Where to watch Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
2 Stars
D.C. Comics animated division branches out with a new story and alternate timeline for the venerable Caped Crusader. The superhero was last seen in the Batman ’66 throwbacks voiced by the late Adam West. Bruce Greenwood lends his vocal talents to the character in this feature and the actor’s gruff speech patterns serve the production well. The low-rent soft edged animation style does the film no favors, it makes the entire movie look like a cheap knockoff the kind that airs on Saturday morning kids television. In keeping with the adult theme of 2016 The Killing Joke, this latest entry into the Batman animated cannon features an embarrassingly out-of-place sex scene for Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.
To my knowledge this is the first R-rated animated feature to be released by D.C. and Warner Bros., it’s a shame that the filmmakers didn’t go further with the much-anticipated showdown between The Dark Knight and Jack The Ripper. However, the Victorian-era setting suits the character and universe surprisingly well.
Director: Sam Liu