by Jayden Leggett, Editor

Just when you thought it was safe to live your life, Warner Bros. Entertainment go and ruin everything by releasing another kick-ass DC Comics animated feature, this time in the form of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Thankfully, this movie is damn good.

The film begins with a flashback to Barry Allen’s youth, to a time when he is young, innocent and carefree. Life couldn’t be better… until the brutal murder of his mother occurs. Cut to the present, and as Barry Allen (aka The Flash) is leaving flowers on his mother’s grave, it becomes blatantly obvious that he blames himself for not being there to prevent his mother’s murder. “If only I was faster, she would still be alive”.

Before being able to further dwell on his troubled past, a break-in at the Flash Museum calls The Flash in to action, as he foils an attempted burglary that is being perpetrated by some old foes. Unfortunately, the whole burglary is merely a trap that has been concocted by Flash’s arch-nemesis, Reverse-Flash. Cue an awesome intervention by some heavy hitters from the Justice League, and all of the villains are successfully on ice, but not before Reverse-Flash can plant thoughts of “What would life be like if the murder of Barry Allen’s mother had been prevented?” into The Flash’s mind.

Waking up at work, Barry realizes that the world he is living in vastly different. On the plus side, his mother is alive and well. Unfortunately, the downside is that just about every other aspect of life on Earth is in dire straits. An epic and bloody war is being waged between Wonder Woman’s Amazonians and Aquaman’s Atlanteans, with the government also being drawn in to the conflict, adding further danger and impending doom to the fate of the world. The Batman of this world is a ruthless and relentless killing machine, Cyborg is an agent of the government, and Superman has apparently never existed. As if all of this isn’t scary and confusing enough, Barry makes the startling discovery that he no longer carries the power of the Speed Force…

Deciding that it is up to him to set things right, Barry seeks out the reluctant help of this alternate Batman, in an effort to recreate the accident that gave him his powers, so that he can not only prevent the impending annihilation of most of the civilizations on Earth, but go back in time and prevent any of this from ever happening in the first place. Oh, but first he has to make sure that Reverse-Flash isn’t on the scene…

Having not previously read the original Flashpoint comic book crossover, the story was new and exciting to me. I loved how the world was portrayed as a grim and violent place, and the new interpretations of many of the iconic heroes and villains of the DC Universe were incredibly fun (Batman is now a pistol-wielding killer, Deathstroke and Lex Luthor appear to be working for the US government, Hal Jordan has never been The Green Lantern, and both Aquaman and Wonder Woman are cold-hearted and deadly war generals for their people). All of the events and set pieces in this story were incredibly cool, and Barry’s ultimate sacrifice at the finale of the story provides the perfect ending to this well-written tale.

Then there is the impressive vocal talent. Warner Bros. Entertainment really dug deep to bring out some great voice actors for the various roles in this film. Justin Chambers’ (Grey’s Anatomy) heroic portrayal of The Flash was a solid performance, as were the performances of Vanessa Marshall (Young Justice) and Cary Elwes (Saw, Robin Hood: Men in Tights) for their respective roles as Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting, Dog Soldiers) as the brutal and unflinching Dark Knight was immensely enjoyable, and C. Thomas Howell (Southland) is perfect as the condescending and immensely unlikable Reverse-Flash. Even though his appearance in this film is brief, fan-favourite Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly) steals the screen with his humorous and beloved rendition of The Green Lantern.

Visually Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is also a triumph. In terms of art style, the visuals and character designs are rather reminiscent of the sorts of visual styles that are common in anime. Color is used to great effect, with bright and vivid palettes used to portray the happy times of Barry’s youth, while the current “pre-apocalyptic” world is depicted in very dark and grim tones with not much color at all being used beyond blacks, greys and browns.

Of course there are also the fights and battles, which are numerous, spectacular and surprisingly violent. Bloody wars erupt between the Amazonian and Atlantean factions as soldiers from both sides are slain with spears, arrows and swords. Costumed heroes and villains engage in wonderfully-choreographed fight sequences that more often than not end with deadly results. And the slow motion sequences featuring The Flash dodging bullets or laying the smack-down on his foes are immensely cool and drool-worthy.

The DVD version of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is rather slim when it comes to special features, as it only contains a sneak peak at the upcoming Justice League: War animated feature. This segment is definitely worth a look at though, as it features cast and creative team commentary, and provides visuals and the basic scenario for what fans can expect the story to look like for this next entry in the DC Universe animated features.

All told, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is another win for DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment, and should ensure that fans remain interested in each new release for quite a while longer. Once you see Batman firing rounds into his foes, you know that you are in for something special indeed.

Rating:

ComicsOnline gives Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox 4.5 out of 5 Batman tears drizzling down a sad Dark Knight’s face.

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