Tag Line: As the Ripper stalks Gotham City, the Dark Knight reveals the face of terror.
Release Date: 2018.
Director: Sam Liu.
Producers: Sam Liu, Alan Burnett.
Screenplay: James Krieg.
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Jennifer Carpenter, Chris Cox.
Running Time: 1 hour and 18 minutes.
Batman? How about Crapman? What should be a classic showdown between The World’s Greatest Detective and Jack the Ripper in an alternate timeline is just schlocky nonsense that doesn’t even take advantage of its R rating. In Victorian era Gotham City, Bruce Wayne is still Batman but instead of a Batmobile he has a Batcarriage, instead of a Batcable he has a Batrope – you get the idea.
Wayne is a member of Gotham’s high society but unlike most he has a conscience. Prostitutes in the poorer parts of Gotham are being murdered by a serial killer but the police are dragging their heels because…they are considered just prostitutes in the poorer parts of Gotham. Wayne dons his cape and cowl swinging into action.
BIFF! POW! BOFF!
Instead of acting like the Dark Knight, Crapman is used as a literal punching bag by Jack the Ripper, is constantly chastised by the women in his life and even gets rebuked by a pack of street punks and put in his place by a nun. Crapman himself is always in the need of rescuing by Catwoman instead of them just working together. What a sap.
The filmmakers delve into the human condition at the time, such as the poor and women not being treated as equals in the eyes of the law, however, the message is delivered with the subtlety of a rampaging gorilla. Selina Kyle even performs a purposeless musical number in which she talks about “taming wild women” so “they will always lead a sweet and simple life” and admonishes Crapman like a child for helping her fight Jack, save her life.
As a viewer don’t try to pull a Sherlock Holmes. There are no clues so there is way to actually solve the mystery. The reveal is shocking although the killer’s motives are as murky as London fog as they blame everyone and anyone for Gotham City’s moral decay. The murders themselves are tame even though it is an animated movie for adults. It seems the R rating was probably given for the sparse, mild swearing not the actual blood.
The animation is not up to the standards of past Warner Bros. animated movies either. It looks bargain basement cheap then again doesn’t everything these days outside of Japan?
A Batman without an edge. Murders without gore. Animation without style. A mystery without clues. A film without a reason to exist.
Gravestones
Three women stabbed to death.
Inmates tear a victim apart.
One fiery death.
Man thrown off a blimp.
Naughty Bits
Memorable Dialogue
A street urchin yells: “Holy shit!”
Selina Kyle says: “I am not just a pretty face.”
Batman: “I paid Houdini three hundred dollars for that trick.”
Jack blathers: “Wayne promised this World’s Fair would be a paradise of cleanliness and light but what does a light in the darkness do? It draws flies who are vile, unclean like you.”
Pints of Blood
Rating
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