Pros:
1.) The chemistry between all the main characters is great. They all have serious baggage, especially Christoper Smith a.k.a. Peacemaker (played by John Cena). From being murderers to being utterly stupid, these people have good reason to not get along, but they end up doing so anyway. They are a group of dysfunctional people (sounds like a certain superhero group in a galaxy), but more seriously and disturbingly, they get along just fine. These actors are fantastic, and it is easy not to forget these people because of them.
2.) Normally, I do not like this type of raunchy comedy and writing (i.e., Deadpool, but if the writing is poor), but the story is surprisingly heartfelt. It is funny and the writing is fantastic, but the one big reason why I love this show is that it balances the comedy and the drama. When it is funny, the comedy does not overstay its welcome (certain comedic sketches have extended jokes at the end credits of each episode). When something serious happens, the characters will tell the comedic ones to shut up and listen. While the main plot is typical, its execution is well-handled thanks to the compelling characters that could have easily been stereotypes or cliches.
Let’s talk about the main character himself: Peacemaker. As mentioned before, he could have easily been a stereotype of a tough dude bro who is actually broken inside, but there is more to him than that. He may be broken inside, but it is much more complicated than that. From his abusive and racist father to a certain tragic moment in his childhood, there are several reasons why he covers up his weaknesses with his manly and misguided charm. The writing is fantastic with little flaws to speak of here.
3.) The action scenes are fantastic and brutal to watch. If you wondered why Peacemaker is a guest DLC character in Mortal Kombat 1, this TV show will show you why, because people get shot in the face and torn apart. The fights are well-choreographed to the point where some look a bit painful as though the actors actually got hurt. From gunfights to hand-to-hand combat, there is nothing much to complain about here…
Cons:
1.) …Though there is almost nothing to complain about, because there are a few fight scenes that are shot slightly too close or the lighting is poor. When characters are in hand-to-hand combat, there are only a few fights where it is shown too close to the point barely anyone can see. If those fights have poor lighting and the characters have dark costumes, it is even harder to see what is happening. There are not many of these, but those few stand out.
2.) While the antagonists are threatening, they are not compelling. I saw a comment on YouTube about these villains (that I will keep vague on purpose in case you have not seen it) that are compared to a certain type of failed villainous group in the MCU, but it actually pays off. I agree with this comment, but compared to the main characters we follow in this show, they are typical villains. I do not want them to be replaced with Peacemaker’s dad, August Smith a.k.a. White Dragon (played by Robert Patrick) since he is a great side villain, however, it would have been nice if they were written better, which the show slightly did in the season finale, but it was a little late. They are not amazing villains, but at least they are a threat.
3.) The one character I was slightly intrigued to see but the show did not get much to do with is Judomaster (played by Nhut Le). He seems connected to the main antagonists and wants to protect them for his own reasons, but the show does not explore it. The second-to-last episode makes it look like he is heading into the final battle, but he only appears in the aftermath. Maybe this is foreshadowing Season 2 of the show, but I am not sure how that works since the DCEU is about to be rebooted to the DCU. We will see what happens, but until then, this character seems wasted in this show.
Overall:
I know I am late to review this only DCEU TV show made in 2022, but since I finally have the opportunity to watch it fully, I might as well review it now. A character that I do not know anything about, Peacemaker was probably the most popular character in The Suicide Squad who eventually got his own TV show (or probably got it due to John Cena’s popularity). Regardless of why it was made, I am guessing showrunner James Gunn saw potential in this character and made a show about him. After finally watching all eight episodes, that potential paid off, because this show was awesome. Be warned that this a bloody and raunchy TV show, and James Gunn was not holding back especially when you compare it to his Guardians of the Galaxy films. This is one of the better DCEU-related media out there that is somehow getting a second season despite the DCEU getting rebooted, but regardless of what happens moving forward, this peace is worth watching.
Watch It
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