Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, drinking in animated Batman origin story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BATMAN: THE DOOM THAT CAME TO GOTHAM, it's the time of Prohibition, and Bruce Wayne (David Giuntoli) has been sailing the world for the past 20 years. While trying to locate Professor Cobblepot and his ship that wrecked in the Arctic, Wayne makes a terrifying discovery that leads him back to Gotham while holding the reanimated corpse of one of the ship's crew with him. Wayne's research and the invasion of lizards and bats on Gotham confirm his fears -- someone is trying to bring back The Cult of Ghul, an evil force determined to destroy the world. Batman must find a way to stop this and save Gotham and he must also confront his dark side.
Is It Any Good?
This is yet another superhero "origin story" in an alternate universe. Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham reimagines Bruce Wayne and many of the other heroes and villains existing during Prohibition. Batman must find a way to stop a cult from destroying the world and turning humanity into reanimated corpses. Or something. The central story is muddied by the gimmickry of origin stories for this or that character. It's yet another superhero animated movie that's best enjoyed by the fans, who will probably have a lot to argue about with this one.
The main villain has all the character depth of a Scooby-Doo bad guy lamenting "these infernal kids." That's unfortunate, because the voice acting is very good, and there's some nuance and humor to the main characters. Still, on the whole, so much of it seems shoehorned it, like what happens with Dick Grayson, or this particular origin story concerning what happened to Harvey Dent. It has its moments, but it's not one of the best Batman movies out there.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham is based on a graphic novel. What would be the challenges in adapting a novel into a movie?
How does this Batman movie compare to other Batman movies you've seen?
Was the violence excessive, or was it necessary to the story? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 28, 2023
- Cast : David Giuntoli , Gideon Adlon , Karan Brar
- Director : Christopher Berkeley
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : DC Entertainment
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy
- Run time : 86 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Some strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief partial nudity.
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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