid puts a baby in a microwave because flash did it?"
Some fans think the baby shower sequence is the film's best
While the scene is disturbing because of its content, it's also off-putting because of how it looks. "That 'baby shower' scene was downright bad with its CGI," wrote a fan on Reddit. "I legit thought they had toy dolls. Another user compared it to the CGI used in the "Twilight" films to bring Renesmee to life. "There's absolutely no way you can defend this movie's CGI [...] [the babies] looks like plastic model, a worse version of baby Reneesme from 'twilight,'" wrote user u/Seihai-kun.
"The Flash" has received considerable criticism for its lackluster CGI. The feedback compelled director Andy Muschietti to publically discuss how the film's "unique" visuals were a creative choice. "The idea, of course, is...we are in the perspective of the Flash," the director told io9. "Everything is distorted in terms of lights and textures [...] It was part of the design so if it looks a little weird to you that was intended."
While some DC fans were shocked by the scene, others found the sequence to be an inventive way to show off The Flash's powers. "That baby scene. The CGI was weird at times, but I liked how Barry had to fight with physics and make calculations," wrote Reddit user u/Bogotazo. For some, like user u/TheJoshider10, the "baby shower" sequence was a highlight, who called it "probably the best moment in the whole film."
Like most of the creative choices in the DC Extended Universe, the decision to have The Flash put a baby in a microwave has proven to be controversial. Here's hoping future installments don't double down on it.