JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX
(2013, Blu-ray released July 30, 2013 – MSRP $24.98)
THE FILM:
- “We all wish for the chance to go back in time and change the things, for The Flash, that coveted chance is within reach. He traverses time to right a violent, decades-past crime against his mother, but the ripples of his good intentions prove disastrous, as a fractured, alternate reality now exists in place of the familiar one. Stumbling through this twisted reality where even Superman is nowhere to be found, The Flash seeks the trusted wisdom of Batman, only to find a grittier, more violent Dark Knight in his place. Together with the help of Cyborg, they race to restore the continuity of Flash’s original timeline while this new world is ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman’s Amazons and the Atlanteans, led by a battle hardened Aquaman. With breath taking action and an all-star voice cast featuring Kevin Conroy, C. Thomas Howell and Dana Delany, it’s a bold, emotional vision that will forever change the landscape of the DC Universe!“
WHO SHOULD BUY:
These DC Comics straight-to-video animated films are generally speaking rather hit and miss. For every Dark Knight Returns you get a couple Green Lantern: Emerald Knights‘. Fans need not worry about the latest release however as Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is one of the strongest films to come from the studio to date, highlighting an adventurous, imaginative story that sports fantastic voice acting and some of the best action animation I’ve seen in a domestic production to date! Here’s hoping the Warner crew pony up the cash to allow the marvellous Studio 4°C the opportunity to animate every one of their releases. DC animated has never looked better!
Parents should proceed with caution though as this is some serious adult fare – every nasty aspect of grown up storytelling is on display here from language to extreme violence. I don’t think these measures are necessary to tell these sorts of stories but I defend the creative choice and understand the core audience of middle-age fanboys the studio is attempting to reach with the approach.
THE BLU-RAY DISC:
The image on the disc suffers the usual host of production-related impairments from aliasing to rampant colour banding. These imperfections are likely due to limitations in the creation of the animation itself and not due to any shortcuts in the encode. Meaning there’s nothing to be done. This is animation created on a budget and, for what it is, it’s pretty darn good. And pretty darn great looking, all things considered. Just don’t look too closely or you’ll see the cracks.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, on the other hand, is feature quality. If you’re not careful, if you crank your system up too high, you might just blow the roof off. This is one powerful, dynamic soundtrack that features a fair amount of immersion when not in the midst of dialogue heavy scenes.
Bonus features echo most of these animated DTV releases but thankfully also marks the return of the audio commentary! There have been too many of these flicks hitting home video without them lately. It’s nice to hear producer James Tucker, director Jay Olivia, screenwriter Jim Krieg and comic writer Geoff Johns here, chatting about this comic book adaptation. The short docs are of the usual short, mildly informative fare and the four additional Flash-centric DCU animated episodes are a welcome inclusion.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- A Flash in Time: Are there other dimensions? Can time travel get us there? And if The Flash existed, could he really travel through time? Interviews with experts in mythology, theoretical physics and top DC writers will examine the science and legacy of the storytelling behind the fiction.
- My Favorite Villians! The Flash Bad Guys: Acclaimed DC Comics writer Geoff Johns and others share their favorite Flash villains, giving viewers a glimpse into the Flash’s world through the eyes of some of the nefarious characters he has encountered over the past 70 years.
- Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Audio Commentary
- Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe animated movie, Justice League: War, spotlighting the cast and crew
- From the DC Comics Vault: Bonus cartoon episodes
- Flashpoint #1 Digital Comic Excerpt
