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Gotham  - Season 1
Gotham - Season 1
2014 | Drama
Cast (5 more)
Character development
Characters
Setting
Great Drama
Gripping storyline
Some of the more extreme comic book costumes (2 more)
Some of the characters
Certain plot elements that take away the drama (mostly if you've read or seen what happens next)
Imagine a Gotham without Batman....
Contains spoilers, click to show
When I first watched it when it first aired, I was sceptical and yet excited and then I felt let down. Gotham at first was a great cop show but what annoyed me was the fact that all these things that we knew to happen when Batman was around, were happening when Bruce Wayne was still a child and my brain couldn't wrap around the idea let alone get behind it, but at the same time I didn't know what I was expecting. Still I watched the first two seasons because I wanted to see some of my favourite villains and characters brought to life and I love Ben McKenzie as James Gordon!

However upon recently returning to watching Gotham I have come to see it in a new light and adore the show to pieces as I should have from the start. Gotham isn't about Batman, it's not about Bruce Wayne (not fully anyways). I see now that Gotham is a concept of a question:

 "What if these villains we're here before Batman? Leaving only the police to deal with the extremity of Gotham most famous rogues!"

What makes this show so good is that we see a young, reckless and a little out of character Jim Gordon, who is even willing to bend the law to the point of breaking to get Justice. The drama is intense and you never can tell when Jim goes off on one, if he'll restrain himself to the law and doing things by the book. In a way there's a lot of Batman within Jim Gordon himself which makes the show even better.

Some of the characters annoy me at times. I liked Fish Mooney at first because she was dangerous and twisted, but when you bring a character back so many times you just lose interest and they're no longer a threat to the drama of their character development because you leave yourself with the only two viable questions: "will she ever stay dead?" And "when will she die for good?" I just don't seem to be concerned for her anymore like I did in the first season when she was double crossing Falcone. When everything was fresh and you didn't know if a stray bullet might hit her finally or if an Assassin was in her midst at all times waiting to strike. The drama for me didn't vanish but certainly lessened in later seasons.

The character development of characters like Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Edward Nigma and Oswald Cobblepot are brilliantly written. With Bruce becoming a stronger minded young man in season two and Oswald's rise to power. I particularly loved Nigmas transformation into a killer because of the way it was set out, with the first murder being slightly on purpose, the second a complete accident, the third being to protect himself against discovery and the rest being a complete turn around into someone who discovers he enjoys the task of killing someone. The writers are excellent when it comes to development of characters and plot.

Can't wait for the new season and I hope they go out with a bang!
  
The Batman Who Laughs
The Batman Who Laughs
Scott Snyder | 2019 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Horror
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am really eating up DC's books of late, especially the Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV! Yes, there are some hiccups along the way, as true for even the best of publishers, but the overall good output far outshines the bad/MEH output! I am quite liking this whole "Rebirth" thing and the way it ties into WATCHMEN, can't wait to see it all wrapped with DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12. <i>*ahem*</i> Let's not get ahead of ourselves then, eh? Onto my thoughts on TBWL..

I liked it quite a bit! Yes, it probably could easily have been a 5-issue mini, but I don't feel the story suffered by the added length. It allowed for the crazy roller coaster ride that it was to be even crazier, helped to spread just a bit more darkness in Gotham! Oh, and it showed how Alfred truly is the necessary light in Batman/Bruce's life, something B-Man totally needs, far more than Selina (sorry, Tom King, but I don't think the romance between the two works. Jus' sayin' is all!).

I know a lot of folks absolutely <b>abhor</b> DARK NIGHTS: METAL and anything relating to it, including the Batman Who Laughs! Me? I am enjoying it to no great end! It reminds me of some of the best things about the 90's, just turned up to 11! I think it's an interesting concept, bringing some clever creepiness into DC's "Rebirth"! And besides, it is at least something fresh and different (unlike the umpteenth X-deaths/reboots over at Marvel!)!

One aspect of the mini that really drove it all home was the art by Jock. I loved what he did in the WYTCHES (also with Snyder), and here it is just as good, if not better. The use of shadows and angles brings the creepiness all up and about, leaving with you long after the lights have gone out and sleep comes over you!

I already mentioned it, and several others have as well in their reviews, but Alfred was clearly the MVP here! He was totally on board, taking being a butler to a whole new level beyond 100%! I think sometimes he is under-utilized, but here he definitely got some much needed appreciation and respect! Kudos to you, Scott Snyder, for giving Alfred his due!

And lastly, that ending, the last couple panels? Ewwwww... chills!! Now, I can not wait to read Joshua Williamson's BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1! No spoilers, tho', promise!

So, yes, I was super-impressed with THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS, just as I was with Snyder's DARK NIGHTS: METAL. If you didn't like METAL, then, well, chances are pretty likely you won't like this one!
  
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman (2017)
2017 | Action, Fantasy, War
Gal Gadot is great (1 more)
Chris Pine is great too
Boring (3 more)
Main villain is horrible
Story is terrible
Low on action
Wonder why it's such a hit.
After seeing Wonder Woman in what was the best part of the Batman/Superman movie, I was all pumped to see her in her own film. Unfortunately, DC is just not very good with superhero movies. And Wonder Woman is no exception. People were somehow blown away by Wonder Woman & I strain my brain trying to think why. It is boring. Very boring. So boring I was wishing that Superman would appear to fight Batman in the movie. Yes, that boring. I found myself not caring for anyone in the movie, WW included. Although she was great in the role, the character itself was uninteresting. Hell, we don't even see Wonder Woman until an hour into the movie & then it's a 2 minute action scene. Granted, that 2 minutes in awesome, but I can watch that on Youtube, and I would even put up with the 1 minute Youtube commercial just to see it. But the main problem of the movie is the story. The villain & his plot, which I couldn't remember what it was about if I wanted to. A very forgetful climax scene & we got a total mess.
  
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
2016 | Action
Harley Quinn (1 more)
Action
Plot (1 more)
Character Development
Entertaining but no character development
Good vs evil. Good wins. End of plot development. Dark tone like most Batman movies. While I don't think action movies need to develop characters to the same extent as dramas, there are so many unique characters in this movie that deserved more than just a two-minute intro as they each got rounded up in the beginning of the movie. I see a lot of potential with these characters and would probably see another movie with them in it, I was just disappointed that I didn't get to learn more about a few of them in this movie.
  
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
2012 | Action, Drama, Mystery
The Bane of his exisitance
A little more than half a decade has passed since the Joker tried taking over Gotham and the Batman has gone underground. A rouge mercenary known as Bane has now come to Gotham to stake his claim and make crime first and innocent last. This obviously draws out the Bat for a new fight and ends up getting help from an unlikely criminal ally known as Catwoman.

Bale has not been one of my favorite Batmen for as he is portraying a darker version. We have all grown up on different versions. Tom Hardy is good as villainous Bane and Hathaway isn't half bad as Catwoman.
  
American Hustle (2013)
American Hustle (2013)
2013 | Drama
That comb-over!
Great cast does a great job with this interesting story of two decent con artists recruited by the FBI to take down even bigger corrupt individuals and the mob.

The script and acting are both excellent and really engage you in the story and get quickly invested in their lives. The 70s fashion and music are also two more interesting characters in the film.

When you look at Christian Bale (who gained 40 pounds for this role), it's hard to believe he's the same actor who played Batman and was in The Machinist where he was skin and bones.

Highly recommended.