Justice League Flashpoint Paradox (AKA: You got me right in the feels)
I loooooove watching animated movies based off of comics. I like to see peoples interpretation of what source material i’ve also read, and how they then translate that to the screen. While I am known for my love of Batman – I giggled like a school girl when I finally got my hands on the latest DC movie – Justice League Flashpoint Paradox, based off the 2011 series leading up to the new 52: Flashpoint. Key differences aside, this movie did not disappoint!
First off, if you haven’t read the comics, it won’t stop you from enjoying the movie, but there are a few spots where you might get a little confused until they backtrack and explain more of the details further down the plot line. So if you have a passing fancy with The Flash, or are interested in seeing a story line where the entire world is turned upside down from as we know it, I highly recommend watching this movie!
Spoilers and plot synopsis ahead!
The movie starts with Barry Allen at the grave of his mother, lamenting how when he was a child he didn’t save her. (He skips over the logic that at that point he couldn’t have sine he wasn’t The Flash then, and didn’t have the power to, but you know… whatever!) Emo flash is interrupted by a notification that the Flash museum is being broken into, and he runs off to stop the crime with the assistance of the Justice League. While taking the criminals after the plot was foiled away to jail, Professor Zoom gets one good jab in at the flash reminding him that he just can’t save everyone, not those that really mattered. (Turns out no one likes it when you poke at your dead parents. See Batman)
So here is where it gets a little fuzzy. (spoiler alert) What isn’t shown, and what isn’t really detailed until later is that this is the point in time that The Flash goes back in time to save his mother from her untimely demise. We don’t see it, or any part of the plan, but we DO see when Barry Allen wakes up at work, confused that ‘Citizen’ Cold is the hero of Central City, and no one seems to know who the Flash is. Barry tries to run away to find he doesn’t have any powers and that his mother is still alive, though they are under the threat of world war 3 – where Aqua Man and his armies are trying to take down Wonder Woman and her Amazons; including sinking most of western Europe and killing millions.
When Barry realizes he needs his powers back and he needs to fix whatever happened in the time line to make everything go wrong – he turns to the smartest hero he knew – Batman. Which in this universe, turns out to be Thomas Wayne. Bruce died that night, and Thomas Wayne became Batman, and Martha became the Joker. (I’d like to see some more movies and comics in that universe!) Barry gets his arse kicked by Thomas because he keeps mentioning his dead son. When he tries to prove who he is by pulling his costume out of his ring…. the costume of Professor Zoom comes out. Batman (who fights with guns!) helps Barry recreate the experiment that gave him his powers so he can fix whatever Professor Zoom did to the timeline. After one false start (that is kinda hard to watch), Barry is once again The Flash, and he and Batman join up with Cyborg, Scarecrow and more to take down Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
What’s fun in this movie though is to see what differences they highlight – Lois Lane is still an intrepid reporter, but she’s part of the resistance trying to take down the Amazons. Steve Trevor is killed by Wonder Woman trying to help Lois Lane; Superman never made it to Kansas, but was held by the government and tested on like a lab rat; Abin Sur never gave his ring to Hal Jordon and more. What gets you right in the feels though? When Flash realizes this is all his fault.
Professor Zoom catches up with Flash and gives him the scoop. When he went back in time to save his mom, he set off like a sonic boom in sound – only in time. He caused the discrepancy in time before and after the event he altered. Zoom even digs that knife deeper when he taunts Barry – he can go back and change anything with the speed force. He didn’t stop Hitler from killing all the Jewish people, he didn’t stop JFK from getting assassinated, he did the selfish act of saving his own mother. He turned the world into chaos, moments away from destruction and Zoom wants to know if he is the villain? Ugh. Pardon me, I need to just… there is some dust in my eyes.
The world goes even more towards the brink of destruction; Batman is dying, Wonder Woman murders Aqua Man, but not before he triggers a device that will make Captain Atom destroy the whole planet. Barry only has moments to take a note from Batman, and run into the speed force and stop himself from preventing the death of his own mother.
There is more after that about Bruce Wayne getting a note from his dad, and a post credits scene of a boom tube opening up above earth, but… I got nothing left after that ending. After Justice League Flashpoint Paradox, I’m spent. Pre new 52, I miss you so damn much.
