The internet is full of fan films, all of which open with disclaimers regarding the intellectual property that they are about to use. Mostly they are not much cop, but occasionally you do get some which stand out (usually due to the special effects being better than your average short film). In the case of Ripper we have the Batman back in Victorian England, hunting Jack the Ripper. Prostitutes are murdered on the streets daily, and the police are baffled – leading to the shadowy vigilante to get involved.
This film does stand out, mainly because it delivers much from Italian horror genre, with its gaudy colors and camera angles. This gives it an unusual look for a fan film, and at the same time the synth score makes for an usual aspect to a Batman film. The final scenes involving Batman and the Ripper are good in principle, and mostly work as a dialogue scene, but generally the film does feel too long and lacking in incident. For too long we just see the police frustrated by the murders, and lots of the Italian horror delivery mixed in. This dos get a little boring after a while, and I did lose interest – interest that didn't totally return when Batman finally shows up in the shadows.
Technically it is really well made in some ways – the locations are really good, even if the cast are a bit too "blimey gov'ner apples and pears etc". The camera-work is mostly good, but the sound is variable – sometimes very hard to hear and, while the music is an unusual selling point, it does get a bit tiresome and doesn't fit very often. Still, it is a decent fan film with plenty of ambition and interesting ideas; but as a film in its own right it is not too good – although I would be right back if they make the sequel that the post-credits sequence suggests.
