Colin Farrell’s ‘Penguin’ Is A Stronger Adaptation Than Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’

There are so many adaptations of various comic book characters coming out that it’s inevitable for some to draw comparisons to others. A lot of these characters are undergoing certain changes to fit these adaptations. These include name changes, ethnicity, social status, backstory, and a whole number of factors that are hard to keep track of. One that surprised many was when Todd Phillips announced he was making a Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix in the lead. It’s a very grounded approach to the character, similar to Colin Farrell‘s version of the Penguin. However, The Penguin feels like a much truer depiction of the character and, thus far, superior.

Joker follows a failed comedian by the name of Arthur Fleck as he struggles with his mental health. Eventually, his psychosis devolves so much that it twists him into a murderer who is ultimately arrested when he kills a talk show host during a live interview.

Originally appearing in Matt Reeves‘s The Batman, Penguin had his name changed from Oswald Cobblepot to Oz Cobb, and acts as an enforcer in the Falcone crime family. He also has aspirations to grow his own criminal empire, solidifying his power in a way far greater than the wealthy families he works for.

The Penguin features a lot of character traits that were changed for the Reeves film and the HBO limited. Besides his name, his backstory was also altered. He doesn’t come from a wealthy and elite faction of Gotham City’s founding familes. Instead, he has very humble blue collar origins with an encouraging mother. This is in contrast to the Joker, who really doesn’t have a backstory, so his origins are wide open for actor and filmmaker alike to create. Usually, the Joker is a psychotic super villain, a killing machine with no moral compass. However, those traits feel lacking in Phoenix’s version of the character. He goes after those who wronged him while sparing those he deems unworthy of punishment. Even with so many different versions of the character existing, this core cannot change. When looking at the Penguin, his core was not changed even though so much else was. He’s still an ugly man with a waddle and an umbrella. The other crime bosses look down upon him, so he is a scarred, hideous man looking to prove everyone wrong. This is Penguin’s core characterization and remains unchanged despite everything else, demonstrating that he’s a better adaptation than the Joker.

The Penguin is now streaming Max.