Colin Farrell is an interesting example of an unconventional Hollywood star. The Irish actor shot to fame in the early 2000s with critically praised performances in Tigerland, Phonebooth, Daredevil, A Home at the End of the World, and Alexander. Following his elevation to the A-list, Farrell’s popularity waned a little after a string of disappointments including Miami Vice and Total Recall. After retreating to family life, he re-emerged in the 2010s as a character actor in drama films and independent movies. In 2022, Farrell received an Oscar nomination for his leading role in The Banshees of Inisherin. He also received many rave reviews for playing Oswald “The Penguin” Cobb in director Matt Reeves’ gritty crime drama film The Batman.

HBO

Now, Farrell reprises his role in HBO Max’s new limited series “The Penguin.” Sure, some feel this is yet another “Batman show without Batman” like Batwoman or Gotham Knights, but this is not a cheap DC television adaptation. It is a gritty, grounded take on comic book characters. Think DC meets The Sopranos with a bit of The Wire thrown in for good measure, and you know what this series is about.

Set one week after the finale of “The Batman”, Oz Cobb is trying to pick up the pieces of the power vacuum in Gotham City. In the wake of the Riddler’s bombings, Oz’s boss and mentor Carmine “The Roman” Falcone (Mark Strong) is dead, the downtown section of Gotham is flooded, and there’s a void in the criminal underworld. The mob’s drop operations are down, and the powers are looking to move operations away from the city. Rival crime boss Sal Maroni (Clancy Brown) is cooling his heels in prison, and the lack of a criminal kingpin is plain for all to see. Although this is Oz’s chance to step up, he’s uncertain as to where he fits in and doesn’t know what the future holds for him. While poking around his late boss’ office, he encounters Alberto (Michael Zegen), the son and heir of Falcone. After being mocked, a confrontation ensues in which he shoots Alberto dead. This sets the stage for Oz’s struggles to assert himself in a changing Gotham.

While attempting to flee the scene, Oz encounters a gang of teenage boys attempting to steal his car. He takes one boy hostage and forces him to help dispose of Alberto’s body. Although it looks like Oz has sinister intentions, he spares the boy and decides to help him out. Victor reveals that he was left homeless by the flooding caused by Riddler’s bombings. Oz sees something of himself in the teenager and takes him on as an assistant. It becomes clear Victor has left an impression on him.

One unexpected threat to Oz’s plans comes in the form of Sofia Falcone (Christina Milioti), the daughter of the late mob boss. She’s just been released from a decade-long sentence in Arkham Asylum, and it is revealed she killed several men. Looking for her brother, Sofia is convinced that Oz is involved with his disappearance and targets him. Desperate to escape, Oz tries to go on the run with Victor. He tries to bid farewell to his elderly mother Frances (Deirdre O’Connell), whom he adores dearly. Ultimately, Sofia catches up with Oz and kidnaps him. An extended torture sequence follows, in which she attempts to extract information from him. While Sofia is torturing him to confess, she is distracted by a surprise threat whose intervention nobody could have expected.

HBO

Comic fans will be pleased to know that this Penguin does harken back to the character at his core. He’s got a beaky nose, a short stature, an obese frame, and a waddling gait. The name “Penguin” originates from Oz’s childhood, during which bullies would refer to him as “Oswald the Penguin”- a moniker that he can’t stand. Oz, however, lacks the top hat and monocle of the comic version. Nor does he indulge in cigars; this change apparently stems from a mandate by Warner Brothers to not encourage smoking. His noticeable shuffling gait or “waddle” stems from a clubfoot that originated in his youth and never got surgically corrected. One distinct change from the comics is that this Oz, unlike his wealthy counterpart, did not come from money and grew up relatively poor. Furthermore, his name of “Cobblepot” has been shortened to the more mob-like name “Cobb”, but it is not implausible that a family member anglicized the surname at some point in the past.

Farrell succeeds in depicting Oz as a flawed yet driven protagonist. Buried under prosthetic makeup, he almost looks completely unrecognizable to viewers- with the exception of his bright eyes being distinctly familiar. At times likable and other times intense, the actor shows range in exploring the nuances and inner struggles of what makes Oz tick. “Look everything you heard about me is true,” the character states at one point. Yet the viewer knows this isn’t entirely factual. Despite his tough-guy bravado, Oz is a deeply insecure, conflicted man who feels he has to prove his worth. While critics might try to draw comparisons to James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, Farrell makes Oz unpleasant in terms of dishing out violence yet keeping him sympathetic at times. He shows a gentle side in his relationship with his mother, who is suffering from dementia. Another aspect of his personality is fond memories of growing up in a rough-and-tumble neighbourhood as a child, which suggests that Oz wasn’t born bad but rather shaped by his environment.

Cristin Miloti (Strange Places, How I Met Your Mother) delivers an unsettling, strong-willed performance as Sofia Falcone. Her take on the character is that of a woman looking to claim her birthright and avenge her family. The scenes in which she shares the screen with Farrell are well-written and paced. Indeed, one believes that she grew up with Carmine Falcone as a father. Milioti succeeds in making Sofia realistic as a female mobster and ex-convict trying to make it on the outside in a criminal underworld mostly dominated by men.

The Penguin and Sofia (Time-Warner Group)

Rhenzy Feliz offers a vulnerable, empathetic quality to the role of Victor. Having previously played a lead in Marvel’s Runaways series, the young actor plays a more subordinate role in this drama. As Victor, he is somewhat naive yet eager to learn more about life on the streets. Despite a rough introduction to Oz, he ends up becoming his assistant and confidante. In essence, Feliz serves as the audience surrogate, as well as a fledging protege for the Penguin.

The Penguin and Victor (HBO)

With regards to the ensemble, the rest of the cast does well in their roles. Mark Strong takes over from John Turturro and brings a quiet, controlled menace to Carmine Falcone. The reason for the recasting was due to scheduling conflicts with Turturro, but Strong does justice to the role. While he’s deceased in the modern-day narrative, Strong’s Falcone shows a tough yet resolute mobster who’s confident about what he says and does. It is not hard to see how much of an impact he has on Oz in shaping him as a mobster. Deirdre O’Connell is moving and sympathetic as Oz’s mother Frances, and she is one of the few people he trusts. Her struggles with early-onset dementia are difficult to watch, and it is clear Oz is fearful of losing her. Carmen Ejogo plays Eve, who is a prostitute and the mistress of Oz. Although her role is minor, it is possible that her relationship with Oz could be fleshed out throughout the show. Despite having a small role in the plot, Clancy Brown gives a certain edge to jailed mobster Salvatore Maroni. Viewers might remember the actor from his role as Captain Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption or his voice-over work as Mr. Krabbs in Spongebob Squarepants. Brown’s solidly built frame and deep voice give his take on Maroni a sense of authenticity. One really believes that he is a hardened gangster.

Perhaps the most disappointing part of the series is that of Michael Zegen as Alberto, who seems to have a lot of potential but is jettisoned within the first act. All we learn is that the character is a cocky playboy and a recovering addict. Furthermore, he is set up to be an interesting player in his first scene, but that never comes to pass. This is especially frustrating to comic book fans because the literary Alberto is a major figure in The Long Halloween limited series and its sequel Dark Victory.

Time-Warner Group

While set in the world of Reeves’ film, neither Robert Pattinson’s Batman nor Bruce Wayne appear in this series, but the presence of the character is felt and alluded to at times. Of course, Wayne could easily have made a cameo appearance in the show, yet it might have risked coming off as a token attempt at fan service. There are a few mentions of the Dark Knight, but it is not done heavily. Granted, it makes sense for Batman not to show up, because Oz is considered a small fry in a big pond. The layout of Gotham City is quite huge, so the Dark Knight has a lot to focus on at the moment. In one of the callbacks to The Batman, Jayme Lawson does appear as Bella Reeve, the newly-elected mayor of Gotham. That being said, however, the very idea of a vigilante being out there watching does make Oz and the other characters feel uneasy.

The Penguin is a gritty, realistic take on the Batman villain. Farrell has found a character that suits him well. Milioti, Feliz, O’Connell, Strong, and Brown also do well in their roles. The tone and atmosphere of the show is very noir. Overall, this is shaping up to be a solid series for HBO. Perhaps a second season might be in the works. Four out of four stars.