Matt Reeves’ faithful take on DC’s Caped Crusader released to theaters a few weeks ago, and has since dominated the box office, reaching new milestones. The Batman has received some critiques here and there but, overall the response to the Robert Pattinson-led movie has been good. Now former The Dark Knight actor and Joker Henchman David Dastmalchian has shared his thoughts, which include some major praise for Colin Farrell’s portrayal of The Penguin.
Initially, there was a lot criticism surrounding the casting of the lead role, as fans didn’t love Robert Pattinson taking the job. While Pattinson has received a good amount of praise since the release of The Batman, Colin Farrell has earned a considerable amount of buzz, David Dastmalchian sweetly added to it. In an interview with Looper, Dastmalchian says he absolutely loved the movie, right along with the casting choices. Here's what the Suicide Squad star said about the movie and Farrell, exactly:
I thought it was amazing. I loved it. I thought it was so beautiful and powerful. I thought all of the casting exceeded my already high expectations. I think that Colin Farrell was the sleeper surprise of that film. I thought his portrayal of the Penguin really brought a life and energy into a movie that was so incredible.
Colin Farrell is one of those actors who can blend into the cinematic proceedings and put out one stellar performance after another. Personally, I’ve had it bad for Farrell since In Bruges, falling harder in love with him after watching Fright Night -- and then even more in Seven Psychopaths. The man can act, and he brings something a little different each time, standing out on screen even surrounded by other majorly impressive players.
That’s why it’s really no surprise to me that he killed it in The Batman and is being noticed by his peers. If anyone is one to know comic book-based movies and give their thoughts on a portrayal, David Dastmalchian is a good one. He has portrayed a number of comic book characters, starting first as a henchman in The Dark Knight and then appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. He also appeared a number of DC's live-action TV series before earning a major role in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, in which he played the tragic Polka-Dot Man (who resonated with Dastmalchian). At this point, he pretty much knows what is expected in the superhero and villain world, so praise from him is pretty awesome.
Colin Farrell is pretty unrecognizable in The Batman, which makes his performance even more awesome. It's an interpretation that's completely different than what we are used to, both from the actor and from the Penguin character. Danny DeVito, who famously played the role, seems to have been proven right after saying that Farrell would be great in the role.
You don’t have to take my, or David Dastmalchian’s, word for it, though, as The Batman is currently still playing in theaters. The new movie release is not yet available for streaming, however you’ll be able to catch it with an HBO Max subscription on April 19th, once its theatrical period is over.
