The Penguin review: Colin Farrell’s The Batman spin-off takes its sweet time

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3.0 out of 5 star rating

As a movie critic who has seen my fair share of crime dramas, I must say that The Penguin left me feeling like a penguin myself – waddling through slow-moving waters. Don’t get me wrong, Colin Farrell delivers a captivating performance as Oz Cobb, and Cristin Miloti steals the show as Sofia Falcone. Yet, the series seems to take its sweet time getting to the action, making us wait for the good stuff like a hungry penguin waiting for fish.

In a leisurely pace, The Penguin’s storyline doesn’t seem to hurry – however, considering Colin Farrell’s The Batman spin-off, it might benefit from a quicker pace to reach its intended plot points more effectively.

In the new series, Farrell once again plays Oz Cobb, the struggling underdog ascending within Gotham’s criminal underground. The story picks up a week following the events depicted in the Matt Reeves movie, utilizing the city’s current state of despair as a backdrop. Cobb forges an unconventional alliance with Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), a young man he chose to spare from death. Together, they aim to challenge some of the most powerful crime families in the city, but their capabilities are questioned – could they be biting off more than they can chew?

Essentially, The Penguin proves to be a series worth persisting with, as its latter part significantly improves in terms of quality. However, it does have notable shortcomings throughout – quite substantial ones, to be precise.

In simpler terms, the main issue with “The Penguin” is that it starts off slowly, making the initial episodes rather uneventful. Although some setup was already done in “The Batman,” there’s a significant amount of groundwork needed at the beginning of “The Penguin,” causing us to wait until mid-season to experience the main action.

A portion of the foundation lays in presenting fresh characters initially not significant to us. However, Victor could turn out to be crucial later in the series, making his background intriguing and worthy of examination. Unfortunately, the journey to delve into this backstory takes too long, consuming precious time that could have been utilized more effectively.

Among all characters in this series, Cristin Milioti’s portrayal of Sofia Falcone stands out as the most mesmerizing for me. Right from the start, her performance captivates us, and episode 4, which delves into her harrowing backstory, is undoubtedly the best episode. It offers moments that linger in your mind long after the closing credits. Milioti delivers a chilling performance, and she skillfully brings depth to Sofia’s narrative of betrayal and revenge, making every scene she’s in utterly compelling.

Unfortunately, Miloti’s performance significantly impacts the overall series, as The Penguin isn’t particularly compelling in his own storyline. In the final episodes of the show, we delve deeper into Oz’s background and motivations, setting up an exciting finale that partially offsets the lackluster start. However, this resolution arrives somewhat late.

Why should we keep watching it? Ultimately, the series becomes an explosion of excitement, and its last episodes feature moments of pure enchantment. Delving deeper into the Penguin’s past uncovers startling revelations about his character, serving as a grim reminder of his monstrous nature and setting the stage for chilling encounters between Oz and Sofia. As for that final episode? You won’t be able to tear your eyes away.

Additionally, there’s no room for criticism when it comes to the actors. Miloti has a richer role as Sofia Falcone, but Farrell is undeniably captivating in his portrayal of Oz Cobb. In The Batman, it’s nearly impossible to recognize Farrell under the prosthetics and makeup, and the work done by the special effects team should be highly praised. However, Farrell adds depth to one of Batman’s most iconic villains, skillfully blending darkness with light.

Perhaps the thrilling developments during the latter part of the series may eclipse viewers’ memories of its less compelling start, yet it’s clear that some unnecessary parts could have been trimmed to highlight the intriguing aspects of the program more effectively.

Fortunately, the last two episodes deliver on their promise and become especially captivating as Oz, Sofia, and the remaining criminal network in Gotham recognize each other’s true natures. In this deadly game they’ve found themselves entangled in, only one can emerge victorious. However, for Oz, the crucial question lingers: is it all worthwhile?

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2024-09-12 19:34