Gotham [View all]

[Orrex]

Of the many weak points in 1989 disastrous Batman film, I've always been particularly annoyed by Burton's stupid decision to have Bruce Wayne orphaned by the Joker. Aside from pissing on decades of continuity (which, frankly, isn't that big a deal for me), it's a preposterously trite effort to impose soms sort of half-assed dramatic symmetry (which, frankly, also describes most of Burton's film-making career).

Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.

There is no benefit to forcibly linking origin stories in this way. None. It invariably comes across as incestuous and a ham-fisted attempt at pseudo-depth, and nothing is gained as a result.


So then I start in on Gotham last night, lately streaming on NetFlix. Opening shot looks good, atmosphere seems effective, young Selena Kyle is a convincing pickpocket with a suitably acrobatic style.

And then she conveniently winds up with a front row seat for the Wayne family murder?

[font size=13]GARBAGE![/font]

I immediately lost 100% of my desire to watch this show that I barely wanted to watch anyway. Prequels bore me, and I find the city of Gotham's back story slightly less interesting than the fine print on fast food game-cards.

I already couldn't care less about the adventures of L'il Catwoman or proto-Penguin or juvie-Joker, and when they deploy this hackneyed plot device before the opening credits, I say count me out.


YMMV