The Penguin (2024) review

    THE PENGUIN is a spinoff series from the well-received but not-gangbusters success of the Robert Pattinson 2022 THE BATMAN movie. I really liked that film for being the grittiest, most realistic Batman movie yet but that’s a reason why plenty of other audiences were tepid about it. Honestly, it felt more like an HBO miniseries than a typical Batman film and the irony wasn’t lost on me when they announced Colin Farrell as getting his own.

    Still, that just added to the sense of oddity about the whole thing. THE JOKER was a decent villain movie for the Batman license, but the sequel was a complete dumpster fire. Also, the Penguin has always been considered a secondary villain of the Batman rogues gallery, even if he’s still up there. Having Colin Farrell in a fat suit and extensive prosthetics also seemed to be like someone taking crazy pills for a dark and dramatic series.

    So, it’s weird that this is probably the best Batman property since the Animated Series if not ever. No, seriously, this show is fantastic from beginning to end. Colin Farrell puts on a ludicrous amount of costuming and a fake Italian accent yet somehow delivers one of the best performances I can remember. Co-stars Cristin Milloti (Sofia Falcone) and Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar) also turn in amazing performances. Indeed, of the entire series, Mark Strong is probably the only weak performance, and he does a serviceable job as Carmine Falcone.

    The premise is that Oswald “Oz” Cobb (not Cobblepot) is a mid-level Italian mobster in this universe as opposed to being the criminal mastermind he usually is. He’s a working-class crook this time around instead of a fallen billionaire’s heir and even envisions himself as a man of the people. It’s a change from the comic books but the Penguin has had multiple origins so it’s not as big a change as one might think. Besides, the fact that the Penguin is centrally tied to ideas about wealth and class in America actually comes through pretty well in these eight episodes.

    The short version of what happens is that Oz lets his temper get the better of him during a discussion about who is going to inherit the late Carmine Falcone’s throne. This one impulsive action sets off a domino effect of events where Oz is constantly forced to scheme as well as plot to dig himself out of the hole he’s dug for himself. This includes recruiting a disabled young man to be his no. 1# henchman and dealing with the return of Carmine Falcone’s daughter, Sofia, who has spent the past ten years in Arkham Asylum.

    For the most part, this show benefits from the fact that it could be any other mob movie rather than a superhero movie. The show never acts ashamed of its superhero roots, though, and gradually the story ramps up until it starts becoming more obviously something taking place in Gotham City. Certainly, it’s not that much different than the Gotham of The Batman (2022) onscreen and has several important references to the movie. While Batman’s lack of presence throughout the show is a bit disappointing, I felt the show more than made up for it with the final shot of the show. No, I won’t spoil it but it recontextualizes a lot of the show’s place in the larger iteration of the franchise here.

    Part of what makes this show grimdark is the fact that Oswald sells his idea of being a mobster of the people extremely well. Someone who was respected by the community and a friend despite the fact he wants to flood the streets with narcotics. Except, the show never forgets that this is Oswal’s opinion of himself and we get numerous reminders that he is ultimately an utterly ruthless gangster. Some of which are genuinely shocking right up until the end.

    Sofia Falcone is almost the co-protagonist of this film as we follow her own journey from victim to villain and discover numerous twists as well as turns regarding her past. Christine Miloti is someone that manages to keep you guessing as to who her true allegiance even as we discover how hideously wronged she was by her father as well as mobster family. Sofia also has a fabulous wardrove throughout the show and the costume designers deserve kudos.

    Feliz’s Vic is also a character that I think a lot of us can relate to, particularly in our teenage years. He’s someone who knows better than to be involved in organized crime but is quickly swept up in the excitement as well as lifestyle of Oswald Cobb. This Penguin has some serious, uh, issues, as they’ll come out but he is also friends with a prostitution ring madame as well as owner of a wealthy nightclub. At eighteen, I would have been rather easily swept up as well.

    In conclusion, this is just a damn good show and everyone should check it out. You should definitely watch The Batman (2022) before you watch it, though. While you can follow events pretty well without it, it ties together in several surprising ways.