The Penguin Series Review: Colin Farrell is back as the Penguin, and this time around, he’s got tough competition courtesy of Cristin Milioti. A spin-off of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, The Penguin streams its first episode today on Jio Cinema, and it is ready to take DC fans on one helluva ride. Taking a leaf out of The Batman, the series shifts a little from the serious tone of the film and indulges in dark humour oh-so-brilliantly.
The Penguin, as the trailers have already hinted, will follow the events of The Batman. The first episode opens with Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) finding his way back to his doings in Gotham City after Riddler flooded the land and killed several. His attempt to find his ground again makes him cross paths with Carmine Falcone’s son, Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen). Their clash of interest brings the first twist of the series, within the first 10 minutes of the episode’s premiere.
This is the first signal that the show is not here to waste time in unnecessary drama and conversations. Instead, it has an agenda to play all things dirty and it is not going to shy away from getting things nasty. The first twist paves the way for rebuilding the world, completely detaching from the shadows of The Batman and allowing The Penguin to take a shape of its own.
As the first episode progresses, we meet the three main characters of the show — Carmine’s daughter Sofia Falcone aka The Hangman, played by Cristin Milioti, Oz’s friend and driver Victor Aguilar played by Rhenzy Feliz and Oz’s mentally disturbed mother Francis Cobb, essayed by Deirdre O’Connell. Through the three characters, creator Lauren LeFranc shows the different facets of The Penguin, which will peel off as the episodes play out.
What I loved about the first episode of The Penguin is that it is raw and brutal and feels as though you are walking through the hallways of Arkham Asylum. And it owns the madness, like true DC comics. The first episode shows that the series is set to treat the anti-hero as an anti-hero, instead of giving him an arc to redeem himself.
If The Batman wasn’t proof enough, The Penguin serves as a reminder that Colin Farrell is outstanding as Batman’s nemesis. He takes the comics, swirls it in his dark coffee, and drinks it all up to deliver a memorable start to the series. He adopts the prosthetic like it is his own skin and looks comfortable in it. This becomes all the more evident at the end of the episode when he is chained to a chair, naked. Colin really owns the role.
But, Cristin Milioti had my attention in the first episode. Essaying the role of a psychopathic serial killer released from Arkham Asylum, Cristin fits in perfectly in the series. Although she appears in only three major scenes in the episode, she commands the screen with such power that you forget Colin is also present. She has the potential to become a fan favourite in this series.
The Penguin’s episode 1 is a winner in terms of writing — dialogues and screenplay. It feels like a volcano erupting slowly, with a new bout of lava emerging every 20 minutes. With the elements of old-school mafia and gang wars, The Penguin plays it smart to go the noir way. The first episode is meaty and well-served. I hope this remains as we move forward. And the background score by composer Mick Giacchino leaves a memorable impact.
With eight episodes in its kitty, I am keen to see if The Penguin keeps up the pace of the first episode and stands out as a strong contender during the awards season. As of now, The Penguin is off to a positive start.
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