And there are some great ones out there, all of them are worth watching in some shape or form even if they don't completely work. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox does work and brilliantly, for this viewer it's one of the better animated straight-to-video superhero films. There is very little to criticise it, except that some of it did feel a little rushed, Superman could have been fleshed out more and Professor Zoom was defeated too easily. The anime-inspired animation is wonderful though, if you enjoy the animation style of Young Justice- I do- you'll enjoy the animation here. The atmospheric colours and fluidity are simply remarkable. The music is haunting and beautiful at the same time, giving intensity to the action scenes and giving weight to the more emotional and dramatic scenes. While the dialogue is really smart and intelligently written and the story is hugely compelling right up to the end and packs a real emotional punch. The action sequences have an epic intensity to them, the moral ambiguity seen in the characters and story is interwoven very well and the complexity of the characters- they are much more than what they seem- is to be admired, especially Flash- especially in the final 10 minutes- and a more bad-ass Aquaman(loved that). There are lots of familiar characters that pop up every now and again, which comic book and superhero fans will really appreciate. And of course the voice acting is superb, with Justin Chambers really making us identify with his character, having Kevin Conroy back as Batman is a huge plus and there's also the suavity and command that Cary Elwes brings to Aquaman. C. Thomas Howell also shines in one of his best, maybe even his best, film in recent years(considering that he's been in a lot of bad movies, especially from The Asylum, lately that's saying a lot)- he is menacing and very malicious as Zoom, his taunting of Flash is subtly chilling and one of the high points in the writing. Overall, while not entirely perfect Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is fabulous. 9/10 Bethany Cox
