Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, 2013.
Directed by Jay Oliva.
Featuring the voice talents of Justin Chambers, Kevin McKidd, Vanessa Marshall, Michael B. Jordan, Cary Elwes, C. Thomas Howell, Nathan Fillion, Danny Huston, Ron Perlman, Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, and Sam Daly.
SYNOPSIS:
When time travel allows a past wrong to be righted for The Flash and his family, the ripples of the event prove disastrous as a fractured, alternate reality now exists where a Justice League never formed, and even Superman is nowhere to be found. Teaming with a grittier, more violent Dark Knight and Cyborg, Flash races to restore the continuity of his original timeline while this new world is ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman’s Amazons and Aquaman’s Atlanteans.
Cinematically speaking, Marvel owns the box office. They have found an almost perfect formula to getting their characters proper (if not formulaic), well received adaptations. DC on the other hand has done a better job fostering their catalog of characters on the animated front. While the direct-to-DVD market might not be as lucrative for DC, it has given them a level of creative freedom to go places with their characters that Marvel can’t.
That might not last forever mind you, seeing as Marvel is now part of the Disney family. For now, DC has been able to deliver a far better animated experience adapting some of their most popular stories for the small screen. The Flashpoint Paradox is an interesting experiment because calling it a ‘popular story’ would be something of a stretch. This time travel/alternate history adventure from Geoff Johns wasn’t exactly universally loved. Not like DC Animation’s last big project The Dark Knight Returns. Flashpoint was viewed as a harmless little event comic tasked with providing a bridge between the classic DC Universe and the New 52 relaunch that saw a continuity reset. Johns was given a thankless task and produced something inoffensive and sterile. The strange thing is how much better it works as an animated movie.
The comics were saddled with a lot of padding. Even though the core series was only five issues, there were a slew of tie ins that told supporting stories of the new world order. Where the comics seemed to drift and feel bloated, a not even 90 minute movie makes the whole thing feel well paced and tightly packaged.
The story centers on the Flash and one of those wonderful time travel paradoxes. After being targeted and taunted by his nemesis the Reverse-Flash, our hero decides to use time travel to go back and save his mother from a rather gruesome fate. Like all time travel scenarios, this one goes horribly wrong. Unfortunately the stakes are a little higher than being erased from the timeline and the Flash will have to do a little more work than getting his parents to make out at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
Seems like Flash’s tinkering with time made some real changes. In this new timeline, Bruce Wayne gets shot as a child inspiring his father Thomas to become Batman. Aquaman and Wonder Woman are fighting for control of the world in a brutal and bloody war. Superman is nowhere to be found. And much to his surprise, the Flash has lost his powers and is unable to try and correct history’s course.
The Flashpoint Paradox is one of DC’s better animated offerings. It’s a well executed and downright bleak movie at times. This alternate timeline is not pleasant. Characters are dispatched brutally. Limbs are severed, throats are slit, and much of the familiar superhero cast is downright mean. As far as dystopian futures go, this one is appropriately dark. The Flash has to figure out how to get his powers back, prevent a war that will destroy the Earth, and defeat Reverse-Flash if he has any chance to stave off annihilation.
The animation is top notch and the voice acting is superb. Lots of familiar voices from previous DC animated projects at work in Flashpoint. Dana Delany as Lois Lane. Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Kevin Conroy as Batman. The consistency with many of the characters makes this alternate world feel connected to the world DC Animation has created.
The Flashpoint Paradox is easily one of the best DC Animated offerings. It’s a well scripted, well animated apocalyptic vision of the DC Universe. I was impressed with just how dark the filmmakers were willing to go. There was a moment where I was watching Aquaman walking around with a severed arm and I thought to myself “We need more animated movies like this.”
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon.
Originally published July 19, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
