Director: Christopher Berkeley, Sam Liu
Distributor: Warner Bros Home Entertainment
Duration: 86 minutes
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (Blu-ray) – Movie Review
Over the years, we have taken a closer look at many of DC’s animated movies, and truth be told, we are still always super excited when a new review copy is sent to us. While not all of these films are exquisite, they often bring lesser-known stories from the DC Universe to the comfort of our living rooms. We have seen movies that revolve around alternate universes, but also those dealing with the supernatural or even animated takes on The Suicide Squad. This time around, however, we’ll be discussing Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, in which Batman battles Lovecraftian monsters.
This original Batman story is set in the 1920s, and it starts outside the city of Gotham. Bruce Wayne (David Giuntoli) has been away from his home for roughly twenty years to track down those who may have been involved with the death of his parents. On this expedition, he is accompanied by Alfred (Brian George), Dick Grayson (Jason Marsden), Kai Li Cain (Tati Gabrielle), and Sanjay Tawde (Karan Brar). He finally ends up in the Arctic investigating what happened to Oswald Cobblepot (William Salyers), but he only finds the bodies of Cobblepot’s underlings, as well as a ghastly otherworldly creature in the ice. The thing trapped in the ice is seemingly released, and this causes Bruce to return home, as he knows something is going to happen. This further evolves into a more horror-esque story, albeit with some vague storytelling.
The flow and pacing felt a bit off for this animated movie, as it’s clear that the movie is either too short to flesh out certain aspects or there is simply an overabundance of characters being crammed into the experience. We loved that this story unfolds in what is clearly a different timeline than many of the other Batman stories, and we even appreciated seeing so many familiar faces, but it all felt a bit too chaotic. More than often a new (familiar) character is introduced, to then see said character die, which is a shame. We feel like these alternate versions of famous characters could have been fleshed out a little more, adding some extra charm to the overall experience. That being said, the story is still clear, albeit a bit too convoluted. We feel like certain details are missing to string everything together nicely.
As a whole, the voice cast behind this movie is phenomenal. We very much enjoyed all performances, even those by characters that were only seen for mere moments before making their dramatic stage exits. David Giuntoli does a stellar job bringing The Dark Knight to life, even though it’s only his second outing as Batman. The cast does have many big names such as Tim Russ, Brian George, Tati Gabrielle, Gideon Adlon, and many more.
When picking up a Blu-ray copy of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, you’ll be treated to loads of extras on the disc. We get creative insights from the team behind the movie, but also previews of other films, and even two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, the 90s show. Not only was the bonus content that revolved around the movie interesting, but we also thoroughly enjoyed watching the old-school episodes as well. The additional content is certainly worth considering picking up a physical copy.
Conclusion
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham is a fun animated DC movie, but it does struggle with some pacing issues and a lack of fleshing out certain parts of its story. As a whole, if you’re a fan of other animated DC films, this one will still be an entertaining watch, but if you’re looking for a great starting point for these movies, there are other better options out there. That being said, the bonus content that comes with this physical release does make the overall package a lot more attractive.
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