The reviews are in for HBO's The Batman spin-off The Penguin and it's so far faring pretty well with critics. There are some mixed verdicts, though none that are outright negative and there's an interesting divide between those who feel this is The Sopranos 2.0 and others who see it as a pale imitation of the classic crime series.
One major gripe is Batman's distracting absence and it appears that, for as good as Colin Farrell is, it's Cristin Milioti who steals the show as Sofia Falcone.
There are also those questioning the necessity of a series about The Penguin, though it sounds like the show squeezes in a lot of story (likely to establish Oz as a major threat in The Batman II when it's released in theaters two years from now).
In Variety's review, it's said that "[Oz's] fixation on power blossoms into something so grotesque it becomes uncontainable. A masterful examination of criminality, the show is twisted, disturbing and deeply enthralling."
The Hollywood Reporter wasn't quite so impressed, calling the story "an accelerated clash that rushes through three or four seasons of plot in these eight episodes." In fact, the trade argues that the series ultimately boils down to "various bad guys making similar and repetitively violent power plays, in which alliances are made but then too hastily broken for any pleasure to be taken in even the most fruitful of character interactions."
Over to Empire Online, the site's review concludes by saying The Penguin is "a spin-off that makes this return to Gotham feel both necessary and earned, with excellent performances from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti." As for Total Film, they wrap up with, "More gangster saga than comic book adaptation, The Penguin is a fresh take on its titular villain, but it’s Cristin Milioti who really shines as the brutal and captivating Sofia Falcone."
As you might expect, Batman's absence from the HBO series is an issue for many critics. Entertainment Weekly wasn't too bothered about the Caped Crusader not showing up but pointed out, "though The Penguin accomplishes its goal of telling a Batman story without Batman, viewers may be left wondering around the fifth or sixth episode of this eight-part series, "Wait, why am I watching a show about the Penguin again?"
TV Line adds, "It’s fine to not have Robert Pattinson in his cowl and cape actually pop up in the series – we know Gotham City is plagued by so much crime that we can imagine other events are keeping Bats busy! – but enough notable things occur throughout the show to make it distracting that the costumed crimefighter is continually not just unseen but also unmentioned. Just throw us a bone with a news report or two about what he’s up to, so he’s accounted for!"
Collider calls The Penguin "a series that is still finding its legs and could never surpass The Sopranos, though there are no better acts to attempt to follow." Discussing Film says it's "unbeatable when compared to other comic book adaptations on television" and Rolling Stone argues "it needs to tell a much more interesting version of one, with a more compelling protagonist, than what we get here."
Will you be checking out The Penguin when it launches on HBO on September 19?