Time is a tapestry, pull one thread and everything becomes u
nraveled. This is the underlining theme in DC Animation’s newest offering, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, where we see a world turned upside down. This time it is the Flash is front and center. It is nice to see a story where Superman or Batman aren’t the main characters for a change.
Before I start the review I have to admit that I am not completely versed in the DC mythos. My knowledge of the Flash comes from the television series from the 1990’s with John Wesley Shipp and I am not familiar with all of the secondary characters that took part in the story. That being said if I miss something I am sorry.
The movie opens with the Flash thwarting an attempt by a collection of his advisories to destroy the museum that has been built in his honor. The actual architect of the crime is Professor Zoom, a man who doesn’t just want to destroy the museum but also the city. The Flash is backed up by the rest of the Justice League to literally defuse the situation.
Soon after the battle Barry Alan finds that the world has changed. He is no longer the Flash and Wonder Woman and Aquaman are at war and the world is paying the price. Hero and villains are jumbled with Cyborg as the pawn of the U.S. government, Superman is a science experiment, Batman is not the man we all know and Hal Jordan is not the Green Lantern. With the world on the brink of destruction the Flash must unite the un-united heroes and save the alternate Earth.
Once united the heroes fight against the Amazon and Atlantean forces in order to stop the 
impending apocalypse. Even with though they came close to stopping the end of the world it is the Flash who must defeat Professor Zoom to fix the timeline and restore the world to normal.
As usual the voice casting is spot on with fan favorite Kevin Conroy as Batman, Sam Daly as Superman, Dana Delany as Lois Lane, Justin Chambers as The Flash and C. Thomas Howell as Professor Zoom. The animation and character designs are great though I thought that the original timeline Superman was a bit overdone. One funny note on the character designs, without even knowing what the story was about while looking at the box art I thought, “This must be an alternate timeline because Aquaman looks cool.” It was and he did.
I was surprised at the level of violence that was in this story. Some of the violence was very graphic including a bullet to the head of one character. I do not say this as a bad thing but it is not for young children. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is rated PG-13 and rightly so. I am glad that it is made for adults because not all animation should be for kids.
Based on the graphic novel written by Geoff Johns and Andy Kub
ert with the script written by Jim Krieg; it is the best DC movie to date. Time travel can be an overused plot device but in this case it works perfectly. I never thought of the Flash as being a time traveling superhero but because of his speed it actually is one of his abilities (who knew?). The alternate timeline making the DC heroes different from what most people know makes the characters seem fresh again. I would love to see a movie based on the alternate Batman. I really liked the idea of a homicidal Batman who uses guns. I think there is a lot of story potential there especially since this is Batman as we have never seen him before.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is probably my favorite of all of the DC Animation movies I have watched. I will sit down to watch this again, I just wish I knew more about the Flash to get the inside references that are packed into this movie. There is also an after credits scene where the significance is lost on me. I am sure it is a set up for another movie and if the next movie is as good as this one, they will have won me over. This alternate Earth is ripe with story possibilities.
Bottom line is Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox gets 4 stars. I loved this movie. I 
am a big Batman fan but I enjoyed this more than the last Batman I watched and that is saying something. DC Animation has never disappointed me and this time they raised the bar. Everything from the script to the animation is top notch. I wasn’t a fan of the Flash but now I want to see more of the character. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox has a runtime of 75 minutes and is released by Warner Home Video. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is available as a one disc DVD or a two disc Blu-ray. The Special Features include:
• 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 Villains! The Flash Bad Guys: Acclaimed DC Comics writer Geoff Johns and others share their favorite Flash villains in this short film that gives 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!
• A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe animated movie: An in-depth look into the next DC Animated feature film, spotlighting the cast and crew.
• From the DC Comics Vault: Bonus cartoon episodes
• The Flashpoint Paradox Audio Commentary
I recommend purchasing this one because you will want to watch this one over and over. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox retails for $24.98 for the Blu-ray and $19.98 for the DVD. You can find cheaper prices so shop around a bit before purchasing. I am not saying you need to be as quick as the “Scarlet Speedster” but run out and get this soon.
