The Penguin | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

The Oz Cobb we were introduced to in The Batman was only the tip of the iceberg. HBO’s The Penguin gives the iconic villain the complex origin story he deserves, with an unrecognizable Colin Farrell leaving a monumental mark on the DCU.

Set just a week after the events of The Batman, The Penguin follows Oz as he ascends through Gotham’s criminal underbelly, navigating betrayals, power struggles, and personal demons. What’s most compelling about Oz is how unapologetically self-serving and manipulative he is, but also how tragically human the show makes him. While he’s undoubtedly a monster - selfish, greedy, and ruthless in every sense - the series crafts him in a way that almost forces you to sympathize with him.

The show does take a little time to hit its stride, occasionally getting bogged down by some lackluster subplots and clunky exposition. These are minor hiccups, though, and while the series could’ve benefited from being streamlined into 6 or 7 more focused episodes, it never overstays its welcome with its 8-episode run. Ultimately, it serves as a seamless extension of the world Matt Reeves crafted in The Batman, capturing the same gritty, atmospheric tone and feeling like a natural progression of the city and its morally complex inhabitants we were introduced to two years ago.

Colin Farrell absolutely disappears into this role, but I’m not just talking about the layers of impressive prosthetics and makeup. The way he carries himself, how he speaks, the subtle mannerisms - he doesn’t just play Oz, he becomes him. It’s easy to draw surface level comparisons to iconic crime bosses like Tony Soprano, but he truly makes this character his own. I had to frequently remind myself I was watching Farrell, which should tell you how brilliantly he plays the part. Going toe to toe with Farrell’s towering performance, is Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. This is just as much her villain origin story as it is Oz’s. Watching the complicated and volatile dynamic between these two is when the show is operating in peak form.

The Penguin delivers an enthralling anti-villain tale that paints Oz Cobb as more than just a power-hungry criminal. With Colin Farrell at the center, the show elevates what could have been a typical rise-to-power story into something far richer and more nuanced. This is essential viewing for fans of The Batman, ranking among DC’s best film and television projects.

4/5

Review by: Benjamin Garrett

Boss Level Film Review

Boss Level is a new addition to the time loop genre, with a twist. Ex-special forces officer, Roy Pulver, played by Frank Grillo, relives the same day until he dies. Every day he is hunted by assassins and when killed, he wakes up back in his bed where he started, only to have to try and survive all over again. Roy has no idea why he is stuck in this infinite time loop but he must do what he can to survive, and the longer he survives, the more he uncovers about his particular situation. Unlike most action films that take time to build up, this film gets right into it and offers tons of non-stop combat sequences that would satisfy any lover of action films. Its erratic flow makes for some fun action scenes which come out of nowhere since Roy can expect the assassins to attack at any moment. If you play video games often and have ever been stuck on a level for hours or even days, you know the feeling of having to repeat the same thing over and over again u...

Godzilla vs. Kong Film Review

Godzilla versus Kong is the action movie we have been longing for since all major blockbuster films pushed back their release dates. After three solo films between Kong and Godzilla, we finally see the two titans clash on film for the first time in what is the culmination of the Universal Monsterverse. The story is split nicely in two as team Kong and team Godzilla each have their own mission. Team Kong is on a secret mission to the center of the earth to uncover the mystery of the titans. This team consists of Dr. Nathan, Dr. Ilene, Maia, and the Youngest character in the film, Jia. Team Godzilla consists of Madison, Josh, and Bernie who are also on a secret mission, to infiltrate Apex Cybernetics with the theory that they are up to no good and are the reason why Godzilla has been acting up recently. The dynamics of the teams are well balanced as the Kong story provides us with serious and more action-heavy bits in contrast to the Apex team story that ...

Inside Out 2 | Review by: Stefano Bove

Nine years ago, Pixar introduced us to Riley, a young girl who is trying to grow with change happening with herself and her family. Her emotions; joy, anger, sadness, fear and disgust help her through these difficult times. Now two years, Riley is 13 and is going through new life changes physically and emotionally as she tries to grip with the reality that the rest of her life relies on how the next weekend goes. All of these changes spark new emotions to grow inside of her. It is a tough time for Riley that she must overcome. It is a snapshot in time that is probably a big emotional trigger for audiences as well as we go on this journey with Riley. Taking the incredibly intricate memory world that was established in the first film, the sequel makes a few minor additions that allow it to feel familiar but still fresh enough to keep us engaged. Many of these new additions are some of the funniest moments in the entire series. With more emotions and human charact...

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