The Flashpoint Paradox: The Masterpiece of the Superhero Genre!

‘JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX’ [2013] / WARNER HOME VIDEO

A Competitive Genre

It’s no surprise that whenever we think about popular superhero films, we immediately think of Marvel and their blockbuster hits of the Avengers, but what about DC? Surely with an incredible roster that includes the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and of course, The Flash, you would think that their movies would be tough competition for Marvel, but that’s not the case. For years, DC has struggled to keep up with Marvel for live-action adaptations of our favourite heroes.

Let’s face the facts; Marvel is the true dominant force when it comes to the box office. However, that doesn’t mean they are superior when it comes to storytelling. That title belongs to DC for their animated films. Particularly their film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Yes, you heard me right; Flashpoint Paradox, in my opinion, outshines all Marvel films with a masterfully crafted story and a unique concept that leaves everyone wishing for more as well as a lesson that will resonate and affect anyone.

A Quick Peek Into the Story

‘JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX’ [2013] / WARNER HOME VIDEO

After another fierce battle with his rival Reverse-Flash, Barry Allen (A.K.A The Flash) wakes up to find himself in a world much like his own but very different. His once dead mother is alive and well in the new world; however, some things have been mysteriously altered for the worst. Wonder Woman and Aquaman fight in a brutal war, leaving half of the world in ruin. With the war showing no signs of stopping, humanity grimly waits for the end of the world. Stranded in this new reality, The Flash must stop the brutal war and figure out what caused this change. But Barry will soon discover that nothing he once knew is the same.

A Superhero Movie Unlike Any Other

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Marvel fan but not really of their cinematic universe. Aside from Logan, there were never any Marvel movies that stood out as my favourites. While they are fun movies to sit down and watch with friends, their stories never hooked me. Flashpoint Paradox is everything a superhero movie should be: suspenseful, tense, heartbreaking, inspiring, and simply wondrous.

‘JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX’ [2013] / WARNER HOME VIDEO

To start, the film features an amazing animation style that makes it feel like a movie fit for comics. However, that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the film. As the film picks up, you instantly realize that the heroes that you grew to love are not the same. Some are warlords, some have given up the fight, and some don’t even exist. This is what DC does better than Marvel: they know we love these characters, and yet they are presented to us in their worst state, but that’s the magic of this film. All these heroes, all these larger than life beings who possess extraordinary abilities reduced to the likeness of normal soldiers in war. Every battle feels intense to the point that the superheroes are no longer super but just some guy fighting against something that’s bigger than themselves. Now you could say the same of the Avengers movies, but actually, you can’t. When people die in Flashpoint, you feel it. Even though most of the characters are products of an altered reality, the film handles death with respect and finality, making each death impactful and devastating. All of this leads up to a shocking plot twist that is even more heartbreaking, which brings the film to a close with a necessary lesson and many tears on the living room floor.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, and I’m sure I have offended many Marvel fans. While most of Marvel’s movies aren’t my favourite, they still put a smile on my face because they are part of a genre I have loved my whole life. Flashpoint Paradox is just the superhero movie I have long dreamed of, where my heroes are still mighty yet normal in the face of overwhelming odds. Flashpoint was my superhero movie, the movie that broke my heart and built it up again. The Flashpoint Paradox, to put it simply, is the masterpiece of the superhero genre. So? What are you waiting for? Go out and watch it!

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Aidan Conners

Aidan Conners is a short story writer, currently taking the Professional Writing course at Algonquin College. He is also a fan of comics, animals, video games, 90’s rock, horror movies, riddles, and reading.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween: Unique, Yet Hated.

Photo by Toni Cuenca from Pexels

A Film that Redefined a Genre

As a huge fan of the slasher genre, John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween stands as one of my favourites in all of horror. Halloween was a ground-breaking, low budget film that horrified audiences and gave us a character that would haunt our dreams for years: Michael Myers. Because of its success, Halloween inspired some of my other favourite horror films like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and other famous horror movies. To try and recreate the same magic that made the originals great is a difficult challenge to overcome, which is why a lot of remakes nowadays suck. But sometimes directors can surprise us with something different from the original. In 2007, famous rock star and filmmaker Rob Zombie directed a remake of the classic. Many hated it, but many also praised it for doing something different. There is no denying that the film is far from perfect, but does it deserve the amount of hate it gets? We will analyze both sides of the argument to help you answer that question.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween [2007] [Dimension Films]

Why it’s Hated

The biggest reason for most of the fans’ hate is Zombie’s take on Michael Myers. In the original, Michael was simply the bogeyman, a force of unstoppable evil. It would be easy to understand why many fans would not be pleased with introducing a backstory for the character. Most complained that it ruined the mysterious aura that made Michael interesting. Another big complaint was the excessive use of over the top brutality and swearing. However, this being a Rob Zombie film, it’s almost a given that such mature content would be featured; plus, it’s a movie about a psychopathic murderer, you know? Michael Myers? The guy Dr. Loomis described to be pure evil, so I was already expecting the film to be gut-wrenching. A lot of what angered fans were the choices Zombie made and how they were executed, but with the film being a remake, risks and changes are almost needed for it to stand out.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween [2007] [Dimension Films]

Why it’s Praised

Setting aside the die-hard fans of the original, the remake achieved popularity by some for doing what any successful remake does: taking risks in changes. Fans praised the performances of Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, and Scout Taylor-Compton as Michael Myers, Dr. Loomis, and Laurie Strode. While many were upset with the backstory of Michael Myers, others were intrigued (myself included) by the insight on what Michael’s life had been like before he went psycho. Zombie also shifted the focus to Michael and Dr. Loomis for most of the film rather than Laurie Strode, which again received praise for doing something different and received hate from other fans for “tarnishing” the name of the original.

I’m sure by now you’re starting to see a pattern. Whatever the die-hard fans hate, the casual fans love. This is why it’s no surprise that the final major point for the film’s praise is Rob Zombie’s dark and disturbing tone. In my opinion, the approach that Zombie took somehow made the actions of Michael Myers much darker, which may actually be more fitting and realistic for a story about a ruthless killer in the modern-day.

Simply Controversial, but that’s Okay

Overall, Rob Zombie’s Halloween is not for everyone. It’s overly dark, disturbing, intense, and just a film that can mess someone up if they aren’t mentally prepared. But Zombie’s adaptation undoubtedly stands as a perfect example of how to divide a fanbase. Regardless of what anyone else thinks of the film, Halloween 2007 deserves a watch, not just for the risks it takes with the prestigious name, but also to form your own opinion on a widely and hotly debated remake.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween may not have been the remake many fans wanted, but it was certainly impactful. To this day, it currently stands as one of my favourite remakes of all time and one of the only cases where I believe the remake is better than the original.

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Aidan Conners

Aidan Conners is a short story writer, currently taking the Professional Writing course at Algonquin College. He is also a fan of comics, animals, video games, 90’s rock, horror movies, riddles, and reading.

Does The King Of Staten Island Deserve Its Crown?

The King Of staten island [2020] [Universal Pictures]

The King of Staten Island, a new addition to the long line of Judd Apatow movies, came out in June of 2020. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the audience gave The King of Staten Island a score of 85 percent, and critics have said an assortment of encouraging, if not great, things about it.

Summary

The King of Staten Island begins by introducing us to Scott (Pete Davidson), a 24 wannabe tattoo artist living with his widowed mother, Margie (Marisa Tomei) and his sister. He spends his days smoking pot and hanging out with his somewhat deadbeat friends. After the surmounting grief of his father’s passing in a fireman accident when he was seven, Scott has a very hard time with his mental illnesses, which affects his relationships. After a string of dead-end conversations and morally questionable actions, he’s surprised by the announcement of his mother being in a serious relationship, even more surprised when he finds out that the man who’s seeing his mother is Ray (Bill Burr), the rude father of the nine-year-old boy he tattooed.

Thus being where the movie kicks into high gear. At the start, Scott tried to be somewhat supportive of Margie’s new relationship, but as the movie progresses, the more he dislikes Ray and the more he tries to sabotage it. And so, naturally, he decides to dig up dirt on Ray, reveal it all to his mother, get kicked out of his childhood home, become homeless…and run right back to Ray. Little did they know it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship or at least less of a hatred. 

Mental Health Representation

The King of Staten Island is a uniquely genuine and relatable film. Accompanied by questionable characters, surprising growth and quite a few laughs. Something that spoke to me while watching this was the mental health representation; since you don’t always see that in drama-comedies. I liked that Scott was flawed in that way because of his father’s death as well as how that’s a prominent part of his character. However, I noticed that Scott’s mental health issues were pushed to the backseat once the movie started picking up. It’s something that I find quite unfortunate because once it was mentioned, it was practically never brought up again. Regardless, I appreciate that the movie chose to include mental illnesses, and I found that how it was represented via Scott felt very authentic to me and how I view mental health.  

The Unexpected Friendship

The king of staten island [2020] [universal pictures]

Later in the film, when Scott gets kicked out by his mother after a series of bad decisions and drifts from place to place; he finally ends up at the one spot and the one person he knows he would have a shot at staying in. The firehouse where Ray works. He convinces Ray by bargaining his mother’s love and is lent a sofa, with the agreement of helping Scott for this one night. However, when Scott is about to get kicked out once again, Papa (Steve Buscemi) agrees to let him stay in exchange for work. This is where we see Scott finally come into himself as a character. It’s where he learns to honour his father’s memory but also move on from it. We watch him learn to grow in an array of hilarious and surprisingly tender moments. 

All in all, I do think this is a good film. With hardships and flaws and love delicately interwoven between them. It’s a movie that depicts how people are not often perfect and are hard to love sometimes. Yet, it’s also about how love isn’t easy like that; it requires understanding and patience. But if you’re willing to try, it can be incredibly rewarding. Even people from Staten Island deserve love.

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Linda Deslauriers

Linda is the most “fangirly” person you will likely ever meet. She’s a second-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. She enjoys hot chocolate, rainy evenings, literature, and cinema. If looking for her, you will find her on her bed; enthralled in whatever new addiction she’s developed since.