'Batman: Gotham By Gaslight' Review- It's A Bit Removed From The Elseworld
This movie was released in 2018.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is an animated film adaption of the DC Comics Steampunk-themed graphic novel of the same name. It is directed by Sam Liu and features an ensemble voice cast.
Jack the Ripper has come to Victorian-Age Gotham City. After slaying women in England, he hunts victims all through the night. Hotel and nightclub owner Selina Kyle (Jennifer Carpenter) wants to find him. At the same time, a vigilante named Batman (Bruce Greenwood) is trying to track down this killer.
With Commissioner Gordon (Scott Patterson) and the police on the trail of the cold-blooded killer, the mayor is concerned that the killings will effect the Gotham’s World Fair, angering Selina over his lack of concern for the victims. Batman, meanwhile, begins to suspect that Jack is not simply a random murderer, but a trained hunter.
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight is a 1989 DC Universe Elseworld story written by Brian Augustyn, drawn by Mike Mignola, and inked by P. Craig Russell. The story sets Batman in a Victorian Age version of Gotham City as he tries to solve a series of gruesome murders.
Speaking of the plot, my one concern with the film is it deviates considerably from the source material, unnecessarily. While changes are made for time constraints or to give it a little difference from the comic books, this time, it almost felt like a completely different story. They could make a second one that was a straight adaption and it would have no effect on this one.
To be fair, The animation is not outdone. The movie’s scenes are flawlessly illustrated and brought together with fruition. It certainly seems like the story is taking place in a Steampunk Gotham City where a killer is lurking.
I would also like to applaud the actor’s performance. Greenwood previously played Bruce Wayne in Under The Red Hood, another excellent DC Animation film. He repeats that excellent performance here and truly brings the Caped Crusader to life.
Carpenter should return to play Selina Kyle soon as she does a good job as this version of the character. I hope that she gets an opportunity to perform the role again.
While there were some gore and implied gruesome scenes, it was not gratuitous and never crossed over into being pointless. There is a twist at the end that I did not like. I will not spoil it, but I can say it was rather disappointing.
Bottom line, when it comes to Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, I’m not sure if I genuinely did not like it or because it offended my nerd sense. You’ll have to watch it and tell me what you think.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong Language; Sexual innuendo; Violence, Gore
FAVORITE QUOTE: I had to pay Houdini 300 dollars for that trick.
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or anime you would like me to review.