It is hard to believe it has been almost three years since
the New 52 has come into the DC World starting at the very end of Flashpoint
mini-series. I can still remember hanging out at my comic shop ready to pick up
the final issue. And in that short time,
the mini-series has not transformed into an animated feature. This is one of
the quickest turn around for an animated project of DC, and one that even
though mentions in the title of Justice League, this is a Flash mystery movie.
One of the biggest tricks of taking something like the
Mini-series Flashpoint and turning it into a movie is trying to fit in all of
the story threads. There were several mini-series and side stories that tried
to fully explore the world that Flashpoint was. In movie form it could only
handle small doses of it, it give a background to the changed events that are
leading up to the war currently being fought and short side pieces, but that is
far as it can go story wise before dragging on for too long. The main story is
with Flash and this worlds Batman, Barry having to re-connect with the speed
force and the hopes of going back and changing all that has happened to the
world around him.
The world of Flashpoint is a brutal in animation as in comics,
while the impending war that is waging between Amazons and Atlantans is shown to
be ready to destroy it, there is a lack of urgency with the story and
characters as it speeds closer to the conclusion. By no means is the movie slow
in any fashion, which Flash being title character would be ironic, but because
of the quickness for the 80 minutes we get, characters and stories are quickly
introduced and not too much longer quickly ended. That has always been a major downfall of the
direct to DVD movies DC has made, more often the time is cut so the story
suffers from it. Here that same can be said as we didn't know the world as we
knew it. And the mystery of who changed time is well laid out so when the
reveal hits you sit and nod your head with the movie and saying, “Yeah got it.”
This is also something of a comics fan movie, anyone who may
pick this up out of curiously might, no wait change that will be confused by
the sudden motivations and characterization changes between timelines. But, a
nice touch that is they animators threw in some cameos from Young Justice Show
that was a treat to see.
There is also a big change to the animation style with this
movie, a much broader and exaggerated look to
many of the characters, massive
muscles to the super strong. The look is not one that many would say is
pleasing to the eye, it is a distraction at times. But, there may been a reason for some, as Superman first seen (As pictured to the right) is compete opposite from the Flashpoint version it is staggering and standing next to Cyborg and Batman he seems so frail. Showing the world is harsh to even the most super of heroes. One must also bring up the CGI
Flash that shows up every so often making it very noticeable at times. But, the action, the chase of Flash and
Professor Zoom go through in the final battle makes up for it. The sense of
speed and the way they flow back and forth though the shots is amazing to
watch.
And of course I must finish on the voice work, which always
a stand out on these movies and here they work out wonderfully. And while it
may be sad to know Kevin Conroy only has a few lines as Batman to be replaced
by his father Kevin McKidd, who brought the weathered Thomas Wayne to the
screen and stole a few scenes. For the Flash Justin Chambers did a good job,
but in key scenes his voice sounded more forced than I am sure he would have
liked. Though he is welcome to be The Flash again at any time. I also think it is fantastic the Daily family is now passing down voice work for Superman and Sam Daily is a excellent addition to the cast.
In the end, this was a solid movie put together with only a
few bumps along the way in the story and animation. This of course is the first
in a two part story as the end reveals that the second pass through time
changed a few more things, much in the same way the first one did. As the next
movie Justice League: War is a direct sequel to this movie in the same way when
Flashpoint ended the New 52 began.
OVERALL: 7.5 out of 10
Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox is available on DVD,
Blu-Ray, and Digitally now.
Bryan "BAC" Clendening writes for The Broken Infinite. Follow him on Twitter @BAClend
No comments:
Post a Comment