The Flash: Fire and Ice

**The Flash: Fire and Ice** is a 2015 superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. It was directed by Bill Condon and written by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alexander Skarsgård, Billie Lourd, Sean Gunn, Emma Stone, Zoë Kravitz, Ryan Eggold, Dacre Montgomery, Armie Hammer, Jason Statham, Heather Graham, Tom Cullen, and Victor Garber. The film ran 137 minutes and was released on November 6, 2015.

## Plot

Two years after the events of *Justice League*, Barry Allen has been widely renowned as the Flash. The only people that know his secret identity are Iris West, Ralph Dibny, and Robert and Joni West, Iris' parents. Everything is good until suddenly Leonard Snart and Mick Rory, two ordinary criminals, break out of prison and force Iris' cousin, Wally West, to build them special guns, due to him being a mechanic. Snart gains a gun that can blast ice, while Rory's can blast fire. Barry realizes that the ice and fire in their guns could cause an explosion that would alter the genes of anybody who was in contact, making them a metahuman. Barry, Iris, Ralph, and Robert recruit Wally and Caitlin Snow, a scientist to help them.

The team is able to track "Captain Cold" and "Heat Wave" to an underground human trafficking ring. They find the two criminals and try to arrest them, but they set of the guns together and Barry is only able to get Iris and Robert out, sending Caitlin, Wally, and Ralph into comas. Barry feels responsible for the mess he made while he still tries to find the criminals. David Singh, the CCPD captain has suspected Barry as the Flash for over a year now and confirms his suspicions when he stumbles upon his base. Barry, Iris, and Robert are alerted that Caitlin, Ralph, and Wally have awoken from their comas. Caitlin has gained the power of shooting ice from her fingertips, Ralph is able to stretch his body to without a limit, and Wally has gained superspeed. However, while Ralph and Wally join Barry's fight for the good, Caitlin has suffered brain damage and her impaired personality convinces her to join Snart and Rory.

An ex-boyfriend of Caitlin's, Ronnie Raymond, comes to Central City to help Barry, revealing he worked with Green Lantern just a year ago. Ronnie also shows Barry that when merged with scientist Martin Stein, the two become the superhero Firestorm, who can fly and emit fire. The Flash, Kid Flash (Wally), Elongated Man (Ralph), and Firestorm go out into battle against Captain Cold, Heat Wave, and Killer Frost (Caitlin). Caitlin fights Firestorm, with their powers meeting, causing them both to be knocked back. Rory takes his anger out on the young Wally, who is nearly killed before Barry speeds him away due to him being too young and wreckless. Ralph fights Snart, whose blasts go straight through Ralph, due to his skin being able to be stretched out and in. The fight ends when Barry threatens Snart's sister, Lisa. Singh forces the hero to let the innocent go, which also allows Snart and Rory to get away, though Caitlin is arrested.

Firestorm and Elongated Man go out to find the criminals, while Barry trains Wally. Caitlin is able to seduce a police officer to let her go, with her killing Singh in the process. Caitlin finds Firestorm and attacks her former love. Ralph is caught in the crossfire and sent to the hospital. Barry finally arrives and is able to stop Rory. Caitlin has a change of heart and prevents Snart from leaving. Ronnie and Caitlin get back together, while Wally begins helping out Barry in the field. Stein reveals his secret to his supportive family, while Barry finally asks out Iris, who agrees to go out. Ralph is still in a coma, though Robert believes he will wake up one day. The CCPD mourns Singh, and names Robert their new captain.

In a mid-credits scene, Ronnie returns home to find a letter from Caitlin, saying she cannot control her powers and has left town for a while, though promises she will one day return. In a post-credits scene, Thawne is in 2188 in prison, though he still has his powers. Suddenly, a portal opens and Hank Henshaw steps out, asking Thawne to join a team he is putting together.

## Cast

* Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Barry Allen/The Flash
* Alexander Skarsgård as Leonard Snart/Captain Cold
* Billie Lourd as Iris West
* Sean Gunn as Mick Rory/Heat Wave
* Emma Stone as Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost
* Armie Hammer as Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man
* Ryan Eggold as Ronnie Raymond/Firestorm
* Dacre Montgomery as Wally West/Kid Flash
* Jason Statham as Robert West
* Heather Graham as Joni West
* Tom Cullen as David Singh
* Victor Garber as Martin Stein/Firestorm

## Reception

### **Box office**

*The Flash: Fire and Ice* has grossed $169.7 million in North America and $303.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $473 million.

### **Critical reception**

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a rating of 55%, based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's consensus states: "*The Flash: Fire and Ice* is marginally better than the first, though the acting and writing both could still use a better touch." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In CinemaScore polls, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.