Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

[The Laughing Fish]

Has anyone else seen The Flashpoint Paradox recently? I thought I'd share my thoughts.

The Flashpoint Paradox is about the Flash discovering that he has entered an alternate reality where the entire complexion of the world's heroes and villains have drastically changed, and the world is on the verge of an apocalyptic disaste. Aquaman and Wonder Woman are evil tyrants as they are bringing the entire planet to its knees, while Atlantis and Amazon are in war with each other, because of an affair between the two leaders  ended when Wonder Woman killed Aquaman's wife Mera in self-defense. Flash believes that Professor Zoom, a Reverse-Flash who the Justice League stopped before waking up to this nightmare reality, must have used the Speed Force to go back in time to change something in the past; ultimately distorting reality altogether. For example, Bruce Wayne was killed instead of his parents, and his father Thomas takes the mantle as Batman. This Batman, unlike his son, comes across the costumed equivalent of the Punisher and is always armed with pistols. Superman doesn't crash in Smallville when his ship arrives on Earth; instead his ship crashes in Metropolis and he is taken into custody by the US Government and used for scientific experiments.

Since the word paradox is in the title, I guess I should have anticipated that a lot of changed characters' behaviors changed. But still there was a lot of stuff that made me go "what?!". I'm aware that there had been stories of Aquaman distrusting anyone who lives outside of the ocean world, but changing his profile to an evil warlord was a massive shift. Believe or not, this is the most graphic DC Animated Movie since Dark Knight Returns Pt II. Lots of people get shot at, stabbed and ruthlessly beaten, it may get a little unbearable for the squeamish.

As a film, I didn't care for it and don't really recommend it. The main reason is I admittedly don't care for alternate reality/timeline fiction, but given it was an animated Justice League film I chose to give it a chance. The other JL films, Doom and Crisis on Two Earths were okay albeit unspectacular, but I'd choose either of those than this.