A hero has made a mistake…a mistake that has hurt many people around him. Now, that hero must face what he has done and find a way to undo it in an action packed (at some points gruesome) old-style anime. It may sound like I just described some obscure Japanese animated art film but that is not the case. No, what I am talking about is DC Entertainment’s Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox. Make no mistake, I very much enjoyed the film. Not only did the story, dialogue, and imagery stick closely to the comic book event written by DC super-writer Geoff Johns, but it also is the first animated film to feature the Flash! Flash is most often used as a supporting character at best. Here we get an exciting cartoon (for grown ups) that is a true representation of the character.
I was not a huge fan of the art style when it started, but by the end of the flick I found myself pretty hooked. It is reminiscent of the older, more realistic style of anime. Combine that with the violence and dark tone and you get what is basically a superhero Akira. I am not saying that Flashpoint Paradox is on the same level of the timeless Akira but that this is tonally similar. While I wouldn’t watch it with kids, Flashpoint is an enjoyable watch.
The special features on the blu-ray are pretty great too. There is a particularly fun feature about physics and time travel! If you are a big science nerd like me you will find it interesting. If you can get past the violence and grow to like the art as I did, you will like Flashpoint Paradox. I give the blu-ray and overall 3.5 out of 5 lightning bolts!