Oswald Cobblepot (Batman Returns)

Last updated

Oswald Cobblepot
Penguin
Tim Burton's Batman character
OswaldCobblepotBatmanReturns.jpg
Danny DeVito as Penguin
First appearance Batman Returns (1992)
Based on
Penguin
by
Adapted by
Portrayed by Danny DeVito
In-universe information
Full nameOswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
GenderMale
OccupationCircus performer (formerly)
Mayoral candidate
AffiliationRed Triangle Circus Gang
Family
  • Tucker Cobblepot (father; deceased)
  • Esther Cobblepot (mother; deceased)
Home Gotham City

Oswald Cobblepot, also known as the Penguin, is a fictional character in the 1992 film Batman Returns , directed by Tim Burton. Portrayed by Danny DeVito, the character is adapted from the comic book supervillain of the same name. To match the darker tone of the film, this depiction of the Penguin is as a "freak of nature", with webbed, flipper-like fingers, a hooked, beak-like nose, and a penguin-like body, and was raised by penguins in Gotham City's condemned zoo after being abandoned by his wealthy parents as a baby. When he resurfaces years later as an adult, he tries to become a hero in the public's eyes and run for mayor, while secretly plotting to kill all of Gotham's firstborn sons.

Contents

DeVito's portrayal as the Penguin was largely praised, though some considered him inferior to Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman . This version of the Penguin inspired the character's depiction in other works, such as Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman , mostly in terms of appearance.

Character arc

When Oswald is born in 1962, his wealthy parents Tucker and Esther Cobblepot (Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger) are horrified at his deformity, as are the doctor and nurse supervising the birth. Even though they keep him locked in a cage, he is still able to pull the family cat in through the bars and kill it. Tucker and Esther place Oswald in a baby carriage, strap it shut, and throw it into a river in the hope of drowning him. The carriage drifts into the city sewers and comes to rest beneath an abandoned zoo; Oswald survives and is raised by a flock of penguins who have made their home there. As a boy, he becomes a traveling performer in the freak show of the Red Triangle Circus Gang.

Over 33 years after his abandonment, he resurfaces to run for mayor of Gotham City with the help of corrupt businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) and the Red Triangle Gang, of which he is now the leader. He also attempts to discredit Batman (Michael Keaton) in two different ways, first by teaming up with Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) to frame him for murder, then later by taking control of his Batmobile to make him appear to be a menace to the population.

When the mayoral campaign and frame-ups fall apart, Oswald puts a secret plan into action to kidnap and kill the first-born sons of Gotham's elite as a means of revenge against his parents. After Batman foils this plan, Oswald equips his army of penguins with rockets and sends them into the city, intent on killing as many people as possible. Batman and his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, divert the penguins to attack Oswald's lair instead; he falls into an underground lake of toxic sustaining fatal injuries. The penguins give him a makeshift funeral, pushing his body back into the water.

Background

After the success of Batman , Tim Burton agreed to direct the sequel for Warner Bros. on the condition that he would be granted total control. The result was Batman Returns , which featured Michael Keaton returning as Batman, and a new triad of villains: Danny DeVito (as the Penguin), Michelle Pfeiffer (as Catwoman) and Christopher Walken (as Max Shreck, an evil corporate tycoon and original character created for the film).

Danny DeVito was suggested for the role by his friend Jack Nicholson after the financial success of the first film, in which Nicholson played the Joker. [1] According to DeVito, "It was four-and-a-half hours of makeup and getting into the costume. We got it down to three hours by the end of the shoot". [2] Dustin Hoffman was originally the first choice to play the Penguin, but he declined. Apart from Hoffman, Marlon Brando, John Candy, Bob Hoskins, Rowan Atkinson, Ralph Waite, Dean Martin, Dudley Moore, Alan Rickman, John Goodman, Phil Collins, Charles Grodin, Christopher Lee, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Rocco and Christopher Lloyd were all considered for the part before DeVito got it. [3]

Sam Hamm originally wrote a sequel script to the original Batman , which had Catwoman teaming up with the Penguin to go after hidden treasure, but screenwriter Daniel Waters reworked her characterization after Burton brought him in to pen a new screenplay for the film. [4]

Director Tim Burton hired Wesley Strick to do an uncredited rewrite. Strick recalled, "When I was hired to write Batman Returns (Batman II at the time), the big problem of the script was the Penguin's lack of a 'master plan'." [5] Warner Bros. presented Strick with warming, or freezing Gotham City, a plot point they would later use in Batman & Robin . Strick gained inspiration from a Moses parallel that had the Penguin killing the firstborn sons of Gotham. A similar notion was used when the Penguin's parents threw him into a river as a baby. [5]

While this Penguin retained many trademarks, such as his top hat, a variety of trick umbrellas and the use of a monocle, he was given a dramatic visual makeover. Where the comic version varies between a balding head of short cropped hair and varying degrees of thinning, this Penguin is still bald at the top but with his remaining length of hair long and stringy. His hands are flippers with a thumb and index finger, and the remaining three fingers fused together. An unidentified thick, dark green bile-like liquid sometimes trickles from his nose and mouth. Instead of a tuxedo, he wears a more gothic, Victorian-style outfit with a jabot as opposed to a bow tie. In certain scenes, he also wears black boots, a dickey, and a union suit. However, Burton's design maintained the top hat seen in the comics along with a monocle and a cigarette in some scenes. He also has penguin-like appetites, as shown in a scene where he devours a raw fish, and uses a vehicle shaped like a giant rubber duck to move around the sewers and the city.

Tim Burton, inspired by the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , re-imagined the character not as an eloquent gentleman of crime, but a deformed, psychopathic, crude and infanticidal killer who holds a homicidal grudge against the aristocrats of Gotham City.

For the Japanese-dubbed versions of the film, the Penguin was respectively voiced by Ben Hiura, Tarō Ishida, and Takayuki Sugō in the home media, TV Asahi, and WOWOW editions, while Giorgio Lopez provided the Italian language voice of the Penguin and Uday Sabnis provided the Hindi voice.

Reception

Janet Maslin in The New York Times described Danny DeVito as "conveying verve". [6] Peter Travers in Rolling Stone wrote that Danny DeVito's mutant Penguin—a balloon-bellied Richard III with a kingdom of sewer freaks—is as hilariously warped as Jack Nicholson's Joker and even quicker with the quips." [7] Desson Howe in The Washington Post wrote that The Penguin holds court in a penguin-crowded, Phantom of the Opera -like sewer home. He also described DeVito as "exquisite". [8]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times compared the Penguin negatively with the Joker of the first film, writing that "the Penguin is a curiously meager and depressing creature; I pitied him, but did not fear him or find him funny. The genius of Danny DeVito is all but swallowed up in the paraphernalia of the role." [9] Jonathan Rosenbaum called DeVito "a pale substitute for Jack Nicholson from the first film" and felt that "there's no suspense in Batman Returns whatsoever". [10]

Legacy

The Penguin appears as a recurring foe in Batman: The Animated Series , voiced by Academy Award-winner Paul Williams. This version of the character features the Batman Returns version's physical deformities, such as flippers, a beak-like nose and an obvious hunch, and is shown to possess a rubber duck boat in two episodes, but he retains the traditional refined mannerisms and personality of his comics counterpart, although he still refers to himself as a "bird". His most prominent appearances include the episodes "I've Got Batman in My Basement", "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne", "Almost Got 'Im", "The Mechanic", "Birds of a Feather", "Blind as a Bat", and "Second Chance". He is the only villain in the series, other than the Joker, not to be given an origin story. In the sequel series, The New Batman Adventures , his design is revamped to resemble his comics counterpart.

When Batman Returns hit theaters in 1992, Kenner renamed their movie line from Batman II to Batman Returns. This new line included several versions of the same Batman figure sculpt as seen in the previous Dark Knight Collection line. Catwoman and Penguin, received their own figures. Catwoman received a new sculpt, but the Penguin figure was a repainted sculpt from Kenner's Super Powers line.

The character appeared in The Batman , voiced by Tom Kenny. In this continuity, the Penguin is primarily concerned with re-establishing the Cobblepot family name in society by stealing from the citizens of Gotham to rebuild his wealth. While he shares the comic incarnation's love for birds and aristocratic look, this Penguin retained a deformed appearance more similar to the Batman Returns incarnation, but with orange hair (similar to the crests on a rockhopper penguin) instead of black and balding, and sharp, pointy teeth, and fused fingers.

The Batman Returns incarnation of the Penguin makes a cameo appearance in Space Jam: A New Legacy alongside the Batman version of the Joker and the Batman & Robin version of Mr. Freeze as spectators in the basketball match between the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad. Penguin was seen in the same section as his counterpart from the 1960s TV series and The Mask.

In The Lego Batman Movie, Oswald Cobblepot in his Batman Returns design appears as a minor antagonist. This version has pale skin, sharp teeth, and the obesity of his Batman Returns counterpart.

In 2022, The Penguin was portrayed by Colin Farrell in The Batman, released nearly 30 years after the release of Returns. DeVito gave Farrell his blessing for his role. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Batman</i> (1989 film) Superhero film by Tim Burton

Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Directed by Tim Burton, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film was produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime and depicts his conflict with his archenemy The Joker.

<i>Batman Returns</i> 1992 film directed by Tim Burton

Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Batman (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 Batman series. In the film, the superhero vigilante Batman comes into conflict with wealthy industrialist Max Shreck and deformed crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin, who seek power, influence, and respect regardless of the cost to Gotham City. Their plans are complicated by Selina Kyle, Shreck's formerly-meek secretary, who seeks vengeance against Shreck as Catwoman. The cast includes Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Michael Murphy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Burton</span> American filmmaker and artist (born 1958)

Timothy Walter Burton is an American filmmaker, animator, and artist. Known for pioneering goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is revered for his gothic horror and fantasy films. These include Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), and Dark Shadows (2012), as well as the television series Wednesday (2022). Burton also directed the superhero films Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), the sci-fi film Planet of the Apes (2001), the fantasy-drama Big Fish (2003), the musical adventure film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and the fantasy films Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny DeVito</span> American actor, comedian, and filmmaker (born 1944)

Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series Taxi (1978–1983), which won him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. He plays Frank Reynolds on the FX and FXX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2006–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penguin (character)</span> DC Comics supervillain

The Penguin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Penguin is one of Batman's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catwoman</span> Comic book character

Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in Batman #1, she is one of the Dark Knight's most notable enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues' gallery. However, the character has also been depicted as an antiheroine and become Batman's best known and most enduring love interest, with many stories depicting their complex love–hate relationship. Since 1993, Catwoman has had her own ongoing series, Catwoman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmine Falcone</span> Fictional DC Comics character

Carmine Falcone is a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, portrayed as a powerful mob boss, an enemy of Batman, and a friend of the Wayne family. He has also been depicted in some versions as the illegitimate father of Catwoman.

<i>Batman: The Long Halloween</i> Limited comic book series by Jeph Loeb (1996-1997)

Batman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue American comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1996 and 1997. It was the follow-up to three Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials by the same creative team. The series' success led to Loeb and Sale to reteam for two sequels, Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome, which are set concurrently.

<i>The Batman vs. Dracula</i> 2005 animated superhero film

The Batman vs. Dracula is a 2005 American direct-to-video animated superhero-horror film based on The Batman television series. The film is a crossover with the 1897 horror novel Dracula. The film was released to DVD on October 18, 2005, and made its television debut on Cartoon Network's Toonami block on October 22. In the film, the Batman races to save Gotham City from his most challenging foe yet: the legendary vampire Count Dracula, who hatches a plot together to enslave the city and create a race of vampires along with his two new henchmen, the Penguin and the Joker. It was released on DVD as a tie-in with the live action Batman Begins.

<i>Batman: Nine Lives</i>

Batman: Nine Lives is an Elseworlds graphic novel published by DC Comics in 2002, written by Dean Motter, with art by Michael Lark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joker in other media</span> Adaptation of DC character Joker in media

The Joker, a supervillain in DC Comics and archenemy of the superhero Batman, has appeared in various media. WorldCat records over 250 productions featuring the Joker as a subject, including films, television series, books, and video games. Live-action films featuring the character are typically the most successful.

Catwoman is a fictional character first appearing in issue 1 of the Batman comic book. After her debut she would appear in many forms of media including live-action and animated film, radio, live-action and animated television, records, video games, web series, live performance, and podcasts. The character has made live-action appearances in the Batman television series (1966–68), its film adaptation Batman (1966), Batman Returns (1992), Catwoman (2004),The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Gotham (2014–19), and The Batman (2022). The character has also appeared in numerous animated television series and movies, most notably Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) and The Lego Batman Movie (2017), as well as video games such as the Batman: Arkham series.

Oswald Cobblepot (<i>Gotham</i>) Fictional character on Gotham

Oswald Cobblepot is a character and one of the main antagonists of the FOX television series Gotham, portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor. Based on the DC Comics supervillain of the same name, he was adapted by showrunner Bruno Heller for the series, which is intended to explore the origin stories of characters from the Batman mythos. Introduced in the first season, Cobblepot is depicted as an intelligent low-level thug who aspires to become a leading crime lord in Gotham City. The series explores his rise to power and the challenges he faces in achieving this goal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beginning...</span> 12th episode of the 5th season of Gotham

"The Beginning..." is the series finale of the American television series Gotham, based on the DC Comics characters Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne. It is the twelfth episode of the fifth season and the 100th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by showrunner John Stephens and directed by Rob Bailey.

Selina Kyle (<i>Batman Returns</i>) Anti-heroine in the film Batman Returns

Selina Kyle, commonly known as Catwoman, is a fictional character who appears in Tim Burton's Batman film series and is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. She is portrayed by American actress Michelle Pfeiffer. This is often considered to be one of Pfeiffer's finest performances, even though she regarded it as one of her most uncomfortable, due to the sheer discomfort and inhibitions she suffered through while wearing the costume. The character debuted in the 1992 film Batman Returns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Wayne (1989 film series character)</span> 1989 Batman film series character

Bruce Wayne, better known by his vigilante superhero alias Batman, is a fictional character who is featured as the main protagonist in Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series (1989–1997), and later as a supporting character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Flash (2023). Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, he was portrayed by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), before being recast with Val Kilmer and George Clooney in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penguin in other media</span>

The fictional supervillain Penguin, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58. Since then, he has been adapted into other forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joker (Jack Napier)</span> Fictional character

Jack Napier, also known as the Joker, is a fictional character introduced in the 1989 superhero film Batman, directed by Tim Burton. Primarily portrayed by Jack Nicholson, the character was based on the DC Comics supervillain the Joker. His name is a play on the word Jackanapes, as well as a reference to the names Jack Nicholson and Alan Napier, the latter having portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in the 1960s Batman TV series and having died the previous year. This depiction is notable for being one of the first adaptations of the character to have a distinct first and last name, as well as one of the few instances which show his origins. This iteration of the Joker is a psychopathic gangster who serves as the right-hand man of Gotham City crime boss Carl Grissom until he is disfigured following a confrontation with the vigilante Batman; his disfigurement drives him insane, and he becomes a costumed criminal obsessed with "out-doing" the Dark Knight, who he believes is getting too much press.

References

  1. ↑ "Six Things You Didn't Know About Jack Nicholson". AMC. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  2. ↑ "'Batman Returns' at 25: Stars Reveal Script Cuts, Freezing Sets and Aggressive Penguins". The Hollywood Reporter . 19 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Did Marlon Brando Almost Play The Penguin In 'Batman Returns'? Not Exactly, Says Tim Burton". MTV .
  4. ↑ Sloane, Judy (August 1995). "Daniel Waters on Writing". Film Review . London, England: Visual Imagination Ltd. pp. 67–69.
  5. 1 2 Hughes, David (2003). "Batman". Comic Book Movies. Virgin Books. pp. 33–46. ISBN   0-7535-0767-6.
  6. ↑ Janet Maslin (June 19, 1992). "Movie Review—Batman Returns". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  7. ↑ Peter Travers (February 7, 2001). "Batman Returns". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 4, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  8. ↑ Howe, Desson (June 19, 1992). "Batman Returns". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Batman". Roger Ebert . Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  10. ↑ Jonathan Rosenbaum (June 19, 1992). "Batman". Chicago Reader . Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  11. ↑ "'The Batman': Colin Farrell says Danny DeVito gave him 'the green light' to play Penguin (exclusive)". Yahoo!News. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.