Another thing people might not be aware of is the time it takes to put all that makeup and stuff on is only half the battle. He probably has to spend an equal amount of time after they shoot getting it all taken off. They have to be careful removing the prosthetics so they can use them again the next day. A lot of actors simply can’t handle that. Jennifer Lawrence only agreed to do the last X-Men film if she didn’t have to spend the majority of the shoot being blue.
It's because it's good. When the showrunners know it's not they prop the show on...something. usually sex or diversity. Then, when it inevitably fails, they can blame u for hating it. If it's good, it'll speak for it self
“Interesting” is subjective. To me what is most interesting is this proves that the gender of the show runner simply doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality of the story telling.
The "woke" could completely claim the show. The main character is a disabled person, the secondary characters include a strong woman (who is pushed aside because she is a woman) and a black boy. The problem is therefore not whether it is “woke” or not but whether it was well written, with good characters.
@@davidsummer8631he’s covered in prosthetics, he has a large beaked nose, the foot deformity, and he waddles like a penguin. It’s really not as realistic at people say. Even joker in this universe is born with chalked white skin, and a disease that causes him to smile non stop
There are other similarities, as well, like how they both lack their franchises' most recognizable elements (Jedi and Batman), are gritty and are oriented towards older audiences. We may also find that the viewership for The Penguin increases as word of mouth goes around, like it did with Andor.
Cristin Milioti is fantastic in this. When she says she's been "rehabilitated" out of Arkham she kind of jerks and blinks like she's a defective electronic blowing a fuse. Super creepy but great acting.
It’s easy to make it realistic. He can go to an arms manufacturer and ask for something specific. He’s got the money for it. Honestly, it’s just a gun with an umbrella added to it lol
The umbrella trick is almost certainly going to get referenced, and at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if it's treated as a sorta walking cane with how messed up his foot is, doesn't have to be campy at all, and just like mentioned, can still be fitted with an ace up his sleeve for a surprise kill. Also have an episode on the list called "Top Hat". No idea if they can pull off the fashion in this setting, though.
One thing most people haven't mentioned is how Oz interacts with the guys under him. In the scene where he takes Victor to the drops factory, he talks to his underlings like equals. Which in my opinion makes him more interesting, because unlike other crime bosses we typically see, he doesn't separate himself from those under him, he mingles with them, has a drink with them and shares his life with them. He doesn't lord over them like his bosses do over him. He talks to them as equals jokes around, respects their opinions and even shows some concern over their well being, for the most part. He earns their respect and loyalty by treating them like he wants to be treated. Even later in the episode after repeatedly telling victor he will "gut him", victor gives back a snarky response when oz is about to threaten him again, by saying something to the effect of "Yeah, yeah, you'll gut me like a fish", which probably would have gotten him killed if it was said to any of Oz's bosses. Oz understands the people in the streets and isn't going to necessarily react negatively to the low level of disrespect you would get from them in general, but earlier in the show we see how he reacts to being disrespected by people he has no respect for. He knows where he comes from, where he sits in society and how will never be part of high society, which also is hinted at with the choice of music in the car and credits. Its the shabby genteel versions of the penguin we see in the arkham game series. The guy with a glass bottle for a monocle (of course the in universe explanation is it was from a bar fight where he got stabed in the eye with that bottle and now its stuck), the guy trying to use the appearance of high society, but can never actually fit in.
Which ties in to the opening scene where he reveals his dream/admiration for that deceased gangster. This version of Oz wants to be a "noble gangster" of sorts. Someone who looks out for those under him and the ghettos where people are just shit out of luck. It's admirable yet at the same time the audience is now curious how that will be reconciled when he does reach the top. In some continuities it's clear Batman allows the mob to continue its activities as it allows some form of order. Perhaps the Penguin will be essentially that order in this universe.
Very nice observations. And yes, I'm one of those few people who will actually read all the way through a lengthier comment if it's insightful, well written, and on point.
@@Dularr Yeah, this I think sometimes gets lost. Yes, he outwardly displays the "good capo" role with his boys, but regardless of his distant dream of being a mob hero, I think he *has* to, otherwise he'd get picked apart by vultures because *no one* would have any reason to like the guy. The leadership and underbosses have him figured out already.. which is why they gotta go, but if it takes a sacrifice to get what he wants, well.. he surrounds himself with other people who'll make it for him, one way or another. It's *good* though, at the end of the day Penguin is a villain, he's a coward (despite being very ambitious!) and he manipulates people while putting on airs. In this kind of setting, this is exactly the kind of person Cobblepot would be, just maybe with a bit more dramatic flair. The writer, director and actor understand him pretty well and it's a pleasure to see.
dc always did better tv shows,but i was rly amazed how penguin had like no superhero/villain stuff,this show works for fans and for non dc fans,its just a good mob show
The Penguin is proof that playing safe and making everything into DRAMA, still works, thus HBO still does it. Untill people get tired of EVERYTHING turned into hard drama.
6:35 That's exactly what Matt Reeves has been saying, this series is acting as a segway into the next movie to set up Oz as the big bad. And Disparu, it's a big city, Batman can't be everywhere. There's a lot going on in Gotham, and these spin-off are fleshing out the world around him and exploring characters that can't get the screen time they deserve in a Batman movie.
@jackarcher9652 Well, the movie made it clear Batman doesn't take Oz too seriously, and there's not much way for him to be aware of all this intrigue going on. Besides, even if he was aware of it, what would you expect him to do? It would probably be a lot easier for Batman to let them fight it out and then take down whoever comes out of top. So while I don't think there's any need for him to actively get involved in the plot, I do really hope he's referenced to show he's still out there causing the mob trouble.
@jackarcher9652Batman is bogged down with helping rebuild. He is Bruce Wayne after all, a lot of the work to fix the city is probably done more effectively in a suit & tie rather than a suit & cape. Look at how he operated in The War of Jokes & Riddles. Plus, as of right now, the gang war consists of mild violence which is mostly contained (aside from Ep 2’s truck scene) & the drops business. Batman wasn’t going full force at the gangs in the first movie to begin with & with Carmine dead the gangs, like city, are rebuilding. I think the lack of Batman comes from the overall chaos & maybe a bigger looming threat that we’ll see in the 2nd movie. Just my thoughts, but the lack of Batman upset me too.
@jackarcher9652Bruce needs to help fix the flooded city, so far the gang war isn't full on bombastic, a couple of cars getting shot up is something that's fully normal in Gotham, the news also said crime has risen and in a city that's around the size of entire new York, I think its completely believable that batman doesn't show up to stop penguin
"The Batman" is a cinematic masterpiece, every character had purpose and impact. You are going to witness how a show should be written with The Penguin.
I haven’t said “holy shit this is good” out loud for years until the Penguin. Him wanting something more and potentially wanting to be good was huge character development
Notice how the bedroom door in Oswald's apartment is made from a very heavy steel? This guy is prepared. But he is a Penguin, after all, protecting his nest egg.
I just saw episode 2 I’m loving it , Colin’s acting is great he really gets in the role and he looks just what you think the from the comics the penguin would be and the story is well written I think its good
I'm watching this review right after seeing the second episode of The Penguin. And, no spoilers here, but the quality maintains. I have high hopes for this show.
@@kamikoto1558 I'd rank the third episode even better than the second. The main arc moves along nicely -- not too fast or slow -- and let's us learn more about these complex and conflicted characters and their inter-relationships. My information could be wrong, but I understand that this is going to be single-season 8-episode series. If that's true, then the next five episodes could see a very interesting character evolution, not just for Penguin but for the other two principals as well. Batman needs fully formed villains to work against, and Oswald Cobb has yet to become more than just an insulting nickname.
As a massive fan of DC and the Gotham underworld and rogues, the amount of comments made during this that make me pull my hair out in frustration is insane. These characters don’t need Batman to be interesting. They don’t need to be constantly butting heads with each other, it’s a big city and they are “regular” criminals. Batman and the larger City of Gotham creates bigger narratives and potential for stories and foils for characters to bounce off but this idea that they need each other to tell a good or interesting story is nonsense.
This. And even if they don't focus on those heroes/villains, this gives others their chance to really shine. Like show how the mob is so powerful in Gotham. Or highlight other characters which are really lesser known like Professor Pyg or Victor Zsasz
My only issue is I just wish the whole DC universe tied together. It seems like this and the last Batman movie are their own thing. The Joker seems to be its own thing as well. The previous iteration of the DCEU was its own thing and that wasn’t connected to the Dark Knight trilogy, which was its own thing, after the previous run of Batman movies which were their own thing, and the Christopher Reeve Superman movies which were their own thing. And now James Gunn is rebooting the whole thing into another new thing.
I haven't seen this show yet, but quite enjoyed Gotham for much the same reasons. It was more of a back-to-basics crime caper and that was how Detective Comics came into being. With some exceptions, the heroes and villains didn't have super powers other than being more modern versions of Holmes and Moriaty. I think this is why I preferred a lot of the Gotham stories compared to the less plausible characters like Superman.
@@ErikDayne I'd rather have multiple good versions not tied together than tieing it together for sake of publicity. Having a shared universe does not make something good on it's own, all it does is open possibilities in the future. Even then there are limitations since your sharing characters and plot lines. The Batman would not be better if it was in a shared universe. The Joker would not have been better in a shared universe. All a shared universe does is allow crossover opportunities, which they can do whenever they want with the multiverse. Spider-Man is a prime example of that where those series were not connected but they still made a great cross over film from it. And when we are talking specifically about the Penguin show, what benefit would the show have if Superman existed in the world? How goes a Green Lantern in space benefit the story and characters we are actually seeing? Realistically it adds very little.
@@brolohalflemming7042 Personally I couldn't stand Gotham. It was pretending to be a crime caper but was just an excuse to do a Batman show with off putting versions of the characters. The way the characters are portrayed are less plausible than good versions of Superman, plausibility comes from the character rather than their power set.
The guy complaining the most about the show started the conversation saying he has not watched it yet. keys bringing up points like it has nothing to do with gotham and yet we already have 2 crime families involved from the comics, a new take on "the hangman", the opening scene to the show referencing both Batman and the Riddler's fallout on Gotham.... Like at what point is it "enough" Gotham to count? It's year one of Batman, Gotham is in chaos at this point. This show highlights how much the city needs a hero to inspire it while cracking down on these factions.
It's to give you a sense of the world Disparu, we ARE getting the real gotham stuff and then if done properly it merges with the "super hero/villain" vibe.. this is how you properly immerse your audience and it's why the Batman movie is the most authentic/best batman media yet. Never forget that batman himself is not a "super" hero, he's just a man of focus.
Exactly. I don't need Batman in the show, i'm immersed enough to believe while watching it Bruce Wayne is somewhere doing his own thing and is building up to Batman Part 2. That's what makes it great.
Yeah she should be a permanent part of the rotation from here on out. We can give Little Platoon some tea and scones out of sympathy for the episodes he misses.
Sorry guys, but I find Snarky's voice to be somewhat brassy, her tone brittle, and she just tries *way too hard* to sound informed and insightful. Plus, she has a very poor command of language. Far too many interjections and verbal stutterings for my liking. She needs seasoning and maybe some lessons in forming proper sentences. Sure, she *looks* good, but this is a talk show, not a cosplay channel.
With all the positive reviews I subscribed to max and have watched it twice. I might watch it again before the second episode tonight. It was really good.
Checking in before the season finale. This has been so much fun to watch. Such a unique take and introspective into the crime world of Gotham. Watch it if you haven't.
Jay makes a perfect point about the show. Grounded for a tone is good... to a point. Eventually you need to accept your in a superhero universe and embrace some of the more wacky parts of that. Gotham for all its flaws did this very well. It had no problem having a strong character drama while still approaching some of the truly batshit (hehe) elements of the comic book mythos either perfectly seriously or tongue in cheek depending on the situation.
I love the penguins mum as well. At first I thought she’d just be his “soft spot”, an old, senile, loving mum that thinks the world about her boy. Then she had her little speech! 😂
they definitely made changes to make penguin more relatable/likable. changing his name from cobblepot to cobb is definitely part of that. he comes from basically a similarly wealthy gotham family as the waynes in the comics and it definitely works better for the show in this way and gives him more of an arc to have to come up through the mob. just goes to show you that you can make changes to established stories as long as you do it well
That smile at the end of EP 1, it's creepy, yet it made me laugh. Not only the physical acting but the camera shot it was at. Great scene. And it was 3 or 4 seconds
Fantastic show, really enjoying it so far. I am a huge Batman fan and am looking at this as a Penguin origin story of sorts, how he rises through the ranks and actually becomes a threat to someone as powerful as Batman.
I'll argue that Penguin doesn't want to be remembered as a good man. He wants to be remembered as a strong man. The mob boss he waxes poetic about was so strong, he could help others. But through Penguin's actions, any moment we see him gain power, he uses it for himself.
Excellent first episode, indeed. All the characters act equally brash and irrational, which adds a great deal to the coherence of the story. Very promising series.
They don't need to show Batman but they could show the Batsign in the sky and say something like "Well we ain't going that way" or "Tonight's not a good night, maybe later" or something similar.
It's basically a Penguin origin story, by the end of the series he will be the Penguin from the comics, just like in The Batman, it's only his 2nd year of being Batman, that's why he wasn't the best detective yet or fighter and the Riddler played him until the end. In Zack Snyder's DCEU Batman was a veteran in his 40's, and Robin was already killed by the Joker, that's why he started killing people without caring.
Fun fact: Someone actually did a YT video about why WB doesn't use live action Batman on TV. It is because WB don't actually have the rights to live action TV Batman. Sure they referencing him or show shadow image or show Bruce Wayne. But they can't actually show Batman. Now because streaming isn't technically TV there a loophole. But WB still afraid they might get sue still so they don't do it. Also if they were to put Batman on streaming show. They can never play the show on TV and if they were to sell it the value of the product will be lower. That why for years we never got an actual live action TV Batman. It is ironically this reason which is why we got shows like Smallville and Arrow. Both were pitch to be Batman shows at first until heads up at WB inform the uninformed employees why they can't do that. Trust me if WB could you will see nothing but Batman TV shows. There would been 10 of them by now. That all WB does is Batman look at their animation movies and video games. 90% of it is Batman. Marvel is making Spider-Man, Ironman, Captain America and Black Panther, another Black Panther, Wolverine, Blade even Captain Marvel. Yet only stand-alone DC game in the works that's not Batman is Wonder Woman.
He reminds me of a combination of book Littlefinger and book Tyrion from GoT, very conniving, intelligent, but fairly deformed and vengeful. Especially second episode Penguin trying to get on her side, playing nice while twisting the knife in her familys guts. Really happy with it so far
The Penguin is also the oldest villain within the Batman mythos for he has been around for every single generation of the Dark Knight and so I think that Matt Reeves is giving him more depth as a way to show that not all villains are born that way for it was the environment that made them villains just like what happened to The Joker.
The chick with the eyes is already up the street with the show, if she turns the corner we may never see her again. I mean every scene she's in belongs to her.
The show is like it gives you another perspective on Gotham City, we know about crime and stuff but going through it in this gradual way was great. I wouldn't be surprised if after every movie that expands the villains in the Batman universe there will be a series or two that separate the movies. I don't think they will reach the point of milking because there are shows for the James Gunn universe and they won't compete with each other. I think this will raise the quality of competition between them if the success of the Batman universe continues in the future in movies and series
A show with a compelling and strong male lead, a well written female villain, combined with great direction and script that don't waste any time and respect the audience? What are the odds, hey?
10:31 Oz didn't timed it perfectly... it is not an exact science. He got hurt, somewhat tortured.... almost killed. Yet precise enough to pull that great gambit. Making them kill each other... then picking up the pieces. That was the part I liked, if it was so well timed, it would not be so convincing. He paid a price of pain, to get the upper hand. For he is now a puppeteer...
I was REALLY surprised by just how much I enjoyed the first episode. That said, it is only one episode. The acting is incredible and hope the writing remains strong.
3:32 Yah, she is so menacing. Such a well written character. Something between control and madness.... stablished with a single scene. Nuanced as fuck so early . Love her.
I'm of the same mind as SnarkyJay on the Penguin... without Batman and shooting umbrellas, what's so special about him? I think they SHOULD add in Batman, but from the point of the villain. Make Batman appear very rarely, keep him in the shadows and speaking rarely, the thorn in the Penguin's side that never seems to go away. And even have Penguin suddenly blacking out in the middle of a crime, and waking up in jail wondering what happened and finding out Batman knocked him out and delivered him to the police. You can add in Batman as an ephemeral problem that Penguin needs to deal with in the process of his normal criminal activities, and still not make this a "superhero" or "supervillain" movie.
This is an origin series, but for Penguin. We know Batman is out there, but we don't have to rush it. There's a story to tell first. Remember the "Smallville" series, and their "no tights no flights" policy? That went on for TEN YEARS, and the payoff in the final episode was absolutely worth the wait. Patience, my good Lion, and all will be revealed.
If you need a shooting umbrella and Batman to make your character interesting that’s incredibly superficial. This is a different version of penguin that is interesting enough to stand on his own. How he thinks ahead and how he plays a role in the underworld
The 2014-2019 ‘Gotham’ TV series was actually really really good - I enjoyed it a lot. Very dark and gritty, following in the Nolan Trilogy style. You should definitely give that a watch. Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin/Cobblepot was awesome too.
Penguin is villain but he is very important for batman bcz penguin controls crime(like falcons ' kid said " penguin takes money but only enough so dad never had any problem"
Alright I think that Jim Carrey could still absolutely nail riddler in this universe, so long as he’s not used as a main character. Especially now that he’s older. Even in costume. Look at Penguin’s car. You can water down the fit to match the tone of the show.
I can see the parallel with Scarface, but the first character that comes to mind when watching Farrell play Osward is Tony Soprano. and it's funny that on its platform (at least in France), Max seems to make a clear marketing choice to compare the two series, they made a new category "the bosses" and they use exactly the same imagery (same font, same colors, and the pose of the two protagonists is almost identical) I can only hope the quality is also gonna be the same for both series
honestly, batman villains are good enough that they can largely carry shows without batman. even in the BTAS, some of the best episodes are mostly centered around the villain and batman almost plays sort of a bit role at the end. the story is how the villain came about and what they're up to with the occasional shots back to batman at the batcave and then he shows up at the end to save the day. think about the mr freeze episode for example or the christmas episode with harley and poison ivy. all this to say, i think it can work for awhile. not necessarily forever, but for an 8 episode series for sure
cristin milioti is great in it. honestly all of the acting in it is really good, including farrell, but i honestly think she might be the best part of it
I feel like a grounded Pre Supervillain era Gotham show could work. Where Batman faces against the Crime families and mobs, the Maroni’s, Falcone’s, those guys, with guys like Penguin and Black Mask acting as their own mob bosses muscling in on the older families. Just the most flamboyant of the otherwise common organized criminals. Only to be replaced by supervillains as time goes of and Batman beats organizes crime with the help of Gordon and Harvey.
Every time superhero flicks become camp and magical, audiences check out. Then we get "gritty and grounded" for a while and audiences check back in. The cycle then repeats. Marvel should take note.
It isn't that audiences check out on one or the other, it's when it's too MUCH of one that audiences check out. Audiences got bored of seeing "gritty and realistic" superheroes after the early 2000s gave us a lot of them, which is why the 2010s were so dominated by the more campy and quippy Marvel movies, and why DC couldn't really cement itself the same way Marvel did(that, and most of the DC movies were just bad). Now that Marvel style movies have become the status quo, people are bored of it and want drama. Once the drama becomes the status quo, people will get bored and want more campy movies again.
I think both are wrong here, it's not too much campiness, too much grittiness, or "superhero fatigue" as they were saying a couple of years ago, it's just crappy movie fatigue; make good stuff consistently and people will check out what you're doing, make too much crappy stuff and people will just tune off. We already saw this with the MCU, it was so consistently good that even when they released a mediocre movie like Captain Marvel it became a huge success. Now every new movie or show seems to mark a new low. Personally I'm tired of Batman in live action having to be be dark, gritty and "grounded in reality with no comic book silliness", but I can't deny that the 2022 movie was a success because it was competently made so people watched it.
I also put my scepticism aside for this series and I'm glad I did. Overall, it is a quality production and is a great watch for those who want more adult orientated content. Victor Aguilar is a made up character by the writers of The Penguin, however I just put canon aside (I'm not a rabid fan of such things) and ignored the small liberties taken for the sake of the series. Some purists may complain about the inserted character, but I thought he was okay as a (temporary?) lacky to the Penguin. Collin Farrell is phenomenal in this, along with a good supporting cast.
The show strikes me as a prequel to batman. The period in time where batman is still making a name for himself. Also, batman isnt everywhere all the time. Even the joker gets up to a lot of trouble between his run-ins with batman. Same with all the villans.
5:20 also I think they're going to reveal his ancestor was William Cobb , aka the Talom who's also the great grand father of Richard Grayson in the comics.
Honestly I think they can pull off the old school Penguin traits without seeming ridiculous. First off have it revealed his name is Cobblepot but he cut it to Cobb because he's embarrassed by it. Secondly there should be an epic scene at some point where he attends a gangsters ball and dresses in his iconic top hat and tux, along with monocle and cigarette with holder, purely to be over the top to make a scene and antagonise his enemies. Then show him earlier stripping down a belt fed machine gun to its bare skeleton and disguising it an umbrella to get a weapon past security. Then have it end with him gunning down all his targets while laughing gleefully, and once he runs out of ammo and everyones dead and all is quiet he pulls open the umbrella to reveal the machine gun and a mass of shells raining down and bouncing around the ballroom floor. And just pause for a bit to savour the bad arse moment. That's how you make Penguin look like the original without breaking the realistic immersion. As for Batman, make him an enigmatic character that only shows up sparingly and at important moments. Don't take Penguins glory from his own show.
Colin Farrell sold me on this show strictly via his physical acting. Kudos to the man
Yeah for real he’s probably in hair and makeup for 2 hours a day no cap. This is like John Rhys-Davies playing Gimli.
Another thing people might not be aware of is the time it takes to put all that makeup and stuff on is only half the battle. He probably has to spend an equal amount of time after they shoot getting it all taken off. They have to be careful removing the prosthetics so they can use them again the next day. A lot of actors simply can’t handle that. Jennifer Lawrence only agreed to do the last X-Men film if she didn’t have to spend the majority of the shoot being blue.
@@ErikDayne5, originally 8
I liked the guy in SWAT and his earlier movies, but after In Burges I'll watch anything with Colin Farrell in it. This was an easy choice
His acting is so great he gets really in the role you can feel it
Isn't also interesting how the creator/showrunner is a woman, but I don't think we've heard anyone try to promote it based on that.
Nah, that's not interesting
Thank god
@@Emanthebald Considering that's what DC and Marvel constantly do? Yet now they suddenly don't and the show has a great first episode?
It's because it's good. When the showrunners know it's not they prop the show on...something. usually sex or diversity. Then, when it inevitably fails, they can blame u for hating it. If it's good, it'll speak for it self
“Interesting” is subjective. To me what is most interesting is this proves that the gender of the show runner simply doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality of the story telling.
Good acting..good story.. good characters...and people like it... what a surprise....
That because there no woke writing. So they actually have to tell a story.
@theinsurance2450 just enjoy a show or don't. It's not that deep they're just tv shows.
@@Micisme86 There clearly a pattern. It not just a coincidence.
@theinsurance2450 they're shows, they don't affect your life, they don't affect your job they don't affect your family. So quit driving yourself crazy
The "woke" could completely claim the show. The main character is a disabled person, the secondary characters include a strong woman (who is pushed aside because she is a woman) and a black boy.
The problem is therefore not whether it is “woke” or not but whether it was well written, with good characters.
Giving the Penguin a plum coloured Maserati could be a nod to the Penguins top hat from the original Batman TV show
And the Burgess Jewelers sign
@@fezmonster Exactly, so its not a 100% serious grounded show because they are throwing in some Easter Eggs
@@davidsummer8631 😋🥚
@@davidsummer8631he’s covered in prosthetics, he has a large beaked nose, the foot deformity, and he waddles like a penguin. It’s really not as realistic at people say. Even joker in this universe is born with chalked white skin, and a disease that causes him to smile non stop
Also the trident from the Maserati's grill - it is the only auto with an aquatic symbol.
Andor & Penguin…nobody asked for them but we appreciate them.
Great comment
Exactly how I’d put it
There are other similarities, as well, like how they both lack their franchises' most recognizable elements (Jedi and Batman), are gritty and are oriented towards older audiences. We may also find that the viewership for The Penguin increases as word of mouth goes around, like it did with Andor.
So true
With all the same issues the fans have with it, seems like. Would be great if could avoid that a bit at least. Learn from the past, y"know.
One of the most interesting parts of the show is how he refused to sit in the handicap seat on the subway.
Good catch! Also, this was definitely filmed in Chicago. I recognize those ostentatious orange bench seats 😂
Why
Cristin Milioti is fantastic in this. When she says she's been "rehabilitated" out of Arkham she kind of jerks and blinks like she's a defective electronic blowing a fuse. Super creepy but great acting.
A Umbrella gun is possible in a grounded setting as a weapon Penguin got made to sneak past security and kill someone.
Honestly it's the easiest buy in for me. Gun, crossbow bolt, harpoon, taser, hypodermic ricin needle. Have fun with it!
It’s easy to make it realistic. He can go to an arms manufacturer and ask for something specific. He’s got the money for it. Honestly, it’s just a gun with an umbrella added to it lol
Considering there was a case of someone murdering people in real life with a poison tipped umbrella, we’d better see it.
The umbrella trick is almost certainly going to get referenced, and at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if it's treated as a sorta walking cane with how messed up his foot is, doesn't have to be campy at all, and just like mentioned, can still be fitted with an ace up his sleeve for a surprise kill.
Also have an episode on the list called "Top Hat". No idea if they can pull off the fashion in this setting, though.
@@TheDoctorOfMDMA the Russian spy in England right?
The way the Penguin walks is PERFECT
One thing most people haven't mentioned is how Oz interacts with the guys under him. In the scene where he takes Victor to the drops factory, he talks to his underlings like equals. Which in my opinion makes him more interesting, because unlike other crime bosses we typically see, he doesn't separate himself from those under him, he mingles with them, has a drink with them and shares his life with them.
He doesn't lord over them like his bosses do over him. He talks to them as equals jokes around, respects their opinions and even shows some concern over their well being, for the most part. He earns their respect and loyalty by treating them like he wants to be treated. Even later in the episode after repeatedly telling victor he will "gut him", victor gives back a snarky response when oz is about to threaten him again, by saying something to the effect of "Yeah, yeah, you'll gut me like a fish", which probably would have gotten him killed if it was said to any of Oz's bosses. Oz understands the people in the streets and isn't going to necessarily react negatively to the low level of disrespect you would get from them in general, but earlier in the show we see how he reacts to being disrespected by people he has no respect for.
He knows where he comes from, where he sits in society and how will never be part of high society, which also is hinted at with the choice of music in the car and credits. Its the shabby genteel versions of the penguin we see in the arkham game series. The guy with a glass bottle for a monocle (of course the in universe explanation is it was from a bar fight where he got stabed in the eye with that bottle and now its stuck), the guy trying to use the appearance of high society, but can never actually fit in.
Which ties in to the opening scene where he reveals his dream/admiration for that deceased gangster.
This version of Oz wants to be a "noble gangster" of sorts. Someone who looks out for those under him and the ghettos where people are just shit out of luck.
It's admirable yet at the same time the audience is now curious how that will be reconciled when he does reach the top.
In some continuities it's clear Batman allows the mob to continue its activities as it allows some form of order. Perhaps the Penguin will be essentially that order in this universe.
Very nice observations. And yes, I'm one of those few people who will actually read all the way through a lengthier comment if it's insightful, well written, and on point.
Except he then betrayed them all.
@@Dularr Yeah, this I think sometimes gets lost. Yes, he outwardly displays the "good capo" role with his boys, but regardless of his distant dream of being a mob hero, I think he *has* to, otherwise he'd get picked apart by vultures because *no one* would have any reason to like the guy.
The leadership and underbosses have him figured out already.. which is why they gotta go, but if it takes a sacrifice to get what he wants, well.. he surrounds himself with other people who'll make it for him, one way or another.
It's *good* though, at the end of the day Penguin is a villain, he's a coward (despite being very ambitious!) and he manipulates people while putting on airs. In this kind of setting, this is exactly the kind of person Cobblepot would be, just maybe with a bit more dramatic flair. The writer, director and actor understand him pretty well and it's a pleasure to see.
I bet you thought this was some deep analysis
Cristin milioti is the standout for sure.
yea good casting, she doesn't over act or do anything goofy. Plays it straight and switches intensity on a dime.
Don’t forget victor was great
Gotta love how both DC and Marvel put out new shows, and DC completely embarrasses the M-She-U 😂
dc always did better tv shows,but i was rly amazed how penguin had like no superhero/villain stuff,this show works for fans and for non dc fans,its just a good mob show
The Penguin is proof that quality entertainment still matters in Hollywood. 🎉
or just another fluke
The Penguin is proof that playing safe and making everything into DRAMA, still works, thus HBO still does it. Untill people get tired of EVERYTHING turned into hard drama.
6:35 That's exactly what Matt Reeves has been saying, this series is acting as a segway into the next movie to set up Oz as the big bad. And Disparu, it's a big city, Batman can't be everywhere. There's a lot going on in Gotham, and these spin-off are fleshing out the world around him and exploring characters that can't get the screen time they deserve in a Batman movie.
@jackarcher9652 Well, the movie made it clear Batman doesn't take Oz too seriously, and there's not much way for him to be aware of all this intrigue going on. Besides, even if he was aware of it, what would you expect him to do? It would probably be a lot easier for Batman to let them fight it out and then take down whoever comes out of top. So while I don't think there's any need for him to actively get involved in the plot, I do really hope he's referenced to show he's still out there causing the mob trouble.
@jackarcher9652Batman is bogged down with helping rebuild. He is Bruce Wayne after all, a lot of the work to fix the city is probably done more effectively in a suit & tie rather than a suit & cape. Look at how he operated in The War of Jokes & Riddles. Plus, as of right now, the gang war consists of mild violence which is mostly contained (aside from Ep 2’s truck scene) & the drops business. Batman wasn’t going full force at the gangs in the first movie to begin with & with Carmine dead the gangs, like city, are rebuilding. I think the lack of Batman comes from the overall chaos & maybe a bigger looming threat that we’ll see in the 2nd movie. Just my thoughts, but the lack of Batman upset me too.
@jackarcher9652Bruce needs to help fix the flooded city, so far the gang war isn't full on bombastic, a couple of cars getting shot up is something that's fully normal in Gotham, the news also said crime has risen and in a city that's around the size of entire new York, I think its completely believable that batman doesn't show up to stop penguin
@jackarcher9652yeah they don't need to show him but just say he intervened in something off screen
I love the fact that Batman isn’t mentioned. Batman is still in his early stages where people still probably call him “Vengeance.”
"The Batman" is a cinematic masterpiece, every character had purpose and impact. You are going to witness how a show should be written with The Penguin.
It's refreshing to see the Penguin as more of an antihero rather than a straight-up villian.
Why? Evil isn’t gray.
i dont think you could call him an anti hero, dude is still straight up bad
Have you really watched the show?... lol
I suggest you finish the series before you call him an anti hero 🤣 The show makes it abundantly clear what Oz is and it’s certainly not an anti hero
@@msamil679this was written a month ago when only a few episodes were out. I’m sure they’ve changed their opinions now
By Disney standards, this must have cost at least a trillion dollars per episode…. Best thing I’ve seen for a long, long time. Bravo!
People buying into good written character over girl bossed whiny boys, shocking
I haven’t said “holy shit this is good” out loud for years until the Penguin. Him wanting something more and potentially wanting to be good was huge character development
Looking forward to catching the Penguin based on the Drinker & Nerdrotic's reviews
@@343smur imagine not being able to form your own opinions and relying on TH-cam hate nerds to think for you 😂
@Very-old-man here's an opinion that no one gave me. You suck balls Very-old-man. And should stick to MSM & Rachel Maddow for your opinions lol
Notice how the bedroom door in Oswald's apartment is made from a very heavy steel? This guy is prepared. But he is a Penguin, after all, protecting his nest egg.
🥁
@@liamphibia I had to look through the emoji catalog to figure out that you posted a drum symbol. So... rim shot then? 😃
@@DavidAnderson-m5c Yeah. You said he's protecting his nest egg. His name is in relation to birds. Lol
I’m very pleased with what we’ve seen so far with The Penguin. I can’t wait to watch the second episode tonight!
Farrell owns this role. Show. Etc. the whole cast and crew are just on point. This is what fans want
I just saw episode 2 I’m loving it , Colin’s acting is great he really gets in the role and he looks just what you think the from the comics the penguin would be and the story is well written I think its good
as if putting intelligent and charismatic male characters in movies makes both sense and money
I'm watching this review right after seeing the second episode of The Penguin. And, no spoilers here, but the quality maintains. I have high hopes for this show.
Same but after the third
@@kamikoto1558 I'd rank the third episode even better than the second. The main arc moves along nicely -- not too fast or slow -- and let's us learn more about these complex and conflicted characters and their inter-relationships. My information could be wrong, but I understand that this is going to be single-season 8-episode series. If that's true, then the next five episodes could see a very interesting character evolution, not just for Penguin but for the other two principals as well. Batman needs fully formed villains to work against, and Oswald Cobb has yet to become more than just an insulting nickname.
As a massive fan of DC and the Gotham underworld and rogues, the amount of comments made during this that make me pull my hair out in frustration is insane.
These characters don’t need Batman to be interesting. They don’t need to be constantly butting heads with each other, it’s a big city and they are “regular” criminals. Batman and the larger City of Gotham creates bigger narratives and potential for stories and foils for characters to bounce off but this idea that they need each other to tell a good or interesting story is nonsense.
This. And even if they don't focus on those heroes/villains, this gives others their chance to really shine. Like show how the mob is so powerful in Gotham. Or highlight other characters which are really lesser known like Professor Pyg or Victor Zsasz
My only issue is I just wish the whole DC universe tied together. It seems like this and the last Batman movie are their own thing. The Joker seems to be its own thing as well. The previous iteration of the DCEU was its own thing and that wasn’t connected to the Dark Knight trilogy, which was its own thing, after the previous run of Batman movies which were their own thing, and the Christopher Reeve Superman movies which were their own thing. And now James Gunn is rebooting the whole thing into another new thing.
I haven't seen this show yet, but quite enjoyed Gotham for much the same reasons. It was more of a back-to-basics crime caper and that was how Detective Comics came into being. With some exceptions, the heroes and villains didn't have super powers other than being more modern versions of Holmes and Moriaty. I think this is why I preferred a lot of the Gotham stories compared to the less plausible characters like Superman.
@@ErikDayne I'd rather have multiple good versions not tied together than tieing it together for sake of publicity. Having a shared universe does not make something good on it's own, all it does is open possibilities in the future. Even then there are limitations since your sharing characters and plot lines.
The Batman would not be better if it was in a shared universe. The Joker would not have been better in a shared universe. All a shared universe does is allow crossover opportunities, which they can do whenever they want with the multiverse. Spider-Man is a prime example of that where those series were not connected but they still made a great cross over film from it.
And when we are talking specifically about the Penguin show, what benefit would the show have if Superman existed in the world? How goes a Green Lantern in space benefit the story and characters we are actually seeing? Realistically it adds very little.
@@brolohalflemming7042 Personally I couldn't stand Gotham. It was pretending to be a crime caper but was just an excuse to do a Batman show with off putting versions of the characters. The way the characters are portrayed are less plausible than good versions of Superman, plausibility comes from the character rather than their power set.
The guy complaining the most about the show started the conversation saying he has not watched it yet. keys bringing up points like it has nothing to do with gotham and yet we already have 2 crime families involved from the comics, a new take on "the hangman", the opening scene to the show referencing both Batman and the Riddler's fallout on Gotham.... Like at what point is it "enough" Gotham to count? It's year one of Batman, Gotham is in chaos at this point. This show highlights how much the city needs a hero to inspire it while cracking down on these factions.
Disparu only knows how to hate on things. It’s all he does. Terrible TH-camr.
Also is not confirmed she is the hangman
It's to give you a sense of the world Disparu, we ARE getting the real gotham stuff and then if done properly it merges with the "super hero/villain" vibe.. this is how you properly immerse your audience and it's why the Batman movie is the most authentic/best batman media yet.
Never forget that batman himself is not a "super" hero, he's just a man of focus.
Exactly. I don't need Batman in the show, i'm immersed enough to believe while watching it Bruce Wayne is somewhere doing his own thing and is building up to Batman Part 2. That's what makes it great.
2 episodes in.. superb. great performances and writing all round
People at HBO know their craft 💯 ... All the other noobs need to take notes... Seriously!
just watched episode 2 and I'm loving it so far
Loving The Batman 2022 is not an unpopular opinion it's a widely popular decision
Yes! Another Snarky Jay episode. Keep em coming!
Yeah she should be a permanent part of the rotation from here on out. We can give Little Platoon some tea and scones out of sympathy for the episodes he misses.
@@ErikDayne Or replace him permanently with Jay ... she would be an upgrade.
She's insightful and amusing. I like her a lot. But I don't want a world without Platoon.
Sorry guys, but I find Snarky's voice to be somewhat brassy, her tone brittle, and she just tries *way too hard* to sound informed and insightful. Plus, she has a very poor command of language. Far too many interjections and verbal stutterings for my liking. She needs seasoning and maybe some lessons in forming proper sentences. Sure, she *looks* good, but this is a talk show, not a cosplay channel.
@@DavidAnderson-m5cvery sexist ngl
With all the positive reviews I subscribed to max and have watched it twice.
I might watch it again before the second episode tonight.
It was really good.
I just finished the second episode and I couldn't be more happy with what we're getting from Matt Reeves' universe.
Checking in before the season finale. This has been so much fun to watch. Such a unique take and introspective into the crime world of Gotham. Watch it if you haven't.
You could have an umbrella that's also a gun in a grounded setting.
Also if they didn't want to go full firearm, poison tipped umbrellas are a thing in real life
Awaiting for a full season to watch.
Colin Farrell, as for me - interesting actor. He's taking different roles and perform them pretty good.
The Penguin and Batman had some sort of use for each other, they both love Control
Well duh. Each Batman villian represents part of Bruces psychology.
Jay makes a perfect point about the show. Grounded for a tone is good... to a point. Eventually you need to accept your in a superhero universe and embrace some of the more wacky parts of that. Gotham for all its flaws did this very well. It had no problem having a strong character drama while still approaching some of the truly batshit (hehe) elements of the comic book mythos either perfectly seriously or tongue in cheek depending on the situation.
I love the penguins mum as well.
At first I thought she’d just be his “soft spot”, an old, senile, loving mum that thinks the world about her boy. Then she had her little speech! 😂
they definitely made changes to make penguin more relatable/likable. changing his name from cobblepot to cobb is definitely part of that. he comes from basically a similarly wealthy gotham family as the waynes in the comics and it definitely works better for the show in this way and gives him more of an arc to have to come up through the mob. just goes to show you that you can make changes to established stories as long as you do it well
The cool kids have seen "The Penguin."
The lame ones have seen "Agatha All Along."
I finished every episode thinking "I didn't expect that to happen" excellent series.
That smile at the end of EP 1, it's creepy, yet it made me laugh. Not only the physical acting but the camera shot it was at. Great scene. And it was 3 or 4 seconds
The antagonist is the most “I can fix her” character ever
One look at her tells me she’s beyond fixing lol.
4:21 Not so much about being the head, but to be so cold, and wild at the same time. That makes her scary.
Fantastic show, really enjoying it so far. I am a huge Batman fan and am looking at this as a Penguin origin story of sorts, how he rises through the ranks and actually becomes a threat to someone as powerful as Batman.
I'll argue that Penguin doesn't want to be remembered as a good man. He wants to be remembered as a strong man. The mob boss he waxes poetic about was so strong, he could help others. But through Penguin's actions, any moment we see him gain power, he uses it for himself.
Excellent first episode, indeed. All the characters act equally brash and irrational, which adds a great deal to the coherence of the story. Very promising series.
I'm rooting for Oz Cobb. 🐧 🐧 🐧
They don't need to show Batman but they could show the Batsign in the sky and say something like "Well we ain't going that way" or "Tonight's not a good night, maybe later" or something similar.
I can't wait for episode 2 tonight!!!!!!!!!!
It's basically a Penguin origin story, by the end of the series he will be the Penguin from the comics, just like in The Batman, it's only his 2nd year of being Batman, that's why he wasn't the best detective yet or fighter and the Riddler played him until the end. In Zack Snyder's DCEU Batman was a veteran in his 40's, and Robin was already killed by the Joker, that's why he started killing people without caring.
Just like the TombRaider reboot except it may actually happen!
You could easily have the shooting umbrella as a serious covert weapon for an assassination or something in a location where weapons are searched for.
A umbrella fitted with a pistol mechanism is no more ridiculous than the gadgets Battinson had in The Batman.
He's an interesting character. Amazing concept I know
Fun fact: Someone actually did a YT video about why WB doesn't use live action Batman on TV. It is because WB don't actually have the rights to live action TV Batman. Sure they referencing him or show shadow image or show Bruce Wayne. But they can't actually show Batman. Now because streaming isn't technically TV there a loophole. But WB still afraid they might get sue still so they don't do it. Also if they were to put Batman on streaming show. They can never play the show on TV and if they were to sell it the value of the product will be lower. That why for years we never got an actual live action TV Batman. It is ironically this reason which is why we got shows like Smallville and Arrow. Both were pitch to be Batman shows at first until heads up at WB inform the uninformed employees why they can't do that. Trust me if WB could you will see nothing but Batman TV shows. There would been 10 of them by now. That all WB does is Batman look at their animation movies and video games. 90% of it is Batman. Marvel is making Spider-Man, Ironman, Captain America and Black Panther, another Black Panther, Wolverine, Blade even Captain Marvel. Yet only stand-alone DC game in the works that's not Batman is Wonder Woman.
He reminds me of a combination of book Littlefinger and book Tyrion from GoT, very conniving, intelligent, but fairly deformed and vengeful. Especially second episode Penguin trying to get on her side, playing nice while twisting the knife in her familys guts. Really happy with it so far
Why can't we get serious fantasy instead of either campy fantasy or gritty realism?
You've got your Game of Thrones. Let us crime drama people have some sunlight.
we did but you didn't watch. It was Smallville
@@Agent-mb1xxI'm always hearing about it, maybe I should watch it
@@PieroMinayaRojasit's a great show, hope we get something like it from Gunn's new DCU shows coming later
@@PieroMinayaRojas you will love it
This reminds me of Agents of Shield and the Marvel movies. I loved how they were able to tie the episodes right into Captain America 2 and the rest.
Lol agents was garbage.
The Penguin is also the oldest villain within the Batman mythos for he has been around for every single generation of the Dark Knight and so I think that Matt Reeves is giving him more depth as a way to show that not all villains are born that way for it was the environment that made them villains just like what happened to The Joker.
I always knew this show would slap
just finished it last night. what an amazing show. i would have never even thought of watching it without hearing from you guys and others.
About half way through the episode I forgotten that Batman actually exists in this world
The chick with the eyes is already up the street with the show, if she turns the corner we may never see her again. I mean every scene she's in belongs to her.
It was great. I loved the character of Sophia and of course Oswald is great, lots of layers.
The show is like it gives you another perspective on Gotham City, we know about crime and stuff but going through it in this gradual way was great.
I wouldn't be surprised if after every movie that expands the villains in the Batman universe there will be a series or two that separate the movies. I don't think they will reach the point of milking because there are shows for the James Gunn universe and they won't compete with each other. I think this will raise the quality of competition between them if the success of the Batman universe continues in the future in movies and series
A show with a compelling and strong male lead, a well written female villain, combined with great direction and script that don't waste any time and respect the audience? What are the odds, hey?
10:31 Oz didn't timed it perfectly... it is not an exact science. He got hurt, somewhat tortured.... almost killed. Yet precise enough to pull that great gambit. Making them kill each other... then picking up the pieces. That was the part I liked, if it was so well timed, it would not be so convincing. He paid a price of pain, to get the upper hand. For he is now a puppeteer...
A pleasant surprise indeed
SnarkyJay: "I get it's an unpopular opinion, but I loved The Batman 2022."
What do you mean "unpopular opinion" *EVERYBODY* Loves The Batman.
I wouldn’t say that. There is definitely a large audience that didn’t like it. With that being said I enjoyed it.
No
i didn’t like it at all, and i was so excited for that movie it was kinda sad how disappointing i found it
I was REALLY surprised by just how much I enjoyed the first episode. That said, it is only one episode. The acting is incredible and hope the writing remains strong.
3:32 Yah, she is so menacing. Such a well written character. Something between control and madness.... stablished with a single scene. Nuanced as fuck so early . Love her.
Hehhee, nvm... you guys pretty much said the same.
This was a great surprise. What wasn't was only one episode being out
I'm of the same mind as SnarkyJay on the Penguin... without Batman and shooting umbrellas, what's so special about him? I think they SHOULD add in Batman, but from the point of the villain. Make Batman appear very rarely, keep him in the shadows and speaking rarely, the thorn in the Penguin's side that never seems to go away. And even have Penguin suddenly blacking out in the middle of a crime, and waking up in jail wondering what happened and finding out Batman knocked him out and delivered him to the police. You can add in Batman as an ephemeral problem that Penguin needs to deal with in the process of his normal criminal activities, and still not make this a "superhero" or "supervillain" movie.
I can imagine they’ll at least give him the monocle and top hat
This is an origin series, but for Penguin. We know Batman is out there, but we don't have to rush it. There's a story to tell first. Remember the "Smallville" series, and their "no tights no flights" policy? That went on for TEN YEARS, and the payoff in the final episode was absolutely worth the wait. Patience, my good Lion, and all will be revealed.
Don't forget Penguin's top hat.
If you need a shooting umbrella and Batman to make your character interesting that’s incredibly superficial. This is a different version of penguin that is interesting enough to stand on his own. How he thinks ahead and how he plays a role in the underworld
Nah
The 2014-2019 ‘Gotham’ TV series was actually really really good - I enjoyed it a lot. Very dark and gritty, following in the Nolan Trilogy style. You should definitely give that a watch. Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin/Cobblepot was awesome too.
The reason Batman can't be used in tv is the rights and license holders make it so convoluted a process to be near impossible to achieve.
El Batmano?
I think they purposely used special lights to put glints on the Pelican's feral eyes.
Riddler's name in the comics IS actually Edward Nashton, he just had it legally changed to Edward Nigma because he likes the pun "E. Nigma".
That's what I was saying!! I like it so far, and I pray it stays good. ❤
Penguin is villain but he is very important for batman bcz penguin controls crime(like falcons ' kid said " penguin takes money but only enough so dad never had any problem"
Not having Batman in it and not having much comicbookness to it literally just makes it a mafia show.
This show is bigger than Batman!
Alright I think that Jim Carrey could still absolutely nail riddler in this universe, so long as he’s not used as a main character. Especially now that he’s older. Even in costume. Look at Penguin’s car. You can water down the fit to match the tone of the show.
Obviously not played like an ace ventura type. Jim Carrey is totally capable of getting a lot more down to earth.
The penguin is the first property based off of a comic book that I have liked since the joker
I watched episode one. It was fine, wasn't blown away. I'll keep watching though.
I can see the parallel with Scarface, but the first character that comes to mind when watching Farrell play Osward is Tony Soprano. and it's funny that on its platform (at least in France), Max seems to make a clear marketing choice to compare the two series, they made a new category "the bosses" and they use exactly the same imagery (same font, same colors, and the pose of the two protagonists is almost identical) I can only hope the quality is also gonna be the same for both series
honestly, batman villains are good enough that they can largely carry shows without batman. even in the BTAS, some of the best episodes are mostly centered around the villain and batman almost plays sort of a bit role at the end. the story is how the villain came about and what they're up to with the occasional shots back to batman at the batcave and then he shows up at the end to save the day. think about the mr freeze episode for example or the christmas episode with harley and poison ivy.
all this to say, i think it can work for awhile. not necessarily forever, but for an 8 episode series for sure
My wife never watches any superhero stuff but she enjoys the show. Depends if you need Batman in or not. Decent show on its own so far
cristin milioti is great in it. honestly all of the acting in it is really good, including farrell, but i honestly think she might be the best part of it
I feel like a grounded Pre Supervillain era Gotham show could work. Where Batman faces against the Crime families and mobs, the Maroni’s, Falcone’s, those guys, with guys like Penguin and Black Mask acting as their own mob bosses muscling in on the older families. Just the most flamboyant of the otherwise common organized criminals. Only to be replaced by supervillains as time goes of and Batman beats organizes crime with the help of Gordon and Harvey.
Every time superhero flicks become camp and magical, audiences check out. Then we get "gritty and grounded" for a while and audiences check back in. The cycle then repeats. Marvel should take note.
It isn't that audiences check out on one or the other, it's when it's too MUCH of one that audiences check out. Audiences got bored of seeing "gritty and realistic" superheroes after the early 2000s gave us a lot of them, which is why the 2010s were so dominated by the more campy and quippy Marvel movies, and why DC couldn't really cement itself the same way Marvel did(that, and most of the DC movies were just bad). Now that Marvel style movies have become the status quo, people are bored of it and want drama. Once the drama becomes the status quo, people will get bored and want more campy movies again.
I think both are wrong here, it's not too much campiness, too much grittiness, or "superhero fatigue" as they were saying a couple of years ago, it's just crappy movie fatigue; make good stuff consistently and people will check out what you're doing, make too much crappy stuff and people will just tune off. We already saw this with the MCU, it was so consistently good that even when they released a mediocre movie like Captain Marvel it became a huge success. Now every new movie or show seems to mark a new low.
Personally I'm tired of Batman in live action having to be be dark, gritty and "grounded in reality with no comic book silliness", but I can't deny that the 2022 movie was a success because it was competently made so people watched it.
We asked for Penguin
Why is everyone surprised that it was good? The Batman already showed that Matt Reeves knows what he’s doing.
Regarding the umbrella-gun and all, at least the Penguin waddles.
I also put my scepticism aside for this series and I'm glad I did. Overall, it is a quality production and is a great watch for those who want more adult orientated content. Victor Aguilar is a made up character by the writers of The Penguin, however I just put canon aside (I'm not a rabid fan of such things) and ignored the small liberties taken for the sake of the series. Some purists may complain about the inserted character, but I thought he was okay as a (temporary?) lacky to the Penguin. Collin Farrell is phenomenal in this, along with a good supporting cast.
The show strikes me as a prequel to batman. The period in time where batman is still making a name for himself. Also, batman isnt everywhere all the time. Even the joker gets up to a lot of trouble between his run-ins with batman. Same with all the villans.
5:20 also I think they're going to reveal his ancestor was William Cobb , aka the Talom who's also the great grand father of Richard Grayson in the comics.
Honestly I think they can pull off the old school Penguin traits without seeming ridiculous.
First off have it revealed his name is Cobblepot but he cut it to Cobb because he's embarrassed by it. Secondly there should be an epic scene at some point where he attends a gangsters ball and dresses in his iconic top hat and tux, along with monocle and cigarette with holder, purely to be over the top to make a scene and antagonise his enemies. Then show him earlier stripping down a belt fed machine gun to its bare skeleton and disguising it an umbrella to get a weapon past security. Then have it end with him gunning down all his targets while laughing gleefully, and once he runs out of ammo and everyones dead and all is quiet he pulls open the umbrella to reveal the machine gun and a mass of shells raining down and bouncing around the ballroom floor. And just pause for a bit to savour the bad arse moment. That's how you make Penguin look like the original without breaking the realistic immersion.
As for Batman, make him an enigmatic character that only shows up sparingly and at important moments. Don't take Penguins glory from his own show.