The Penguin First Reviews: Colin Farrell’s Wild Performance Makes the Series a Must-Watch

Based on the DC Comics character, The Penguin is a TV spinoff of the 2022 superhero blockbuster movie The Batman with Colin Farrell reprising the titular role. While the series doesn’t premiere on Max until September 19, early reviews are already calling it one of the best comic book adaptations ever, quickly stamping it Certified Fresh. Farrell is said to give another stellar performance as the Penguin, while co-star Cristin Milioti steals the show out from under the prosthetics-laden actor. Comparisons to other crime genre classics are polarizing as it attempts to stand on its own, but overall, The Penguin is said to be a must-watch limited series.

Here’s what critics are saying about The Penguin:

Does it live up to expectations?

It’s the best entry into the new DC cinematic universe that defies expectations while setting up stories to come. The Penguin is a marvel.
— Tyler Doster, AwardsWatch

The Penguin is exactly what fans needed.
— Joshua Ryan, FandomWire

The Penguin arrives with muted expectations… [The] eight-hour digression focusing on mafia footsoldier Oz Cobblepot (aka The Penguin) is competently made and fitfully compelling.
— Dan Einav, Financial Times

The Penguin is a comic book series for people who don’t like comic book series, and as a comic fan, I say that with the utmost respect.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review

So it’s not just the same old villain backstory?

It would be too simplistic to call it a villain origin story.
— Aramide Tinubu, Variety

The Penguin isn’t just another super-villain origin story, much like The Batman wasn’t just another superhero movie.
— Christopher Cross, Asynchronous Media

In the end, The Penguin is the tale of a thug who becomes a boss, and the sacrifices he all-too-willingly makes along the way. That it succeeds as thoroughly as it does may be surprising, given its provenance as yet another Batman-without-Batman nugget of Warner’s IP.
— Glen Weldon, NPR

The Penguin takes a place in the middle ground of a subgenre that I can never dismiss fully, because every once in a while it yields a Bates Motel or even a Perry Mason (HBO’s version), amid too many entries that never find a necessity.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

(Photo by Macall Polay / Max)

Is it reminiscent of any other TV series?

There’s no shaking HBO’s The Wire and The Sopranos when watching The Penguin.
— Christopher Cross, Asynchronous Media

It’s a crime story in the vein of The Sopranos with fantastic performances and a compelling visual style.
— Joshua Ryan, FandomWire

It feels correct to compare the show to The Sopranos with its depiction of the inner-machinations of organized crime families.
— Tyler Doster, AwardsWatch

My one quibble is that people might see The Penguin as being influenced by The Sopranos.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation

It’s a watered-down Boardwalk Empire type drama whose central figure happens to have a few traits in common with a famous character.
— Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

I’m not saying HBO’s The Penguin is derivative, but it’s the second TV show in less than six months in which Colin Farrell plays a character obsessed with the glamour of black-and-white Old Hollywood movies.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

How is the writing?

The Penguin’s writing is sharp and layered. The themes are eye-openingly complex. The character depth is rich and fully realized.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation

What unfolds is a mostly unpredictable series of events unraveling the structure of authority in Gotham.
— Joshua Ryan, FandomWire

There is a surprising amount of depth to some of The Penguin’s character work.
— Christopher Cross, Asynchronous Media

The hurried nature of the plotting means that many of its highest profile supporting actors — Ejogo, Brown, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Theo Rossi — are underserved.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

(Photo by Macall Polay / Max)

What about Colin Farrell as the Penguin?

As in The Batman, Farrell’s wild, go-for-broke performance makes the series a must-watch.
— Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

He continues to offer a wonderful, truly transformative performance that is unlike anything else he’s done.
— Eric Goldman, TV Line

Farrell is fantastic as the chaotic character yet again.
— Chase Hutchinson, Collider

Colin Farrell is a tour de force, giving one of the greatest comic book performances of all time.
— Joshua Ryan, FandomWire

Farrell’s Penguin is an absolute masterpiece of both makeup and performance disappearing into a character completely.
— Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype

Will go down as iconic in most comic book circles – it should garner Emmy-worthy consideration if there is any justice in this world.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation

Does anyone else stand out?

While most will tune into The Penguin for Farrell and his continued depiction of the titular character, it’s Milioti’s performance and the characterization of Sofia that gives the show the foundation it needs to justify its existence.
— Christopher Cross, Asynchronous Media

Milioti’s performance as Sofia “The Hangman” Falcone is perfection.
— Joshua Ryan, FandomWire

Milioti is a revelation.
— Kyle Wilson, The Lamplight Review

Milioti impresses in both flashbacks and present-day storylines as her character’s history deepens, delivering one of the best performances in Batman’s on-screen history.
— Fay Watson, Total Film

The only performer who manages to mostly break through all the silliness is Milioti.
— Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

When Milioti isn’t on screen, you want her to be.
— Tyler Doster, AwardsWatch

The rest of the cast is exceptional, including an award-worthy turn by Outer Range’s Deirdre O’Connell, who is brilliant as Oz’s mother struggling with dementia.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation

(Photo by Macall Polay / HBO)

How is the show’s depiction of Gotham City?

The city of Gotham is also a significant character here… Unpacking the inner workings of Gotham, from the mayor’s office to Oz’s underworld, the show reveals the villainy that manifests and thrives at all levels.
— Aramide Tinubu, Variety

We see a lot more of Gotham City, specifically the poorer neighborhoods struggling to survive in the aftermath. The show builds on the film’s theme of wealth and class disparity, exploring the inequality and divide between the elites and the city dwellers.
— Cassondra Feltus, Black Girl Nerds

The Penguin fits neatly into the universe created by Reeves’ The Batman, dutifully filling in the lore of the world — we see how Gotham rebuilds, and the various political factions moving to clean up the city.
— Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

Gotham feels like many different cities at once, as it should, and so vast that you can at least initially understand why Batman might be busy with other things.
— Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype

Does it look as good as The Batman?

Perhaps the biggest question anybody will have about The Penguin is whether Farrell’s prosthetics work as a full meal after the amuse-beak of The Batman. In that respect, The Penguin really is a qualified triumph.
— Daniel Feinberg, Hollywood Reporter

The Penguin builds upon what people loved about The Batman visually and then, when the time is right, carves its own path.
— Jacob Fisher, Discussing Film

Visually, The Penguin slightly differs from The Batman but not in quality — directors of photography Darran Tiernan, Jonathan Freeman, and Zoë White definitely kept in line with Greig Fraser’s stunning cinematography.
— Cassondra Feltus, Black Girl Nerds

Darren Tiernan’s cinematography is far less interesting or memorable… The Penguin’s considerations for aesthetics is a reminder of television’s priorities in storytelling over technical departments.
— Christopher Cross, Asynchronous Media

(Photo by Macall Polay / Max)

Is it further proof that DC adaptations are in good hands?

The series provides audiences with hope that DC Comics and Warner Bros. Discovery will not mishandle the franchise.
— M.N. Miller, Geek Vibes Nation

The Penguin may not represent the cure for superhero fatigue, but it delivers a powerful dose of medicine that can treat its symptoms.
— Glen Weldon, NPR

It expands upon the world-building established by Reeves’s film and leaves you pumped to see what’s next for The Batman saga… The Penguin bodes very, very well for The Batman Part 2 and beyond.
— Megan O’Keefe, Decider

The very end of the season brings with it some shameless fanboy pandering that implies any future Penguin adventures might be more connected to the larger Batman mythos. But teases of other seasons and movies don’t do much if the current story isn’t exciting in and of itself.
— Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

93% The Penguin: Limited Series (2024) premieres on HBO and Max on September 19, 2024.

Thumbnail image by Macall Polay / Max
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