4. Gary Oldman - James Gordon
James Gordon is a character that can as easily be depicted as a one-dimensional cliched police-office, as he can a multi-dimensional, thinking and feeling ally to Batman - where Pat Hingle's stereotypical rendition of Gordon failed in the Burton/Schumacher series, Gary Oldman's succeeded in almost every way. Upon hearing of the actor's involvement in 'Batman Begins', I anticipated nothing short of excellence from one of the most versatile - yet unfortunately underrated actors in Hollywood; from his impressive turn as punk rock icon Sid Vicious in 1986 - to his incredibly fresh version of Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's undervalued 1992 gothic masterpiece - to his disturbingly unbalanced outing as the unhinged villain in 1995's 'Leon' - Gary Oldman proved himself time and time again as a chameleon; his role as Jim Gordon being no deviation from this reputation. Oldman's Gordon is as world-weary as he is heroic - captivating the character outlined by Frank Miller in the 'Batman: Year One' graphic novel with precision. Illustrating 'Jim' Gordon; the relatable family man - James Gordon; the friend and ally to Batman - and finally, Commissioner Gordon; the incorruptible force of good in the Gotham City police force - the heroic character as synonymous with justice as The Caped Crusader himself. My favourite scene featuring Commissioner Gordon is in 'The Dark Knight', during the street confrontation with The Joker and Batman. Oldman's character rises from the "dead", beating the Clown Prince of Crime to the ground - shotgun in hand, pressed against the crazed villain's head - Gordon aggressively snarls "got you, you son of a bitch"; thus re-establishing the character in the eyes of the average film-goer as a badass - far cry from the elderly, overweight, hackneyed Pat Hingle version, witnessed a decade prior.