Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Why (Again)?

Like the previous DCU animated film, Batman and Harley Quinn, Gotham by Gaslight is being released in both standard and 4K UHD editions, and, also like the previous dual release, there's hardly any difference between them.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

(Note: Screenshots accompanying this review have been captured from the standard Blu-ray. Additional captures from that disc can be found here.)

Everything I said about Batman and Harley Quinn in 4K applies equally to Warner's 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight; so I'll repeat it here. Watching this 4K disc, you might be pardoned for thinking that you made a mistake and inserted the standard Blu-ray instead. There is no visible uptick in detail, which is hardly surprising given the minimalist style of the animation. (Contrast the busy style of LEGO Batman, where 4K/HDR adds texture and brings out minutia crammed into the overstuffed frame.) Gotham by Gaslight's 4K image is yet another demonstration that increased resolution doesn't automatically improve an image. There has to be something to resolve.

Nor does HDR encoding provide a meaningful benefit. The palette is essentially the same as the standard Blu-ray's, and while colors may be a bit more refined, the HDR encoding isn't a revisionist take that adds "pop" where there wasn't any before. The same brighter colors that stood out against the muted backgrounds stand out just as much—and no more—on both formats. The nocturnal shadows in which Jack the Ripper stalks his victims and Batman prowls the rooftops are just as dark, with maybe a hint of greater contrast here and there. The flames of the film's fiery conclusion are just as bright, but no brighter.

As with Harley Quinn, about the only noteworthy difference that I could see between the UHD image and the Blu-ray was the absence of even slight banding on the former. Here again, whether this is due to the difference in format or to superior authoring of the UHD disc is something I can't judge. If you're someone who's distracted by even the slightest instance of banding, then I guess the UHD is worth the extra cash. Otherwise, it's a waste of money.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The UHD disc arrives with the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 track previously reviewed. It is worth noting that the 4K disc has fewer language options, both spoken and written, than the standard Blu- ray.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc has no extras. The accompanying standard Blu-ray contains the extras listed here.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Since the release of Batman and Harley Quinn in 4K last summer, Warner has substantially expanded its UHD catalog with an excellent selection of first-rate 4K offerings, including Blade Runner and its sequel, the first two Harry Potter films (newly transferred in 4K from the original negatives) and Dunkirk (not to mention the entire Christopher Nolan Collection). It has been quick to drop UHD releases of box office bombs like Geostorm. But the studio's animation titles keep receiving special dispensation, as evidenced by the Peanuts: Holiday Collection and now Gotham by Gaslight, regardless of whether their visual minimalism is well-served by the format (and, just as importantly, whether the format is well-served by putting out titles that don't benefit from the upgrade). The studio is rumored to have several 4K remasters of major catalog titles in the works, and it would be well-advised to expand those efforts. As I've said before, it's not doing itself or the format any favors with titles that offer little or no opportunity to showcase UHD's advantages. With Gotham by Gaslight, stick to the Blu-ray.