HBO Max’s ‘The Penguin’ Review
Written by Brandon Oaks on December 6, 2024
The successful Matt Reeves ‘The Batman’ film is expanding its world into the realm of streaming on HBO Max with a continuation of one of Batman’s most recurring foes. The Penguin, played by Colin Farrell, made an appearance in the film but had viewers longing to see more. After being introduced to this modern depiction of the DC villain, many fans were excited when hearing the announcement of his independent mini-series which just recently came to an end. The story of The Penguin within this franchise elaborates on the mobsters’ rise to power in the Gotham underworld in a dark and dramatic storytelling fashion.
Staying True to the Villain Role
The Penguin, better known as Oz Cobb, is playing the role of an underdog with high highs and very low lows for the majority of this series. Sometimes to the point where the viewer might feel a bit of sympathy. But this isn’t a character who one can stay rooting for very long due to his manipulative tactics. In many cases, we’ve seen villains become characters who appear they can change for the better or someone who has good intentions behind their malice. Colin Farrell’s Oz has a continuous run of cruel 
acts with nothing but his interests in mind, staying true to the villainous role that fans know as The Penguin. In many instances, he showcases his skill of deception even to the viewers by backstabbing many other characters that fans believed were in it for the long run.
More to Come?
Our first introduction to Oz within The Batman film was more of a side character and not too much of a threat to the protagonist. With him now on the rise to the top of the mob world, we could potentially see a new side to the character in The Batman Part II coming in October 2026. It has already been confirmed that Oz will be seeing significant screen time in the new movie with potentially even more minutes than in the first film. The Penguin is a character for fans to keep their eyes as it looks like we’ll be seeing plenty more of him in the future.
HBO Max’s ‘The Penguin’ is without a doubt one to watch for Batman and comic fans, especially with the presumption that the series is canon to the Matt Reeves franchise. The eight-episode series is full of drama and exciting new characters that are worth the attention. If interested in the series, The Penguin is available only on HBO Max’s streaming platform. If interested in other film reviews click here.
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Raye Brittain On December 7, 2024 at 5:43 pm
I’m 71 and loved the Sapranos! And I LOVE Penguin! Looking forward to the next season