Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Review

"Someone once asked if I wanted to save the world or to rule it. Today... it's going to be hard to tell the difference."

Those words should already tell you what kind of characters you're going to be dealing with.

The Plot

In an alternate universe created by DC Animation's Mastermind, Bruce Timm, comes a gripping story focused on an entirely new Justice League. In this grounded world, there is no Kal El/Clark Kent, Diana Prince, or Bruce Wayne. But there is still Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. But they are completely different. Superman (Benjamin Bratt) is the son of General Zod raised by Mexican immigrants. Wonder Woman (Tamara Taylor) is the New God, Bekka, who chose Earth to be the home of her self imposed exile from Apokalips. And Batman (Michael C. Hall) is Kirk Langstrom, a scientist who accidentally turned himself into a vampire trying to cure his lymphoma. These incarnations of the Justice League are not like their original counterparts, and are willing to cross the line when the situation calls for it. So much so that when several scientists are brutally murdered, leaving evidence that points to the Justice League as the culprits, the world does not believe they are innocent. As the body count continues to rise, the brutal superheroes must find a way to clear their names before the world finally decides that it doesn't need them anymore.

Review

For a detailed backstory of the creation of this film, check out my review of the prequel web series right here: Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Season 1

This film is pretty much a return to form of the beloved 90s and early 2000s DC animation created by Bruce Timm. The film brings back a huge level of complexity that not many people would be expecting from a film like this. Especially when the selling point of the film is that this is a darker and grittier take on the DC Universe. And given the state of DC Fans hating the constant need of having their beloved properties injected with dark and gritty, it is no surprise that their initial reaction will be negative without even seeing the final product. Well I'm glad to report that this film is not dark and gritty. It is actually a mature take on the DC Universe with a slight edge. Yes there are dark themes in the film, and yes the violence is not toned down, but it is no different than the beloved animated series Timm has created in the past. If there is a difference, it is in the characters themselves.

Benjamin Bratt plays this incarnation of Superman named Hernan Guerra. This Superman is more akin to a soldier and has a rougher upbringing given that he was raised by Mexican immigrants. This adds a completely different layer to him as a Superman who grew up poor and in the lower class who literally rises up to become the success story of the American Dream. This upbringing makes his sense of justice far more complicated as he knows that justice sometimes needs a heavy hand but also must have limits. Bratt does an excellent job of balancing a man who clearly has a lot of anger, but tries to manage it in more positive ways. If there is one negative that I have to give about this movie involving his character, it is the outright acknowledgement that he is the son of General Zod. It is not a spoiler, as it is used in the promotions and first 5 minutes of the film, but this Superman had no idea General Zod was his father and when he learns this information for the first time it would've been a more powerful moment if the audience didn't know already.

Tamara Taylor plays this incarnation of Wonder Woman named Bekka. Her Wonder Woman is clearly a lot more aggressive and sexually active. The best way to describe it is think of her as a less overly flirty version of Catwoman but with multiple super powers. However the reason for her aggressive and overt sexual nature stems mainly from her origin, which is pretty much a Disney Princess story that horrifically turns into a Game of Thrones wedding. This automatically makes you understand why she's the way she is, and why she still wants to be a good person. Her backstory doesn't add much to the overall plot of the film as say Superman's or Batman's, but it is arguably the most hard hitting of the three. Tamara had a fine line to walk of having this cocky and sexually active Wonder Woman who hides her vulnerable side, and luckily she does an excellent job showing the complexity of Bekka.

Michael C. Hall plays this incarnation of Batman named Kirk Langstrom. It should come no surprise why the actor who played Dexter was hired to play this incarnation, primarily because he's a vampire who feeds off of criminals. Parallels aside, strangely enough, despite the very un-original take on the caped crusader, this iteration of Batman is probably the most relatable of the new heroes. Granted, Batman has always been touted as the most relatable of the DC heroes, but here we actually feel that he is someone we can be. Given that he is now Kirk Langstrom and not billionaire Bruce Wayne, we actually see him more as a normal person who is gifted that winds up gaining a horrible vocation. Hall's portrayal of Batman is mostly monotone, but when he does show emotion, the tone of his voice changes just enough for it to register that he does still have feelings despite being a monster.

But at the core of the movie is the murder mystery that is the central plot of the film. It is a highly commendable achievement for Bruce Timm and his writing partner Alan Burnett (also a DC animation alumni) to weave these entirely new backstories seamlessly into the central plot. However, that means that there wasn't enough room to truly delve deep into the mystery of who is killing the world's greatest scientists and are the Justice League innocent? I blame the 75 minute runtime for this problem, as the film only need 15 more extra minutes to develop the mystery further as well as the antagonist driving the mystery. It is still a compelling story, despite being a plot that has been used in Superhero stories over and over again. This is again thanks to Timm and Burnett's great execution with the writing, but hardcore DC fans will be able to solve the mystery in an instant. That still doesn't take away from this dark, edgy and FUN alternate universe.

If there is one thing that I have to really complain about, it is the fact that the animation is not really up to par for movie standards. As much as I love that they returned to Timm's classic animation style, I find it hard to believe that they didn't have enough time to make the animation smoother. It is a nice callback to the old 90s and early 2000s, but it is hard to deny that the animation could use a few more extra frames to really sell the action or even dramatic moments.

Final Thoughts

While it may not be the best thing Bruce Timm has ever done, it is definitely the best animated film Warner Bros. animation has produced in almost a decade. The animation and voice acting is a loving call back to a time when DC animation was considered king, and also shows that it is okay to think outside of the box when it comes to the DC Trinity. Small problems and pretty predictable story aside, this is probably the most relatable and fascinating iteration of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in a long time. If you have a love for alternate stories or have an open mind for change, this movie will definitely entertain and enlighten you. If you are incapable of accepting other interpretations of the characters you hold so close to your fanboy/girl heart...then don't bother because you are absolutely going to hate this no matter how good it is. I have an open mind, and this is the Justice League I want in my life. I now have Season 2 and hopefully a sequel to this film to look forward to in the future.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - Despite being predictable, it is a great and welcoming return for Bruce Timm

Justice League: Gods And Monsters Chronicles - Season 1 Review

A New World Order in an Alternate DC Universe

This year (2015) marks the return of an animation titan, Bruce Timm. A man responsible for creating the best animated DC Superhero Cartoons as well as being one of the creators behind the now iconic supervillainess, Harley Quinn. He has stepped away from DC animation for a while as a creative force, instead opting to be just a producer. But now, the time has come for his return. And it is a a return not many people were excepting.

Timm has decided to create an entirely original Justice League universe that is more edgy and gritty. Which translates to most people as, "Dark and Gritty." This bemoans DC fans as they are apparently tired of this trend, especially with how much the internet fan community already hates the darker DC Cinematic films, when as of right now there is only one to really complain about.

But Timm is no fool. He refuses to use the term Dark for this new universe he's creating. But he definitely wants it to be edgy, yet still exciting to watch. The result is JUSTICE LEAGUE: Gods and Monsters which debuts direct to DVD later in the year. But luckily he has partnered with Machinima to showcase three short 5-6 minute episodes that give audiences a taste of how different this world will be. And thus JUSTICE LEAGUE: Gods and Monsters CHRONICLES was born. You can watch these three short episodes for free on youtube through Machinima's channel. And these three episodes are meant to introduce us to the Trinity of this Universe: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Episode 1 - Twisted

The first episode of this web series introduces this universe's Batman. Here he is Kirk Langstrom, a character that most DC Comics fans know as Man-Bat in the main universe. This version of him is a Vampire, which automatically gives you an idea of how different he is from Bruce Wayne's Batman. But he is not the only one who shows up in this episode. Fan favorite villainess, Harley Quinn, is the primary antagonist of this short. But given that this episode's mission is to let you know that this is a much edgier world, Harley's actions definitely conveys it the most. Because here she is amplified to pure psychopathic serial killer. As the episode demonstrates, the gloves are off and this is definitely not a children's show. The tone is definitely fit for a Batman episode, but it is the horrific things that Harley does that truly gives new meaning to the term, gritty. It does however come off as a little bit trying too hard to outdo the notion of "dark and gritty" by going to the extreme. But that is only a minor problem, as the episode is a nice exercise of how effective short narrative is, as well as having little dialogue. The actions and atmosphere tell the story in a hugely effective way, and lets people know this is going to be their violent new Batman.

 SCORE: 8/10 - A great introduction to the new Batman, that does go overboard a bit

Episode 2 - Bomb

The second episode of this web series introduces this universe's Superman. This one is the son of General Zod, whom DC Comics fans will know as one of the archenemies of Superman in the main universe. Unlike his main universe counterpart, this Superman is raised by Mexican Immigrants and had a rougher upbringing. But none of that is explored here, as the episode deals with a city being completely torn apart by Brainiac. This isn't the alien computer from the main universe, but rather an entity created by the government to keep Superman in check. Unfortunately this entity has lost control of his powers and incapable of stopping the destruction he causes. And the confrontation between this world's Superman and Brainiac is what makes it the best episode of three. Here, in this not so subtle reference to Akira, we see how much this Superman is similar to the primary one. He definitely believes in doing the morally right thing first, as it is Superman's nature to always find another way. But then that's where the similarities end due to him being far more pragmatic with his actions. It is definitely a commentary about the controversial ending in Man of Steel, but this takes it to a whole lot darker territory. Tone wise it isn't as dark as the Batman episode, but the situation that it builds up to is both dark and truly... heart wrenching. This is a Superman who feels like a soldier who has to live with the decisions he makes while at the same time continue to perform what he believes is right. This adds a complexity to the Superman character that hasn't really been explored in the main universe, and it probably never will.

SCORE: 9.5/10 - A perfect introduction to the new Superman that is both dark and poignant

Episode 3 - Big

The third episode of this web series introduces this universe's Wonder Woman. Here, she is Bekka, who some DC comics fans will know as the wife of Orion and a New God. Unlike this universe's Batman and Superman who have direct ties to villains of their main universe counterparts, Bekka is not connected to the main universe's Wonder Woman in any shape or form. This makes her completely special and unique among the trinity, as she feels like a completely new character rather than a twist on an existing one. Granted her character in the main universe is pretty obscure, but here is her chance to shine as the most powerful woman in this universe. And she is powerful. However, as the two previous episodes demonstrate how dark this world can be, this episode was actually... fun. It is a complete homage to classic James Bond films, with this world's Steve Trevor as Bond but with a twist. It is a complete gender reversal by having the Bond Girl of this scenario, Wonder Woman, outclassing the James Bond of this scenario, Steve Trevor. It was completely meant to showcase that this Wonder Woman is boisterously cocky as well as sexually aggressive. She says what she wants and gets what she wants, whether you like it or not. And has the power to back it up. This comes off as a little jarring seeing as the previous two episodes dealt with dark themes, whereas this one really deals with sexuality. She is definitely proud of her barely covered assets and is hungry to have sex surrounded by a sea of corpses she was responsible for. That's pretty much where we really see what Timm meant by wanting to be edgy and not dark. Because this is edgy, having a cocky and extremely horny Wonder Woman, which may rub some fans the wrong way, but it does make her a hell of a lot more interesting. But in the end, the episode feels like a letdown because of how the previous two were handled.

SCORE: 7.5/10 - An entertaining introduction to a sexually charged Wonder Woman

Overall Impressions

This has been a great introduction to Bruce Timm's new edgy and gritty DC Universe. It offers us glimpses into not only the powers of the new characters but also their personalities. There really isn't much to nitpick about theses shorts as they are timed perfectly to deliver the goods. Although I would like to argue that the Wonder Woman episode probably should've been the second episode as chronologically her story takes place before Superman's. I am very much looking forward to the feature length film, as well as Season 2 next year. I'm loving these characters so far, and I can only hope that they mesh well together as the Justice League.

Gotham - 1x04 Arkham - Review

And the war continues to escalate

As members of Falcone's and Maroni's political branches are being taken down by an assassin, Cobblepot makes his return known to Jim Gordon. Elsewhere, Fish Mooney has a talent search for a new, "weapon."

This episode once again revolves around another staple of Gotham City: the Arkham District. There is a political struggle over what to do about the district and the asylum that will one day become an important part to the myth that is Gotham. And that struggle is between reigning kingpin Carmine Falcone and his rival to the throne, Salvatore Maroni. I'm not quite sure about the details for The Arkham Plan or the major politics behind it. Probably because I didn't really care. Which is really starting to become a major recurring theme coming with the case of the week stories. But there is someone who does care about what is happening to Arkham and how it effects the oncoming war between the two bosses: Oswald Cobblepot.

Robin Lord Taylor is definitely the standout of this series. As much as I enjoy watching Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue as Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock, I can't help but feel a lot more excited when Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot is onscreen. It speaks volumes if the most interesting character in the series and probably the most interesting overarching plot of the series revolves around a minor character and a minor sub plot. That is how good this guy is and I can only hope that this series goes to continue to show off his talents and grow his character. It is strange that out of all the Batman villains this show has hinted or shown, he is the one who is the most fascinating. It is probably because we are intrigued by how this character eventually becomes The Penguin. In here we see his character grow in ways that we know will lead him to become the notorious Batman villain he will be. At the beginning of the episode he is just a lowly worker at Maroni's restaurant, but by the end of the episode he becomes the restaurant's manager through a brilliant display of manipulation he planned. If anything, he is the primary reason to keep watching the series. Which is saying something considering I'm talking about him first rather than the main plot of the episode.

And that main plot involves the two people who are suppose to be our heroes: Gordon and Bullock. I keep wondering why is it that as of lately I'm not really that invested in what's going on with them? I remember in the Pilot they were these two extremely fascinating characters who are forced to work together. That was great television! But then for some reason it just seem a little bit repetitive with them fighting over the same thing. And while it seems unfair to complain about repetitiveness in a procedural show when Sleepy Hollow has an almost repetitive nature between their two leads, at least Sleepy Hollow benefits by having a really off the wall character like Ichabod against a really sassy yet grounded character like Abbie. In here you have the makings of a great relationship between good cop and crooked cop. THERE IS A LOT THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THAT! Yet for some reason they both seem to be stuck in this repetitive nature that really started to show itself in the previous episode. At least in episode 2 there was some sign of character development, and it was very little. Yet that very little shows that having a some type of character development can hide the repetitive nature that is all the episodes.

That doesn't mean there is no character development in the show. It just comes off as almost annoying or not needed right now. And that character development for Jim falls into the hands of his soon to be wife, Barbara. In this episode she starts questioning Jim about Oswald, to which Jim quickly puts the pieces together that Montoya has been planting seeds of doubt into Barbara. At that moment, Barbara lets it out of the bag that the was a lesbian before she met Jim and that Montoya was her girlfriend. This was a revelation that the audience knew could not stay hidden for long, but at the same time it felt like something that should've been addressed in the last episode. It really is about the question of trust in their relationship. The fact that it is falling apart so soon when the audience have yet to see any good from it, really makes this fallout to be as powerful as it should be. You will feel sorry for both of them, but it is the way that friends would feel sorry for one another when something bad happens just because friendship obligates them to feel sorry. It could've made for a great development moment for these two, especially for Erin Richards' Barbara. But in the end it really seems to not matter in the grand scheme of things.

There is a minor subplot that has been speckled throughout the episode involving Fish Mooney. She's been having girls audition to be singers for her night club, but she seems to be looking for someone who can be more than just a singer. Mooney asks both singers to try and seduce her if they want the job. One who is obviously the more talented singer does not seem to possess the powers of seduction, while the other is not a fairly talented singer yet has the right stuff. While the answer as to who Mooney should hire is pretty obvious, she does the most Gotham thing to do when it comes to making big decisions. Have the two girls fight each other until one is left standing. And in the end the one that is left standing, is the one the audience knew was going to be her pick no matter what. Was this just a ploy to see if Mooney's pick is really willing to go the distance? Or is it because this is Gotham City, every decision made has to be done in the most cruel way possible. The subplot doesn't really reveal why is it so important for Mooney to have this girl in the war between Falcone and Maroni, but I can only assume it has something to do with her using the girl as a honey trap. If you don't know what that means, it involves sex and murder. 

This is another by the numbers episode with a fantastic story in the form of the Cobblepot plot. I really hope that this show regains the awesomeness of its two leads that was shown in the first episode, because if the writers can accomplish that, then this show will be incredible. But for now it seems to be Cobblepot is running Gotham, the show, while trying to run Gotham, the city.

SCORE: 7/10 - That 7 belongs to the Cobblepot plot and the brutal American Idol bit

STATUS: May continue to watch - I went over my 3 episode hump, but it seems this show may lose me eventually

Review of Previous Episode - Click here

Gotham - 1x03 The Balloonman - Review

The vigilante rises

Or rather the vigilante's victims rise. When the corrupt of Gotham City are tied to weather balloons and doomed to float in the air till they eventually fall back to Earth, Gordon and Bullock are put on the case. And while the city continues to change in the coming war, Oswald Cobblepot continues to work his way up the food chain.

Already? This series is going to be dealing with vigilante justice already? Um. Okay. It is a strange form of vigilante justice. The villain of this week is a vigilante dubbed, The Balloonman. From the synopsis, it should be pretty easy why he's given that name. What is interesting is how he's pretty much the big reference of this episode. By reference I mean he dresses up like two characters from superhero lore. One of them being the most obvious for Batman fans, a Prof. Pyg reference. The Balloonman's first appearance was as the insane pig masked villain, which was meant to throw fans off as to who he is. His second appearance however was a direct reference to The Shadow, aka one of the inspirations for Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the creators of Batman. This one signals that he is definitely a vigilante and may actually be fighting on the right side. This visual character development was both simple and was used to put references in a show that seems to be full of references from the first two episodes. It was definitely a more subtle reference rather than the in your face ones for the casual Batman fans.

But this episode also solidifies to Gordon that the police know what their priorities are: if bad things happen to scum, don't act; if bad things happen to police officers, unleash hell. That was a mentality that has been hinted at in the previous two episodes, but in here it is shown in full force. Gordon is starting to realize that if anything is going to get done at the speed it is suppose to, it means that a cop has to die. That is the sad truth. And while it may be the truth, we do get some more of that awesome Gordon and Bullock buddy scenes. We get some insight on how exactly Bullock goes about getting his information. Which mainly involves beating the crap out of guys and hitting on hookers. Which in Gotham, it does seem like the only effective way of doing things. However, it is starting to seem a little bit formulaic. Don't get me wrong, procedural cop dramas are always formulaic yet still compelling. But given that this show is trying to be an overarching narrative while being a procedural at the same time, it has to find a way to hide its procedural nature. Arrow, Sleepy Hollow, and Hannibal have mastered this, but this episode seems to be the first crack of that illusion of not being procedural. And it is a shame that it has to be when Gordon and Bullock are doing their thing. They really are great to watch, but looking back it almost seems predictable. They'll fight about philosophy, they'll do things one way, they'll get attacked, they'll find the one clue that matters. I hope that's not what happens.

But what seems to be hiding the cracks of being the procedural is the subplot that actually seems to have a continuous narrative in each episode. And that is the evolution of Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot. He is fast becoming the star of the show. I can almost imagine the only reason why some casual fans are still watching the show are because they're actually fascinated to see how this young man will become the Penguin. Taylor is definitely going to go down as the standout actor of this series once the season finale comes. Mostly because he is the only one who seems to be forwarding his own plot. The show is obviously trying to make the murder of the Waynes the overarching story arc of season one, but given how the only mention of the murder was a small bit involving Gordon and Selina Kyle, it seems the writers haven't quite mastered making it really matter. But that is mainly because Gordon and Bullock are locked into going through the procedural plot, while Cobblepot is free to do his plot without the restraint of the procedural. His actions in this episode actually puts him closer to power because he's working at the favored restaurant of Salvatore Maroni. Batman fans will know that Maroni is Gotham Kingpin Carmine Falcone's nemesis and only rival. Cobblepot makes it clear to Maroni that he is smart enough to know what is going on, and Maroni admires that. It'll be interesting how this all plays out.

And then of course we got two more subplots that are kind of interesting but seem out of place. The first one involving Renee Montoya and Cripus Allen of Major Crimes Unit. What makes their subplot interesting is that like Cobblepot, they are not restrained to the procedural nature of the show. But what they are restrained to is the disappearance of Cobblepot. And unfortunately, that is becoming predictable as well. Allen and Montoya will find clues that connects Gordon to Cobblepot disappearance which will then lead to Montoya trying to have a lesbian moment with Barbara Keane, Gordon's fiancé. While it is predictable, it can't be denied that the interaction between Montoya and Barbara is definitely interesting and well done. I just hope there is more to it than them being former lesbian lovers. 

The final subplot of this episode is probably one that is not really needed. The Bruce and Alfred subplot. Unlike the other subplots, they don't seem to be involved with the main plot or the main narrative of the show. The story in Wayne Manor appears to be existing in this realm of. "he's going to be Batman." Which was not obvious in the pilot, and was more forward in the second. But this one seems to be really pushing it by showing Bruce's fascination with the Balloonman and pictures of his parents' murder. It suffers from a different kind of restraint. We've seen Bruce Wayne become Batman. So really, the plot of young boy Bruce Wayne does not seem to be compelling. But what I do commend is that Gordon does not give Bruce a pep talk in this episode. Smart move.

All in all, this is still an interesting and entertaining episode. But at the same time it seems to be very procedural. However it is definitely a lot better than what is going on in The Strain but seems to fail doing what Sleepy Hollow excels at. Embracing the craziness. And while this show seems to walk a thine line between gritty and comic booky, they have to decide which one should it fully embrace.

SCORE: 7.9/10 - Cobblepot's story is the reason to keep watching

STATUS: Continue to Watch - It has me hooked enough to see the next one

Review of Previous Episode - Click Here 
Review of Next Episode - Click Here

Gotham - 1x02 Selina Kyle - Review

Her name is "Cat"

When homeless children are being abducted by a pair of eccentric kidnappers, Gordon and Bullock are put on the case.

That is pretty much the basis of this episode. Then what does this have to do with Selina Kyle aka the girl who will become Catwoman? Well, she is one of those homeless children who is being abducted. But unlike the other homeless street kids, she's smart enough to know that when two really cartoonish eccentric people walk up to you and offer you food, they're not to be trusted. Also given her cat like reflexes and extremely efficient parkour skills, she's able to get away. Other than being considered a witness to these crimes, she's not really as important as the story makes it out to be.

This is mainly because of the efficiency of Gordon and Bullock as detectives. The chemistry between Ben MacKenzie and Donal Logue is definitely the anchor of this show. It continues to show their growing partnership as well as their clash of ideologies. This is evident when Gordon is against Bullock beating up a child to get information, but would later allow Bullock to beat up a suspect (with a phone book) repeatedly after discovering the horrifying truth about what happens to the kids. It is really obvious that while they won't get one to fully "see the light" to their point of view, they can't work well without each other. Which again, shows how efficient they are by solving where the two eccentric cartoon villains were getting their drugs from.

But let's talk about those two eccentric cartoon villains for a moment. Doug and Patti played by guest stars Frank Whaley and Lili Taylor are the really cartoonish cohorts of the mysterious Dollmaker. Yup, another Batman reference. At least in this one he's only mentioned in name only and we never see him. But again, back to these two cartoon characters. The reason why I say cartoon is because for some reason they were directed to really ham it up. Their performances were definitely eccentric and delightful... the kind of performance you'd see in a Joel Schumacher Batman movie. Which is strange, because the pilot establishes the show's tone and look as a strange hybrid between the Tim Burton films and the Chris Nolan films. Now, a Schumacher reference is fine as after all it was the Burton films that led to the Schumacher ones, but for some reason their cartoonish villainy seemed a little too far. To give a comparison level of what seems fine about being a cartoon villain in this show is looking at two of the main players.

Fish Mooney played by Jada Pinkett Smith is both a very serious threat while at the same time an obvious cartoon villain. Yet there is something slightly more subdued about her that makes it slightly tolerable while at the same time still reminding you this is a comic book villain. Then of course there is Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot aka the man who will be Penguin. He is definitely a cartoon villain, but again it is subdued. This is a testament to what a scene stealer Robin Lord Taylor is as he is slowly going crazy while at the same time growing more calculating as a criminal mastermind. A glimpse of his mother in this episode also kind of explains where the crazy comes from, which is also a little cartoony, but again not played as cartoony as our guest star villains. When a level of how far cartoon villainy should be taken is already established, all guest villains should adhere to that feeling. We'll see how this goes with other villains that are sure to be on the show, right now it doesn't seem good.

What else is there to talk about? Oh yeah, Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Sean Pertwee portrays an Alfred who seems to have not broken out of his military roots and into the more loving father figure we all know and love. This is shown from how incapable he is at handling Bruce's tendencies to self inflict pain. Alfred seems to be at a lost of how to deal with his new position as a father figure, which means once again Gordon has to step in to be the surrogate father until Alfred can grow to become the surrogate. This might get annoying as the show is better focused on Gordon, Bullock and Cobblepot rather than Bruce and Alfred. But still, as this show is still young there is room to grow.

But what about the title character? Selina Kyle? I did state that she's not that important. Well, she's not important to the plot of this episode, but she does make herself important to the overarching plot of this season which is the murder of the Waynes. Camren Bicondova shows herself as a competent actress as she excels with playing someone who will definitely turn into the seductive cat burglar fans love. Particularly a key scene in which she deals with one of the kidnappers that shows just how vicious she really is. It is a shame that she doesn't really become important till the end of the episode, but with what she has shown, she is definitely worthy of being called Selina Kyle. It's just unfortunate that for an episode bearing the character's name, didn't seem to serve her to her full potential. We shall see how this all plays out.

SCORE: 7.5/10 - It is not a bad episode, still entertaining, just poorly constructed
STATUS: Continue to Watch - There is still a lot of potential

Review of Previous Episode - CLICK HERE
Review of Next Episode - Click here

Gotham - 1x01 Pilot - Review

Everyone Begins

That can pretty much sum up this first episode of FOX's new series, GOTHAM. After Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered in front of their son Bruce (David Mazouz), Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) and his new partner Jim Gordon (Ben MacKenzie) go on the hunt for the killer.

The average fan of Batman knows where this event will lead. The death of Bruce Wayne's parents is the pivotal moment that will change the course of Gotham's destiny. It is kind of fitting that we begin this series with that murder. Yet at the same time... I could've done without it. The murder of Bruce's parents has been filmed in far more effective ways in Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's Batman movies as these strange vivid memories while Christopher Nolan showed us the real hard hitting drama in Batman Begins. However this show failed to do what the others did: make us care about their deaths. Thought arguably it is a more realistic approach of how a murder would go down, because of what has come before, it comes off as an unfitting intro into this world. Sure we've seen it lots of times, but each time has been different. This one didn't.

But then again, Bruce is not the main character of this story. New Detective Jim Gordon is. And he is not exactly a well liked new arrival in Gotham PD. Ben MacKenzie has huge shoes to fill taking on the iconic role, but this is a world he's familiar with. First of all, he was a police officer in the gritty and fantastic show Southland. So he knows how to be a police officer, especially one who has just been promoted to detective. And he was also the voice of Batman in the animated movie, Batman: Year One. So he knows Gotham and he knows that he's now entered the world a second time. And as of right now, he delivers on convincing us this is the man who will become the future Commissioner of Gotham. His performance was strong and it shows from the internal conflict boiling inside him. But he is nothing compared to his partner.

Donal Logue takes on the role of Harvey Bullock, a fan favorite from the comics and animated shows who has never been brought to the live action medium. Expectations for him were not as high as Ben's performance as Gordon, but that doesn't mean he won't deliver. There is a pressure of playing someone who has never been portrayed in a live action format before, and Logue has even stated how honored it is to be the first. And he made sure that if anyone was to follow him in the future, he's going to give them a hard time doing so. Logue is the standout of this show. The scenes with Bullock are intense and blurs the lines between right and wrong. He's the perfect foil for Gordon, as he is not afraid of doing what has to be done. He even berates Gordon for not killing a prisoner who threatened a cop. This man is dirty, but that doesn't mean he's completely corrupt. There is still a good man there, it's just hard to find.

These two are tasked with finding out who killed the Waynes, a case that Bullock did not want to take. Unfortunately for him, Gordon drags him into accepting the case. The fact that Bullock is afraid of dealing with the death of the Waynes shows that he knows things. Like what to avoid and who to talk to. Like Fish Mooney, a new character played by Jada Pinkett Smith. When we first meet her, she comes off as a cliched comic book villain, but as the show progresses that comic book nature begins to subdue for something more subtle and cunning. She apparently had information involving the murder of the Waynes, which helps Bullock and Gordon find the killer. But as this is Gotham, nothing can be solved that easily.

One of the main concerns that people had about this show was the cramming of so many Batman villains into one episode. I should say this right now that the only one who really gets the spotlight in this episode is Oswald Cobblepot, The Penguin, played brilliantly by Robin Lord Taylor. If it wasn't for Logue's performance as Bullock, Taylor would be the standout as Cobblepot. That shouldn't diminish the fact that he does an excellent job as the small fry who dreams of big things. Then of course there is a non speaking appearance of Selina Kyle played Carmen Bicondova. She's only in the intro and the end of the episode as she serves as an unknown witness to the murder of the Waynes. That's all she does, but Bicondova has the cat qualities down to a tee. There is also a small appearance by the girl who would become Poison Ivy, but it was a small one. But probably the smallest cameo of a comic book character, yet the most memorable, was of Edward Nigma played by Cory Michael Smith. If he can make an impression with just one scene, how much more if we get a lot more of him? Time will tell.

Other players are introduced in this episode, such as Barbara Keane played by Erin Richards and Renee Montoya played by Victoria Cartagena. If there is something I have to say about Barbara, aka future Mrs. Gordon, is that she momentarily took me out of the show. Her actress, Richards, is extremely stunningly beautiful. Almost too beautiful and looks almost too young for MacKenzie's Gordon. I know this is suppose to be the younger years of these comic book icons, but something about Barbara being way too beautiful and sexy irked me. Its weird that I'm complaining about someone being too sexy, but that's a compliment to Erin Richards who does great with her role. I just never imagined the role to belong to someone as beautiful as her. 

All in all, this was an introductory episode for not only the character but the way the city operates. All comic book characters were handled nicely and given the amount of time that is needed for them in this episode. So no it wasn't cramped, and its a good thing it can juggle so many to feel like a true ensemble. But this is the story of Gordon and Bullock. Gordon sees now that nothing is easy and that everything in the city is filled with lies. While we see he is a man who genuinely wants to change the city, we also know that he won't be able to do so. But his mission to change it will definitely influence one person: Bruce Wayne.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - A weak start with a masterful finish that makes the whole episode great

STATUS: Two Episode Countdown - If I can like the first three episodes, then this show is in good hands

Batman V Superman - The Suits of the World's Finest

Be honest...you want to see the above happen

As many know there is this little movie coming out in 2015 2016 called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A film that is a sequel or rather follow up to the financially successful and critically divisive Man of Steel that is also to be helmed by the same director: Zack Snyder. Now, my opinion of Man of Steel is one of overwhelming love yet still have to acknowledge that there are a lot of problems with the movie. Problems that can be easily fixed. 

One could argue that the film could've started during Lois's introduction with just a simple two hour running time. I can see the film working without the first 30 minutes, but then that means I won't have my awesome John Carter/StarWars/Heavy Metal opening prologue with Russell Crowe reminding the world he's a badass. I'll even be the first to say that the dialogue is atrocious. Not even magnificent performances from magnificent actors could save it. That's why most of the blame gets directed at writer David Goyer. He's an amazing storyteller, but when it comes to dialogue he is very weak. That's why his best scripts become phenomenal when he is partnered with another writer. That's where Argo's Oscar Winning screenwriter, Chris Terrio, comes in to save the script from suffering another atrocity of language. But the story, well, I can guarantee you it will be amazing...I hope.

When this film was announced as the sequel to Man of Steel, I thought this was the smartest decision DC/Warner Bros. has ever made to compete with Marvel/Disney. I have no problems with Batman being in the movie. I do have a problem with Wonder Woman being in the movie because she could've been saved for another film. But seeing as how they want to subtly build the Justice League in this movie so that the next movie is Justice League, it does show a sign of concern.

It is perfectly fine for people to think this movie will be a cluster f#@% because what seems to have started as a simple battle between The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel now seems to be including The Amazing Amazon and a couple of others. If Spider-Man 3 and Amazing Spider-Man 2 have taught us anything, too many characters is a bad thing. Especially Amazing Spider-Man 2 because it sacrificed the story for the sake of world building to catch up with their parent competitors. Which seems to be what is happening with this movie. But then again there was this other movie called: X-Men: Days of Future Past. A movie that has roughly 25 well known comic book character in it yet still turned into a phenomenal film. Why? Because it knew what to focus on and not try to give everyone valid screen time but instead necessary screen time to serve a purpose for the greater story. That is what I feel like this Batman v Superman movie is doing. That's not to say that it could go either way. Time will tell. But till then. We have our contenders.

The Dark Knight

The casting of Ben Affleck has been controversial but his costume wasn't. I love costumer designer Michael Wilkinson. He was Snyder's costume designer on 300 and Watchmen, and he really gets comic book design. His showcase in Watchmen was an obvious homage to DC Comics movie history with the different costumes which were designed better than his predecessors. Then of course there is his work on Man of Steel with designing the iconic Superman Suit and Krypton. Pure genius. And that genius shows in the above image.

This is the first Batman costume since the 1960s Adam West show that actually looks like the costume from the comics. If one were to look at the details, it is obvious that this costume is suppose to be made out of cloth instead of the armor from Nolan's Dark Knight films. The cowl and the gloves do seem like the same material of the Burton Batman films, but it is a nice merging of what made him iconic in the movies with what is known in the comic. I'm so happy that they went with this direction as opposed to the armor. This version may have padding inside to accentuate Affleck's ever growing muscular physique but it helps with the comic book image of showcasing perfect bodies in tight spandex. This may also be the first film adaptation to actually be black AND GRAY instead of all black! It sure as hell looks like it. It is perfection on so many levels that people who can't see it are obviously not comic book enthusiasts. But it can't be denied that Affleck looks like Batman. Whether or not he can pull it off, that is the real question.

Man of Steel

A powerful contrast with the black and white image of Batman, this is Superman. And I really mean IS Superman. Michael Wilkinson did a fantastic job with his first rendition of the costume for Man of Steel. A lot of people thought it was another rubber suit with texture on it, but in reality it is actually a spandex suit with chain mail textured onto it in order to subdue the bright colors. This upset some fans, especially the removal of the red trunks, but his new rendition of Supes' costume should make fans happy. It keeps the design of the first while tweaking a few bits.

His gauntlets are now blue instead of gray and extend to more of the arm. The alien lines on his sides actually seem to go up this ribs. The belt buckle now seems to be gold and square now instead of an oval. Plus the color looks brighter than the last suit which was toned down for the serious tone. This suit is still toned down but it is still obvious that the colors are bright. Especially coming from the S-Sheild which seems to be brighter than the rest of the costume. Henry Cavill is already monstrous in size and the added padding  is just to remind you that he is. And it works beautifully. Just look at that image. It does remind me of Kingdom Come's Superman who is suppose to be older. Cavill does look a little bit older in this pic. Maybe it's just the lighting on the hair... But that doesn't matter. CAVILL IS SUPERMAN! But if you like Christopher Reeves then I understand. But for me Henry Cavill is Superman.

What about a certain...Amazing Amazon?

Well according to Zack Snyder, he hasn't filmed scenes of actress Gal Gadot in the costume yet because she still has a long time to get buff and ripped. But given from what Wilkinson has done with Superman and Batman, I'm confident that his design of The Amazing Amazon will be breathtaking on the beautiful woman they have playing her. Whether or not she can act though is not my main concern, it is how they're going to portray the character is what got me more worried. But that is a topic for another day.

Final Thoughts

Come on! They both look like their comic book counterparts! Just look! LOOK!

I'm a big DC Comics fan, yet my favorite movie is a Marvel film: X-Men Days of Future Past. Well, the movie rights are technically not owned by Marvel so.... blah! What I'm saying is that the costumes of DC Comics are the most difficult to translate to screen because they were created in a time when spandex was the way to go for Superheroes. Marvel had the chance of establishing themselves in a time period when costumes can gradually cross the line between standard to grounded. So for costume designer Michael Wilkinson to maintain the idea that superhero costumes are pretty much just colored sculpted bodies and make it work is amazing. In fact these two costumes for this big movie are so far my favorite adaptation of a superhero costume. They're faithful yet updated. The way it should be. I anxiously await the reveal of Gadot in the red, white, and blue costume but also the looks he has for the entire Justice League.

Marvel may be more fun, but DC has their production design trumping them all the way. Now... all they need is to make this movie good. Yup. JUST this movie good. They can screw up the Justice League movie because it will always be compared to The Avengers, but THIS movie about the battle between the most iconic superheroes of all time has to be good. It has to. IT HAS TO!

Why Luke Evans would've made a great Batman and Perseus

I remember it very clearly. It was April 2, 2010, I was out with some old high school friends and some new college friends watching the Clash of the Titans remake. Having seen the original Clash of the Titans when I was much younger, within the first few minutes of the remake I was already making judgements about the movie. Then came the scene on Olympus where we see Liam Neeson as Zeus in all his shiny armor glory along with Ralph Fiennes introduction as the scheming Hades. The rest of the Olympian Pantheon was present in their shiny armor, but other than Zeus and Hades there were only two other gods that had lines: Poseidon played by Danny Huston and Apollo played by... who is that?

Funny how Apollo only had two lines yet I remembered him after I saw the movie. I didn't completely understand why, but something about the actor who played Apollo stood out to me. Perhaps because it was such as small role and that he was one of the few gods to actually have lines? That's what I told myself after leaving the theater. It wouldn't be until I bought the DVD (out of pure Greek Mythology fan bias than for being an actual good movie) and watched that deleted scenes that consisted MOSTLY of this actor having Apollo originally playing a larger part in the movie that I realized something. This guy who goes by the name of Luke Evans should've, in my opinion, been the guy who played Perseus.

It really had to do with a deleted scene dealing with Apollo stating to his half brother Perseus (the hero of the movie played by Sam Worthington) that "(they) are brothers." It really was that moment where I thought what if their roles were switched. I have nothing against Sam Worthington. He's a decent actor, though he has yet to wow me. However there was something about this Luke Evans guy who seemed to have more of a draw and a presence. He definitely fit will playing the god Apollo, had his role not been reduced to just two lines instead of an entire sub plot that was deleted. However seeing him just reminded me immediately of the original Clash of the Titans star, Harry Hamlin. They both had presence and a voice that says leading man and legendary hero. I kept thinking about it a little bit more and thought casting Luke Evans as Perseus would've been perfect. Hypothetically had he been cast as Perseus instead of Sam Worthington, would that have made the movie better? Probably not. However it would've made this version of Perseus more compelling. Sam is capable of playing a compelling character if the character is written to be compelling. The Perseus in the remake was not written as a compelling character but rather as a cookie cut out cliche hero character. It takes a compelling actor to make a cliche something watchable, and that was something that Luke Evans had.

Luke would've made a very interesting Perseus. He has looks, the voice, and if he had been casted hopefully the hair would still be in tact because he has that too. Had I been involved with the film as a casting director or as the director of the film in general he would've been my first and only choice. However there are factors I have to put into consideration. The first being no one in America knows who he is. I didn't know who he is. So, the casting of Sam Worthington was definitely meant to draw in the Avatar audience because everyone in the world has seen him in that. However, he did get put into the film so he had to have auditioned for more than one part. If I was the director or casting director of the project I would've taken a gamble with him as Perseus because he just fits the bill perfectly. Although if I was the director of the Clash of the Titans remake, the story would've been completely different but that's not really what this post is about. It's simply stating this idea that's been going around in my mind for three years now. I would've liked the 2010 Clash of the Titans more had Luke Evans been given the role instead of Sam.

Since then I've been following this guy's career to see if anything big is going to happen to this guy. There are cases where you see an actor do a small part in a film who is more compelling than anyone else in the film that you just know that person is going to become someone. And good thing he did. Immortals, Fast & Furious 6, and now The Hobbit trilogy. I'm really glad that right now he has some name recognition because I believe he is one of the most compelling actors in the business. Not the greatest, I'm not saying he's Oscar worthy, but he is definitely someone who you won't have a problem watching or even criticize his acting. That's why this next thought came to my mind recently.

The casting of Ben Affleck as Batman is said and done. I have no problem with it other than the fact that it means I won't see a film directed by the Affleck for a while. But when there was still speculation about who should be the next Batman, I had two choices in mind: Josh Brolin and yep you guessed it Luke Evans. The thought of him playing Batman would've done wonders for propelling his career even further. If The Hobbit movies don't, then him getting casted as Batman surely would.

It would've been a nice nod to Immortals by having Luke (who played Zeus) and Henry Cavill (the new Superman and the lead of Immortals) to be seen side by side one another. Luke definitely has the charm and the voice to pull off an older Batman. He is older than Cavill by about five years so it does fit the bill of an Older Batman as a nemesis and potential mentor figure for Batman. However as the fates may have it, Ben Affleck has the role which means I'll never see Luke Evans as Batman. Then again I'll never see him as the lead in a Clash of the Titans remake. He's got a nice career ahead of him after The Hobbit, and I look forward to seeing what else he does in the future.