FLASHPOINT PARADOX Is PG-13 For a Reason
I’m … disappointed. But I’m not surprised.
I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time on this one, mainly because I want to get something out before the Blu-Ray drops, but also because I just don’t have a lot of positive to say about it. When we got Superman: Unbound, I was struck by the difference in visual aesthetic. I’m looking back through the archives and I don’t see that I ever posted a review, even though I should have. Thought I had, but then again, maybe I’m going by the old adage, “If you can’t say something nice…”
We’ve entered the age of the Dark Hero Story, I guess. It’s very apparent that Bruce Timm is no longer involved in the DC Animated Universe. I know it’s been said he’s working on something else with DC, but I have to wonder if he’s run into the same editorial interference that’s caused so many of the monthly comics writers and artists to abandon ship. Time will tell, I guess, but James Tucker, for whatever reason, has taken the DCAU into darker territory. And these movies lose a little bit of heart with each project.
Superman: Unbound made me flinch a bit at times, but Flashpoint Paradox makes me worry about what I’ll see when Justice League: War comes out next. This film is darker, yes. It’s bloodier. It’s more violent. And not cartoon violence. It’s disturbing how much this film pushes the limits on that PG-13 rating. The language is saltier. The characters a little more grim. Which, to a point, is appropriate in the altered timeline setting we have to experience.
Some detail: yes, there are some good performances. Kevin Conroy and Nathan Fillion are back, as is Dana Delany (voicing a still-in-purple Lois). Sam Daly takes the baton from his father Tim and does a credible job with Superman, even though he doesn’t get a lot of screen time. The writing, such as it is, is pretty solid. Given that it’s based on a Geoff Johns story, it’s not going to have a lot of problems.
But…
The animation’s clunky. All of the character designs are malformed, as if all of them were carved out of baked clay and animated not-quite-finished. Cyborg and Aquaman, especially, are way too beefy and big to be taken seriously. But most especially, the mayhem and violence of this movie is just over the top enough that I won’t recommend watching it with your pre-teen without screening it first. If you’re a parent, you need to check it and make sure it’s something your kid can handle. My youngling, going on 12, even said “Next time you get a PG-13 cartoon, you should check it first.”
Damning.
I’m disappointed that we’re now in a time where I have to make sure a superhero cartoon is safe for my kid to watch. Granted, as a responsible parent, that’s my job anyway. But this is the Justice League. Superman. Batman. I guess I got spoiled watching the series. This movie is not those shows.
And that rankles me a bit. Because it’s just one more piece of my childhood that’s been corrupted. It’s one more thing I now have to view with a jaundiced eye. One more thing where I must take caution. And does Christopher Nolan get the blame for this, too?
I miss Bruce Timm.
