16/11/2024
.ent 🎬VIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Penguin Season 1
*Spoilers*
It’s rare that a series can do what The Penguin did. A series centred around an undeniably horrible character, and one that ends in the most disgusting way while yet being mostly satisfying. And yet, Matt Reeves and co have done exactly that.
Clearly inspired by The Sopranos, The Penguin is a fantastic gangster crime drama in its own right, you don’t need to love or even know anything about Batman to appreciate it.
All the subtle changes to the character, including his name, feel well thought out and necessary for him to exist in the world Matt Reeves created.
The Penguin is a blueprint for how to focus more on the fantastic lore and depth of these comic characters rather than on purely fan service. At times I did wonder if Batman would ever appear (which spoilers, he doesn’t... really). But honestly at the end of the series I realised that the series never needed him at all.
Colin Farrell is unbelievable as Oswald. His transformation, both in appearance and performance is nothing short of spectacular.
You root for the guy, and yet realise especially by the end just how much of a monster he Is.
The series isn’t without its issues. The pacing, particularly in some of the latter episodes, is off and some scenes would have benefitted from being reordered. And despite not needing to reference The Batman so much, the finale ended up shoehorning in some nods to set up the events of the sequel film.
But overall, this was an incredible experience to watch. It’s convenient that Batman’s rogue gallery is full of similarly complex, fascinating characters as Matt Reeves is planning on following this blueprint for others like the Joker.
If it’s anything like this, we are all In.
