“Gotham” Review
By Lexia Banks
Grade: B-
A story begins with a hero’s tale. An “origin” story, if you will. Superman’s parents sent him to Earth in a rocket or something, and suddenly Earth is a hotspot for alien monsters.
Peter Parker is bitten by a spider, and now we’ve got rich dudes going AWOL and terrorizing New York City.
Bruce Wayne’s parents die, and Gotham is overrun by a cult of super villains.
There has to be more than that. These cities existed before Spiderman and Batman. Evil existed before Spiderman and Batman, but we never stop to ask what was happening before the masks came out.
That’s the question FOX’s new series “Gotham” hopes to answer.
“Gotham” is the tale of the city before the caped crusader began speeding through the streets in search of the Joker or Cat Woman.
“Gotham” is the story of why Batman became necessary.
We begin with the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents, as per usual. Called in to investigate are Detectives James Gordon and Harvey Bullock.
Gordon, played by Ben McKenzie, is young, noble and new to Gotham. He begins the investigation with good intentions. But as he looks deeper into the case, he’s pulled into a side of Gotham he may not be able to handle.
The pilot introduces us to a number of Gotham’s classic and most notorious villains. But we also meet a new player, Fish Mooney.
Jada Pinkett Smith plays the role of Fish Mooney, a Gotham crime boss. She knows everything that happens on the dangerous streets of Gotham and is often consulted by the police when they hit a rough patch.
Mooney may be new, but she isn’t to be taken lightly. She’s ruthless with a devil-may-care attitude and a killer manicure.
But let’s face it: Gotham wouldn’t be complete without Batman, one way or another. The young Bruce Wayne is falling deeper into darkness, and “Gotham” gives us the chance to watch closely as he ages into the hero we know, without making his transformation the focus.
The production of “Gotham” was lovely. Producers kept the dark and gloomy aesthetic of the city. You won’t have to worry about any corny special effects for now.
The sound design deserves a gold star. They managed to work in the moody theme music without making you want to roll your eyes.
“Gotham” is heading down the road the superhero world is ready for. Every villain has a past, and we’re ready to explore them.
“Gotham” shows promise that it’s going to take off and build momentum. It won’t have a problem hooking an audience and reeling it in.
