Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox composed by Frederik Weidmann (CD review).
Composer Freddie Weidmann seems to have cornered the market with composing the music for the DC Universe animated series, some of which like the ones for ‘Green Lantern’ I’ve reviewed here before. This time, he’s created the music for the ‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ animated film. The plot of which is that the Flash travels into the past to correct a past mistake and inadvertently creates a fractured reality where the Justice League never formed and Wonder Woman and Aquaman are having a war. To restore the time-line, the Flash recruits this reality’s Batman and Cyborg to do battle. The 16 page booklet features some stills from the film but these are mostly of the characters than precise scenes. Weidmann was asked to make the music much darker to match the mood of this reality, the product of which is the 59 minute music score on this CD.
Most of these 28 tracks are only a couple minutes long although there are three reaching the four minute length. Interestingly, taken as a complete composition, the breaks are hard to spot, making for a feeling of one large piece of music.
As an orchestra piece, this music is a bit heavier on the brass to give it that darker feeling, no doubt helped by watching the film. On its own, it’s an interesting piece of music to fill in as background music. I’m not really sure if I would agree with Weidmann that it is distinctive for the various characters. Although gone are the days when you could have a song to point out each character, equally there is nothing so distinctive that you could hum a tune and someone else would immediately recognise the match.
Having said, that, this will undoubtedly fill the requirements of those who love the film and for those of us who pick up soundtracks.
GF Willmetts
September 2013
(pub: La-La Land Records. 1 CD 2000 copy limited edition 59 minutes 28 tracks and 16 page illustrated booklet. Price: $19.98 (US). ASIN: LLLCD 1268)
check out websites: www.lalalandrecords.com and http://lalalandrecords.com/JLFP.html