Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Synopsis:
Young Barry Allen comes home to a terrible scene, his mother has been brutally murdered, and the house shows signs of a struggle. Little Barry stands in the doorway in total shock. The Flash is one of many heroes that has dealt with a great tragedy in their past; these types of tragedies helped shape most comic book characters into the heroes they become.
After visiting his mother’s grave, the adult Barry is summoned to a disturbance at The Flash Museum in Central City where he encounters several of his most notorious arch-nemeses. The Flash (Voice by Justin Chambers) fights valiantly but he is trapped by an adhesive clay which pins him down against a wall.
It seems that this gathering of super-villains was devised by Professor Zoom AKA The Reverse Flash, a traveler from the future with the same powers as the Flash. He is obsessed with killing The Flash. Professor Zoom (Voice by C. Thomas Howell) plans on blowing up much of Central City, and killing The Flash in the process.
Each explosive device is connected to each of the super-villains, and The Flash; they were secretly placed there by Professor Zoom. Just when you, the viewer thinks all is lost The Justice League crashes through to save the day.
Each member of The Justice League takes each of the villains away from Central City toward various places where they disarm and destroy the explosive devices. As they take Professor Zoom away along with the other villains, Professor Zoom taunts The Flash; Zoom brings up painful memories of his mother’s death. The viewer can see how it affected Barry, and he runs off noticeably disturbed.
Barry wakes up the next day face down at his desk at work; and he wakes up to a different world. A world where his mother is alive! And where Barry has lost his powers.
In this world Batman is an alcoholic, uses guns, and is more aggressive, employing with his personal brand of justice in Gotham City. Atlantis led by Aquaman had sunk a large part of Western Europe into the Atlantic Ocean killing over 100 million people.
Wonder Woman led the Amazons in an invasion of the United Kingdom- killing over 32 million people. Now the Atlantians and Amazons are at war against each other.
The world may have drastically changed but Barry still has his memories of the previous reality. In this new reality Wonder Woman and Aquaman are brutal dictators not caring who they kill or what they destroy.
Batman is now Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s father; it seems that Bruce had died in the alley instead of his parents. Cyborg is now the National Security Advisor, and is involved in trying to prevent the war between Atlantis and the Amazons.
Barry seeks out Batman at Wayne Manor. Wayne Manor is a mess. After sneaking into The Bat-cave he learns the truth about this Batman.
After Batman roughs up Barry for entering his Bat-cave, Barry eventually convinces (although not entirely) Batman of who he is, and reveals his memories of the previous timeline. Batman reluctantly helps Barry in recreating the same experiment that originally gave Barry the powers of The Flash. After the second attempt (the first attempt did not go so well) he is back in action.
The Flash and Batman are now on their quest to find the answers that they need. Cyborg joins them, and they find that Superman (or rather alternative Superman) was a disappointment. The great hero was diverted from Smallville from his journey from space and into the clutches of the government. Superman was locked away underground; skinny and frail from lack of sunlight (the major source of his power).
The heroes break Superman out of his prison only for him to fly away when he got a taste of the Sun. Professor Zoom comes in to cause trouble, and leaving many questions that need answers through his taunting of the Flash. It becomes obvious that Professor Zoom knows what happened, and how it can be fixed; but he only provides riddles.
Thoughts
The Flashpoint Paradox Movie based on the comic book story, and takes the viewer into an alternate world where with just one little difference in history has changed all reality. It is called The Butterfly Effect where one little change in history sends a ripple of changes throughout time and space.
Although it is an interesting concept it presents the question, can such a little alteration in the past change the future in such a dramatic way and affect all individual lives in the process.
Another question comes to mind in relation to Aquaman and Wonder Woman, how can one little change turn them from protectors of people to complete sociopaths. The movie does not seem to answer this question we as the viewer just have to accept that is the way they are in this timeline.
In my opinion, The Flashpoint Paradox takes the easy way out by having Barry remember the previous timeline within the new timeline. To be fair they did have the plot show that the memories of the new timeline were now becoming a part of Barry’s current memory.
By having Barry remember it allows him to figure out how to fix the current reality. However, it is a good clue that tells the viewer that The Flash is somehow involved in the changing of history.
This movie was an action packed story. It is rated PG-13; there are moments of violence. So parents are advised that there may be some disturbing images with blood and death. Familiar DC Comic characters die, and some in a brutal manor.
Some of the animation I liked but some seemed kind of weird. Some of the characters seemed too elongated, and with Superman’s, Aquaman’s, and Batman’s (Thomas Wayne) jaw line were too wide and thick.
Superman (Voice by Sam Daly) in the alternate timeline was locked up underground for most of his life. When he was released by the heroes he looked freakishly thin, elongated, and with a thick head although he becomes an important part of the story towards the end.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one of the bright spots in the movie was The Flash. The animation that displayed his speed was incredible.
The viewer was with The Flash emotionally from the very beginning of the plot, and it had you rooting for The Flash to succeed in his mission, and to fix his reality.
Overall, I thought The Flashpoint Paradox was a well made animated feature that told an interesting story, and it will have the viewer thinking about it after they finish watching the movie.
Rating: 4 out 5
Images from moviestillsdb
