The best casting in the entire series of films, Joker notwithstanding, is Gary Oldman. He owns Jim Gordon.
He's the best Gordon yet, but he's also the first Gordon we got that wasn't fat, old, and useless. Oldman does a good job with the role; he's a great "character actor," and it's a very "character actor" sort of part, but I think the writing is mostly why Gordon comes off so well in this triology (when he's actually
used, that is).
Me, I've always been dissatisfied with Gordon in the Nolan pictures. I wanted to see the Gordon from
Batman: Year One.
That's how you do that character. He's intelligent, capable, definitely not a man to be fucked with, but also as deeply flawed and tortured as Batman. Compared to that Gordon, Oldman is a milquetoast. And no, I don't think that's asking too much from the films, because they yanked plenty of other material from Year One in the new series.
Also, Gordon pre-white hair should have been a ginger.
And so should R.P. McMurphy GODDAMNIT!