Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: The Anti-Monitor (evil counterpart to Multiverse-monitoring being The Monitor) is released in the DC Multiverse and begins to destroy the different Earths that compose it. The Monitor attempts to recruit heroes from across the Multiverse but is murdered.
Review: Marvel's The Infinity Gauntlet Saga is one of their most iconic tales but ask any avid comic book fan and they'll tell you for every Marvel story there's a DC one to match (and vice-versa). And possibly the most iconic story to come out of the DC Universe is their Crisis on Infinite Earths, a tale so expansive and so complex it's left a lasting impression on every DC comic going forward.
Run Barry! RUN!
Previously adapted for the CW's Arrowverse, the 12-volume comic has now seen its way into the world of animation. Of course, considering how much material there is to cover, one movie won't do. And with plans to release the entire saga in three parts I'm looking at Part One which aired January 9th this year.
Keeping this simple is no easy task but I'll try to without giving too much away. The story's main protagonist (if I had to choose one) is The Flash. Barry Allen is "time tripping", which is to say he's finding himself pulled through the Speed Force to different realities where the Earth's heroes and villains may not always be who you think they are. Slowly he comes to realise there are infinite Earths and something is slowly working its way across the universe eliminating them one by one. As this is happening someone called Harbinger gathers a host of heroes from their different worlds to come together as a think-tank overseen by a being called Monitor who hopes the world's, make that the universe's, mightiest heroes can produce a plan to save the entire universe from annihilation.
Wait a minute, there's ANOTHER black superhero here?!
No strangers to adapting DC comics into animated movies, writers James Kreig, George Perez, and Marv Wolfman – the latter two wrote and penciled the original 1985-86 comics - do a (mostly) commendable job of making Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One accessible to those who may have never read or even heard of the story. I say mostly because the time jumping by Flash can get a bit dizzying at times and it took a minute or ten to really get a handle on what was happening. This also affected the pacing a bit. I would say the latter half of the movie is the stronger half as the pieces fall into place and the conclusion ups the stakes measurably leaving viewers wondering what comes next.
There's also a ton of changes to the original narrative that may irk more loyal fans of the comic's story. I'm counting myself as one of them as I wasn't totally on board with The Flash once again being at the centre and forefront of it all. While he is an important part of the story, he is far from the lead figure. And having already seen them do this on television, I was hoping for something more along the lines of the original story. It's too early to tell where they'll go with it all though, so here's hoping they trust their audience won't lose interest if other heroes and villains get their time in the sun.
So, we're gonna do this the hard way. Just the way mama likes it
I'm also split on the animation style. I don't like the cell shaded look. Actually, to be blunt I hate it, as I think it affects the flow of movement needed to make the action sequences more impactful. Just because it works for Archer doesn't mean it's suited for everything else. The score and the voice cast are great though and work well here.
All in all, Part One of the Crisis saga was a tad underwhelming at first glance. The story struggles to find its footing but does get more cohesive as things move along. And one other thing I didn't mention was the real sense of emotion found here. Matt Bomer does a fantastic job of adding real personality to Barry Allen, while Stana Katic keeps nailing it with her exotic take on Wonder Woman. They're just a couple of the standouts here and with two more parts to go, a little course correction could make this one of DC's all-time best animated features. Only time will tell.
Sommer's Score 6.5 out of 10
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More
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