Connor Bynum // Film Critic
It’s no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with Warner Bros and how they’ve handled the recently concluded DCEU series of films. Their painfully fruitless attempts to chase the tone (and therefore financial success, apparently) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been the subject of much debate and controversy as studio heads refused to get out of their own way and let their filmmakers do what they were hired to do in the first place for nearly ten years. But I digress.
I say all of this because while I’ve been so preoccupied with following the trainwreck of a production saga for the live-action DCEU films, I’ve only just recently come to discover that an animated series of films known as the Tomorrowverse has been safely flying under the radar ever since 2020 and has just released its eighth(!) film, JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS – PART 1.Â
Movie Grade: B-
CRISIS – PART 1 follows Barry Allen/The Flash (Matt Bomer) as he finds himself at the center of the Multiverse where every version of Earth, along with every version of their respective superheroes, must come together to stop The Anti-Monitor (a sentient infinitely vast wall of matter destroying energy) from wiping out all of existence. Barry must use his access to the Speedforce to jump between various moments in his life to discover a weakness to humanity’s ultimate destruction before everyone and everything he’s ever loved ceases to exist. Yeah, this one goes hard.
Based on a series of comics with the same name, CRISIS – PART 1 seems determined to be as faithful to its source material as possible, regardless of whether its audience can keep up. As previously stated, CRISIS – PART 1 is the eighth entry into a planned series of ten films to be released in the Tomorrowverse saga. With PART 2 and PART 3 both planning to be released sometime this year, it may be hard to justify giving this one a look without watching the previous seven films in the series. But that’s exactly what I did. Having sat down for this film completely blind, I can safely say that not only did I enjoy it, but I’ve already begun watching the rest of the series. That being said, this film is definitely not for everyone.Â
Video/Audio Grade: B+
Even though CRISIS – PART 1 is presented in a native 4K resolution, the visual style of this film may require an adjustment period to be fully appreciated. While character models, action set pieces, and the overall aesthetic are well-defined and look as great as they can in the format, the animation style is undoubtedly an acquired taste. Everything has a distinctive black outline that is not unlike what you’d find on the pages of a comic book. However, the fluidity of the animation is somewhat frustratingly inconsistent. This is not the same case as previous animated films like PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (2022) or SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (2023), where dropped frames and visual irregularities are made with artistic intent. Regarding CRISIS – PART 1, the choppy movements feel more like a result of budgetary restraints over creative visual storytelling.
With all this being said, the 4K disc is certainly an improvement over its 1080p Blu-ray counterpart. The inclusion of HDR10 and increased storage capacity allow for the least amount of compression and a far more noticeable visual depth in both brightness and color. Both versions of the film come with a Dolby DTS-HD MA 5.1 Audio track that is certainly serviceable but is nothing that will blow audiophiles’ minds.
Overall, this film is best experienced on 4K UHD, but viewers’ enjoyment of the visual style itself is likely to be mixed.
Extras Grade: C-
Speaking of mixed bags, let’s talk about special features. On the positive side, they are included on the 4K disc since there is no included 1080p Blu-ray. However, there are only two featurettes, which add up to less than twenty minutes of content. They’re both fine, but certainly leave a bit to be desired. Perhaps there will be a more substantial offering with PART 3 to cover the legacy of the Tomorrowverse as a whole once it’s been wrapped up. But for now, there just isn’t a lot to talk about.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One: Crisis Prime(r) (9:39)
- The Selfless Speedster (8:02)
Final Grade: B
This may be one of the hardest 4K UHD discs in recent memory for me to give a solid recommendation to add to your collections. Not to say that this is in any way a bad 4K presentation; it’s perfectly fine. It’s just that the target audience for this film is undoubtedly niche. If you’ve been following the previous seven films in the Tomorrowverse, then you’re obviously committed to finishing the saga whether you like it or not. But if you’re just now being made aware of its existence like me, I can see your interest going either way.
On the one hand, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a DC film that isn’t afraid to get weird. This movie has so obviously been untouched by meddling studio executives that one couldn’t be blamed for thinking that Warner Bros. may not have even known it was being made in the first place. On the other hand, the film seems to relish alienating a significant portion of its potential audience by catering to the more dedicated DC fanbase. (Honestly, it’s hard not to respect the filmmakers for taking that approach). The creative minds behind the Tomorrowverse have certainly made their intentions known with this film: casual comic book film fans need not apply.
