A look at what Batman icons Alfred Pennyworth, Oswald Cobblepot, Ed Nygma, Selina Kyle, James Gordon and Bruce Wayne were up to between the murder of Dr. Thomas Wayne and the first time Bruce pulled on a cowl, Fox’s “Gotham” comes to us from HBO’s “Rome” creator/mastermind Bruno Heller.
I would love “Gotham” if it had nothing to do with Batman. It is fall’s best pilot. It is more entertaining than “Green Lantern,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Man of Steel,” and a lot of other comic-book tales for which we had to leave the house and pay strangers $11.
“Gotham” is not “Smallville.” It may be based on comic book characters, but it is not a show for tweens. Where Clark Kent was very much the focus of the long-running WB series, Bruce Wayne’s screen time is highly limited.
And though a lot of the series is about cops, it is not a procedural. No crime is solved in the pilot. It is a character study, and a highly entertaining one.
I am particularly taken with Gordon’s corrupt partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, late of “Terriers”) and the local ubermobster Carmine Falcone (John Doman, late of “The Wire”).
But there’s a lot of strong acting on display generally. Ben McKenzie, who once anchored Fox’s “The OC” and wore a badge on “Southland,” won’t make too many miss Gary Oldman. And I can’t wait to see what they do with Sean Pertwee (lately Lestrade On “Elementary”), who plays the Waynes’ intense and wily butler.
... surprisingly fresh … Gotham is not reinventing the dark cop show, or the dystopian drama, or the superhero genre. But it combines them in a way that’s invigorating – and, honestly, it’s probably better than a new series with this built-in fanbase needed to be. …
... The pilot itself is among the best you'll see this fall. It looks great, the two leads have instant chemistry, and everything hums along nicely as a slightly larger-than-life crime saga. …
... Bruno Heller appears to have a reasonable grasp on the challenges faced by a show in which Bruce Wayne is merely a grieving young boy, and not the center of the action. Is the pilot worth a look? Yes. I'll be watching and hoping it capitalizes on its potential. …
… The real star of the “Gotham” pilot is its consistent style, a combination of production design, cinematography and writing that manages to evoke both the bang-pow 1940s spirit of the original “Batman” and post-”Blade Runner” neo-noir. …
... A surprisingly thoughtful and satisfyingly noir prequel to the "Batman" odyssey, it introduces viewers to all their favorite heroes and villains before they were same, and reminds us all of a time when the real superheroes were men in hats who carried a badge. …
... a good-looking, intelligent Batman prequel that might entertain even the most superhero-fatigued viewers among us. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... has a lot going for it, at least judging by the one episode Fox sent to critics. … While other comic book shows try to replicate the fantasy of the source material at every level, “Gotham” tries to walk a thin line between realism and fantasy. It seems to work …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... If a vibe is all it takes to make a TV show successful, “Gotham” is a winner from the start. But realistically, it takes a lot more than strong production design and that’s where this Batman-less “Batman” prequel loses steam. …
... the strong cast could make this one fly. …
... It works for viewers who don't know Batman at all. … McKenzie proved he could play a square-jawed hero on Southland and his chemistry with Logue's jaded, ethically challenged Bullock makes for a delightfully dysfunctional duo. …
... a heavily stylized, surprisingly violent DC Comics extension of the Batman brand …
... Taken strictly on its own terms, the Fox series is a handsome, gritty crime drama, with Ben McKenzie as the idealistic young cop and Donal Logue as his grizzled, ethically compromised partner. …
... arrives as its own entity, a wholly realized universe, in a separate time and place, with enough intriguing characters and a stylized visual presence that is immediately intriguing. …
8 p.m. Monday. Fox.
