Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Last updated

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
Gotham gaslight blueray.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Sam Liu
Screenplay byJim Krieg
Based on
Gotham by Gaslight
by
Produced bySam Liu
Starring
Edited byChristopher D. Lozinski
Music by Frederik Wiedmann
Production
companies
Warner Bros. Animation
DC Entertainment
The Answer Studio (Animation services)
Distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Release dates
  • January 12, 2018 (2018-01-12)(Newseum [1] )
  • January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23)(Digital Download)
  • February 6, 2018 (2018-02-06)(Blu-ray)
Running time
78 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is a 2018 American adult animated superhero horror film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, featuring an alternate version of the DC Comics character Batman. It is the 31st film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It is directed and produced by Sam Liu and written by James Krieg, loosely based on the standalone graphic novel of the same name by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola. [3]

Contents

The film was released for a world premiere screening at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. during the "DC in D.C." event on January 12, 2018 [4] and then for digital download on January 23, 2018 before coming out on DVD and Blu-ray on February 6. [5] Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was the last film to be released in Benjamin Melniker's lifetime, a longtime DC film producer who died a month later at the age of 104. [6] [7]

Plot

In Victorian-era Gotham City, Batman saves a wealthy couple from being robbed by three orphans (Dickie, Jason and Timmy) and defeats their abusive handler, Big Bill Dust. At the same time, Ivy, an orphan turned exotic dancer and prostitute, becomes the newest victim of the serial killer called Jack the Ripper, who preys on Gotham's poor and destitute women. Citizens of Gotham believe the Batman and Jack to be the same man. Selina Kyle, a famed local actress, berates Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon and Chief of Police Harvey "Bulldog" Bullock for their failure to stop the Ripper murders.

At the Monarch Theatre with his friend, District Attorney Harvey Dent, Bruce meets Selina and the two bond at the exclusive Dionysus Club. Bruce realizes that not only were the two of them raised by Sister Leslie, but that some of the murdered girls were orphans formerly under Leslie's care. Bruce realizes that the Ripper will target Leslie and rushes to save her but is too late. At the crime scene, Bruce finds a bloody Dionysus Club pin, meaning the Ripper has to be one of Gotham's wealthy. At Sister Leslie's funeral, Bruce is met by psychiatrist Hugo Strange, claiming he knows the killer and wants to meet with Batman. Bruce also is met by Marlene, a drunken old woman who claims she saw him sneaking around when Sister Leslie was killed.

At Arkham Asylum, the Ripper ambushes Strange and throws him to his own frenzied patients, who tear him apart. While in pursuit of the Ripper, Batman is himself chased by police, only to be saved by a costumed Selina. After seeing Batman is Bruce, she takes him to her home, where they spend the night.

After Marlene is found dead, Bruce is arrested, and Dent, jealous of Selina's affection, prosecutes him as the Ripper. Sentenced to Blackgate Penitentiary following the trial, Bruce is met by Selina, who urges him to reveal he is Batman to clear his name and help save the girls from Jack. When he refuses, she decides to tell Gordon herself. Bribing a guard to deliver a coded message to his manor, Bruce escapes after staging a prison fight.

Selina meets with Gordon at the Gotham City World's Fair and learns to her horror that he is the Ripper. While seeking Selina at Gordon's home, Batman learns this as well. Gordon injects Selina with a sleeping aid, but she remains conscious long enough to give Batman a signal using her blood on a searchlight. Batman arrives and fights Gordon into a Ferris wheel where Gordon, driven insane by his time in the Civil War, reveals his "holy work" is to rid Gotham from what he sees as human filth. The Ferris wheel lights on fire in the struggle and begins to collapse: Batman defeats Gordon, who chooses to commit suicide. Batman and Selina are saved by Alfred and the orphans, who are now Bruce Wayne's wards.

Voice cast

Influences

Producer Bruce Timm has pointed to the 1944 film The Lodger and Erik Larson's book The Devil in the White City as influences on the film. [10] He also cited a dream sequence in a particular episode of the 1960s television show Gilligan's Island in which the characters of the show took on well-known roles from Victorian-era British fiction. "There was a Victorian one where the Professor was Sherlock Holmes and Skipper was Doctor Watson and Mary Anne was Eliza Doolittle and Gilligan himself was Jekyll and Hyde. So, this is kind of the same kind of idea. You take those characters that you know and you put them in different spots in this different world and see what happens. That was a lot of fun... ...It's a little glimpse into that Victorian Gotham and then expand that and put as many of Batman's stock players in it in roles you recognize... ...You know, who's gonna be Lestrade? And who's gonna be Watson? And who is gonna be Irene Adler?" [11]

Writer Jim Kreig spoke of the influence of the Sherlock Holmes stories, both as written by Arthur Conan Doyle, and as written by others: "I grew up as a Holmes fan and my dad read it to me, and I read it to my kids. But I didn't want to get any of it wrong and I didn't want to leave any Sherlockian stone unturned. I made the Baker Street Irregulars into Robins. I tried to do as much as I could... ...There's actually a considerable amount of British literature that are about Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper... ...There are about 15 books. I maybe read five of them." He noted the 1965 film A Study in Terror as a favorite of his. [11] Timm, Krieg, and director Sam Liu had discussed including the Sherlock Holmes character in the film adaptation, but eventually opted to pay homage to that character with references to aspects of the Holmes canon. [12]

Reception

Critical response

Julian Romano at MovieWeb gave the film a positive review, going so far as to say it "ranks among the best of the DC Animated Universe". He says the film surpasses Batman: The Killing Joke , doing a better job of adapting the source material, praising screenwriter Jim Krieg and director Sam Liu for their intelligent approach. He notes the R rating, and acknowledges that although the film is not suitable for younger audiences and features violence and coarse language it is not gratuitous. [13]

Will Romine at Bleeding Cool gave the film 9/10. [14]

Joshua Yehl at IGN gave the film 6.5/10. [15]

Kayti Burt at Den of Geek gave the film 2.5/5, praising the voice cast, and describing it as "an R-rated whodunnit horror with a twist..." and that "[i]t's not as clever as it thinks it is, but it's clever enough." [16]

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75%, based on reviews from 12 critics, with an average rating of 6.6/10 [17]

Sales figures

The film earned $1,119,861 from DVD sales and $3,550,660 from Blu-ray sales, bringing its total North American domestic home video earnings to $4,670,521. [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Batman</i> (1989 film) 1989 superhero film by Tim Burton

Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Directed by Tim Burton, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film was produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the war on crime of the title character (Keaton) and depicts his conflict with his archenemy the Joker (Nicholson).

<i>Batman: Year One</i> 1987 story arc in Batman comic book series

Batman: Year One is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli. Year One was originally published by DC Comics in Batman #404–407 monthly issues format in 1987. The story recounts Batman's first year as a crime-fighter as well as exploring the life of recently transferred Gotham police detective Jim Gordon, building towards their first encounter and their eventual alliance against Gotham's criminal underworld.

<i>Batman: Mask of the Phantasm</i> 1993 film by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated romantic superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. It was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. The film is based on Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), and is the first film of the DC Animated Universe and the only one to receive a theatrical release. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings and Robert Costanzo reprise their voice roles from Batman: The Animated Series, joined by Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller and John P. Ryan.

<i>Gotham by Gaslight</i> Graphic novel featuring Batman

Gotham by Gaslight is a DC Comics one-shot by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell. The story revolves around a 19th-century version of Bruce Wayne making his debut as Batman just as Jack the Ripper has arrived in Gotham City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Thompkins</span> Fictional character in the DC comics universe; surrogate figure to Bruce Wayne

Leslie Maurin Thompkins is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Batman, of whom she is an ally. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano, she first appeared in Detective Comics #457.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman in film</span> Film adaptations of the DC superhero

The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with 1989's Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever, with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of a sequel titled Batman Unchained.

<i>Batman: Year One</i> (film) 2011 film directed by Lauren Montgomery, Sam Liu

Batman: Year One is a 2011 American animated superhero film based on the four-issue story arc of the same name printed in 1987. It was directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu. The film premiered at Comic-Con on July 22 and was officially released on October 18, 2011.

Originally created in 1967, the fictional comic book character Barbara Gordon has been adapted into various other forms of media. The character has appeared in both live action and animated television series and films, as well as in video games in her alter-egos as both Batgirl and Oracle.

The DC Universe Animated Original Movies are a series of American direct-to-video superhero animated films based on DC Comics characters and stories. From 2007 to 2022, films were produced primarily by Warner Bros. Animation but subsequently fell under DC Studios. Many films are usually stand-alone projects that are either adaptations of popular works or original stories.

<i>Batman: The Dark Knight Returns</i> (film) 2012 two-part animated film directed by Jay Oliva

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part direct-to-video adult animated superhero film, an adaptation of the 1986 comic book The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and is set in the same continuity as Batman: Year One. It was directed by Jay Oliva, who worked as a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Under the Red Hood, Year One and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Several other Batman veterans were also involved in the film. Part 1 was released on September 25, 2012, and Part 2 was released on January 29, 2013. A deluxe edition combining both films was released on October 8, 2013. Part 1 is the 15th film, and Part 2 is the 16th film, of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.

<i>Gotham</i> (TV series) American superhero crime drama television series (2014–2019)

Gotham is an American television series developed by Bruno Heller, produced by Warner Bros. Television and based on characters from the Batman mythos in comic books published by DC Comics. The series premiered on Fox on September 22, 2014, and ended on April 25, 2019, after five seasons consisting of 100 episodes. It features an ensemble cast that includes Ben McKenzie as James "Jim" Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, and David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne. The show follows Gordon's early days at the Gotham City Police Department following the murder of Bruce's parents, as well as the origin stories of Batman's infamous rogues gallery.

"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series Gotham. It premiered on FOX on September 22, 2014 and was written by series developer Bruno Heller and directed by Danny Cannon. The episode, and the series as a whole, are based on characters appearing in and published by DC Comics in the Batman franchise, primarily those of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne. FOX gave the pilot a straight-to-series order with an order of 16 episodes.

<i>Batman and Harley Quinn</i> 2017 film directed by Sam Liu

Batman and Harley Quinn is a 2017 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the 30th film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, and is directed by Sam Liu and written by Jim Krieg and Bruce Timm. It premiered on July 21, 2017 at San Diego Comic-Con and was released into participating theaters for one night only on August 14, 2017. The film was released on digital on August 15, 2017 and on DVD and Blu-ray on August 29.

Bruce Wayne (<i>Gotham</i>) Fictional character on Gotham

Bruce Wayne is a fictional character appearing in the Fox series Gotham, based on the character of the same name who is the secret identity of DC Comics superhero Batman, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, and developed for television by Bruno Heller. Gotham portrays Bruce's teenage years and transition into adapting his Batman persona in later years. The series marks the second time Batman was adapted for live-action television after the 1960 Batman series, though the lead character in Gotham is James Gordon. Bruce is portrayed by David Mazouz, while Mikhail Mudrik portrays him as an adult in the series finale. He is never referred to as "Batman" in the series.

<i>Justice League vs. the Fatal Five</i> 2019 animated film directed by Sam Liu

Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is a 2019 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. Featuring the DC Comics team Justice League created by Gardner Fox, the film is the 36th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film features the voices of Elyes Gabel and Diane Guerrero alongside Kevin Conroy, Susan Eisenberg, and George Newbern reprising their roles as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, from various DC productions.

<i>Gotham</i> season 5 Fifth season of the TV series Gotham

The fifth and final season of the American television series Gotham, based on characters from DC Comics related to the Batman franchise, revolves around the characters of James "Jim" Gordon and Bruce Wayne. The season is produced by Primrose Hill Productions, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Television, with John Stephens serving as the showrunner. The season was inspired and adapted elements from the comic book storylines of Batman: No Man's Land and Batman: Zero Year. The subtitle for the season is Legend of the Dark Knight.

<i>Batman: Hush</i> (film) 2019 animated film directed by Justin Copeland

Batman: Hush is a 2019 American animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman and loosely based on the 2002 comic book story arc of the same name. It is the thirteenth installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe and the 37th overall film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. In the film, Batman forms an alliance with Catwoman to defeat a new villain named Hush, who knows all of Batman's secrets and targets key figures in his life.

Selina Kyle (<i>Gotham</i> character) Fictional character on Gotham

Selina Kyle, nicknamed "Cat", is a fictional character on the Fox TV series Gotham. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name who goes on to become Catwoman, Selina is a morally ambiguous street thief who becomes an ally and later love interest to Bruce Wayne, the orphaned son of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Camren Bicondova portrays Selina Kyle for the majority of Gotham's run, but is replaced by Lili Simmons as an adult in the series finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beginning...</span> 12th episode of the 5th season of Gotham

"The Beginning..." is the series finale of the American television series Gotham, based on the DC Comics characters Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne. It is the twelfth episode of the fifth season and the 100th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by showrunner John Stephens and directed by Rob Bailey.

Bruce Wayne (<i>Dark Knight</i> trilogy) Fictional film character

Bruce Wayne, also known by his superhero vigilante persona Batman, is a fictional character who is the main protagonist in Christopher Nolan's trilogy of superhero films, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Portrayed by Christian Bale, this version of Batman is arguably explored more in-depth compared to that of the previous film series by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, as the Dark Knight film series provides a full arc for the character and was intended by Nolan to be more realistic than previous portrayals.

References

  1. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (December 15, 2017). "'Batman: Gotham By Gaslight' Premiering at "DC in D.C."". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight". Amazon. February 6, 2018. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ Lovett, Jamie (July 8, 2017). "DC Animation's Next Movie Revealed". Comic Book. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ "'DC IN D.C.' Warner Bros. Television Group and DC Comics Landmark Diversity in Pop Culture Event January 12–13, 2018 -". The Good Men Project. December 19, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ Newsarama Staff (November 14, 2017). "BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT Film Release Date & New Trailer". Newsarama. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (February 27, 2018). "Benjamin Melniker, Prolific 'Batman' Producer and MGM Exec, Dies at 104". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Benjamin Melniker, producer of every modern Batman movie, dies aged 104". Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Siegel, Lucas (October 6, 2017). "NYCC: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Panel shows promise". Syfy. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Trumbore, Dave (November 14, 2017). "'Gotham by Gaslight' Blu-ray Details Confirm Epic Cast, Release Date and Special Features". Collider. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  10. ↑ Gibson, Allyn (January 15, 2018). "#DCinDC2018: World Premiere Of Animated Batman: Gotham By Gaslight". Previews World. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Cecchini, Mike (February 6, 2018). "The Sherlock Holmes Influences of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight". Den of Geek . Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  12. ↑ Thompson, Luke Y. (February 7, 2018). "Blu-ray Review: 'Batman: Gotham By Gaslight' Gets An Excessive Makeover Onscreen". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  13. ↑ Roman, Julian (January 27, 2018). "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Review: A Bloody Steampunk Romp". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  14. ↑ Romine, Will (January 13, 2018). "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Review: Smartly Innovative and Gripping". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  15. ↑ Yehl, Joshua (January 19, 2018). "Batman: Gotham By Gaslight Review". IGN . Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  16. ↑ Burt, Kaytl (January 23, 2018). "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Review". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (2018) The Numbers listing". The Numbers. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.