There’s a lot to be said for the 18-rated superhero flick. Whether we’re talking big screen or small screen, a lot of high-quality fare coming out the supe pipeline has taken a gorier, more adult approach. It was a while ago now, but 2012’s Dredd was one of the first films in the emerging superhero era to go big on the violence and see it pay off with many fans despite its underwhelming financial success. Deadpool was an obvious hard hitter in the big screen department, taking in substantial revenue and revitalising the superhero industry at a time when it was starting to get dull. Don’t forget about the smaller guys, though. Daredevil represented Marvel’s best TV series of the era, providing a healthy dose of violence alongside solid plotting, laying the groundwork for what great supe shows could do for an adult audience.
The Penguin derives from superhero origins in the sense that its titular character starred in Matt Reeves’s gothic take on DC’s caped crusader, but don’t expect any bats or fancy CGI here. On paper, the plot just follows Ozwald Cobb’s rise to power following the fallout at the end of The Batman, but there’s so much more going on than that. Colin Farrell has found the perfect niche as the criminal conniver, taking advantage of everyone at every possible opportunity with no moral compass whatsoever. There are plenty of moments that make you sympathise with the dude for a moment or two. After all, maybe he’s not so bad against the relative scum and dirt of Gotham City.
But then the show also gives you plenty of warnings to bring you back and you that Oz is in fact an irredeemable so-and-so who uses everyone for his own gain. Speaking of which, Rhenzy Feliz plays Victor, a young, vulnerable orphan who Oz takes under his wing. It’s nice to see characters who aren’t super slick dialogue-wise, and Viktor’s stammer helps further humanise a character who just wants to impress his father figure and feel like he belongs. Cristin Milioti also crushes it as Sofia Falcone, who is forced to pick up the pieces after the death of her father. She’s a talent to watch, evoking sadness and menace in the space of a few gestures. Ruthless, poignant and unhinged, it’s nice to see great characterisation without having the obligatory ‘strong female character’ phrase shoved down your throat.
Comparisons have already been thrown around with The Sopranos, which is fair. There are plenty of gangsters and accents to fill the dark and bloody atmosphere. There’s also a fair share of dark humour, whether it’s a dramatic exclamation following an early surprise murder or Viktor turning on Oz’s plum purple car to find Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ blasting out of the speakers. Like the well-dressed gentleman himself, The Penguin leaves plenty of time for theatrics between the violence and chaos of Gotham warfare. Oz plays the Falconi and Maroni families back and forth, ultimately working for the interest of no one but his good old bad self. Besides the amazing make-up work that completely obscures Farrell’s recognisable face, it’s just a great performance from the actor, who combines ruthless ambition, fear, black comedy and a weird Oedipus relationship with his mother to create a complex, compelling villain who defies the usual black and white bad guy trope. There may not be a sequel coming any time soon (Farrell has expressed his strong dislike of the intense make-up process), but he’s bound to pop up in Matt Reeve’s The Batman 2 at some point. Bold, brash and filled with twists and turns, when it comes to television this year, The Penguin is certainly climbing to the top of the iceberg.