TV Review: ‘The Penguin’

The limited –– so far –– series is spun off from ‘The Batman’ and features Colin Farrell as the club owner/criminal fixer with eyes on running his own empire.

Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobb in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Macall Polay/HBO.

Launching on HBO and Max with its first episode on September 19th, ‘The Penguin’ marks the first (and so far only) series to continue the story of Matt Reeves’ 2022 superhero movie ‘The Batman.’

Switching the focus from the suited vigilante played by Robert Pattinson (who the producers have been at length to point out won’t appear in case you were waiting for the hero to flap in and deliver some “kapow” punches to our wannabe kingpin), the story here is told at street level, with the machinations double-crosses of the criminal world at the forefront.

Does ‘The Penguin’ succeed in its plans?

Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobb in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

With executive producer and showrunner Lauren LeFranc citing ‘The Sopranos’ as a big inspiration for the new show, it’s not hard to see where ‘The Penguin’ takes its endless double-crosses and criminal political maneuvering from.

Trouble is, a lot of what happens here –– minus the ‘Batman’-flavored trappings including Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti’s characters in particular, doesn’t exactly feel fresh. We’ve seen small-time gangsters looking to make it big in movies and TV for years, and you’ve really got to offer something more special than just Farrell given the chance to speechify about gangsters from whom he takes his own inspiration or wax nostalgic about how his neighborhood and Gotham in general were better back in the day.

Fortunately, a scattering of truly solid performances do help boost the interest levels higher than it might be, and the show does tend to maintain the style of Reeves’ movie.

Script and Direction

(L to R) Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

As we mentioned above, a lot about the show feels quite familiar if you’ve watched any movie or show set within a gangster world. There is jockeying for power, criminal schemes involving drugs and one or two explosions of action, such as an impressive set piece in the second episode where Oz is chased by Sofia Falcone’s forces.

It’s just that little of it is truly all that revolutionary, and you’ll be able to see a lot of the plot turns coming. And there are some remarkable coincidences that help our main character along the way.

Main director Craig Zobel, who handles the first three episodes, does make a good stab at convincing us that this is set in the same Gotham of ‘The Batman.’ The only downside is that scenes set in the suburbs, or at the sprawling Falcone compound outside of it look starkly realistic compared to the visual effects-heavy grubbiness of the main cityscape.

Performances

The show’s saving graces are mostly in its acting, with Farrell and Milioti in particular standing out –– not shocking since they are the narrative’s twin focus.

Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb

Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobb in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

Reprising his role from the movie, Farrell once more dons the prosthetics and fat suit so as to become almost unrecognizable as the scheming wannabe kingpin. Here in series form, given the scope and breadth to really explore the character, he goes to town, chewing through the scripts and bringing him to vibrant, waddling life.

He’s helped by some enlightening –– if predictable –– backstory elements, including deceased family members and a doting mother (played by Tony Winner Deirdre O’Connell) sliding into dementia.

Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone

Cristin Milioti in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

Milioti is given a truly different role here, and she embraces it fully –– all wide-eyed psychopathy and chilling ability to order the deaths of her enemies. It helps that she also has a troubled backstory and, in the first few episodes is dealing with not only the death of her father but another personal tragedy.

She makes for a superb foil to Farrell and the two share excellent chemistry, weaving around one another as they jostle for power.

Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar

Rhenzy Feliz in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

Introduced as a street kid interrupted trying to steal the rims from Oz’s car, Feliz’ Victor is the third pillar in the triumvirate of lead roles. He quickly becomes a driver and potential protégé for Oz, who recognizes the same scrappy ambition he possesses in the young man.

And in his interplay with Farrell, Feliz is able to interject some of the rare flashes of humor into the show.

Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni

Clancy Brown in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

The main rival to the Falcone family, Maroni is currently languishing in jail for his crimes after being set up.

Brown is typically good in the role, bringing quiet menace mixed with charisma, though the role is naturally smaller and more limited given his location (for now).

He’s ably supported by Shohreh Aghdashloo as wife Nadia, even if fans of ‘The Expanse’ might bemoan the fact that she has (yet) been given the chance to unleash foul-mouthed rants given the less restrictive environs of an HBO show.

Other Notable Characters

While he isn’t introduced until late into episode 2, Theo Rossi’s Dr. Julian Rush shows promise as a fun character to watch. Michael Zegen, meanwhile, has a small yet pivotal role as Alberto Falcone, the crime boss’s drug addict –– and drug pushing –– son.

Final Thoughts

Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobb in Max's 'The Penguin.' Photo: Courtesy of Max.

‘The Penguin’ won’t win many awards for originality in its crime story, but it is at least watchable and certainly isn’t a waste of its main cast. It just doesn’t always live up to the movie.

Eagle-eyed fans of the ‘Batman’ franchise as a whole, meanwhile, will appreciate subtle nods to actors who played the Penguin on TV and in movies –– make note of two particular Gotham storefronts.

‘The Penguin’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

The Penguin

"The city will be his."

TV-MA1 SeasonsSeptember 19th, 2024

Witness the The Penguin's rise to power in Gotham's criminal underworld in the aftermath of the Riddler killings. Read the Plot

What’s the story of ‘The Penguin’?

The new series is set a week after the events of ‘The Batman’ left crime boss Carmine Falcone dead and his empire in disarray.

As seen in the movie, Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), also known as The Penguin, formerly a lieutenant to Falcone, tries to fill the power vacuum left by his death. He faces off against rival factions as he asserts his authority.

But he’ll face a big challenge from those who Falcone left in charge of his operation, and particularly from Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), recently released from Arkham Asylum.