IR TV Review: PEACEMAKER - EPISODES 1, 2 & 3 [HBO Max]
The essence of "Peacemaker" is the irony of what he is. As seen in "The Suicide Squad", he believes a certain thing and acts a certain way because it is who he is. And from the get go in Episode 1 of his spin-off series: "A Whole New Whirled", there is a slightly more empathetic approach to who he is despite the fact that he is a mess and an idiot on so many fronts. Like writer/director James Gunn's earlier "Super" but with odes to "Kick-Ass", the first three episodes at premiere (which he also directed) show his ability to move back to lower budgeted elements but still with some of big budget flair. What is undeniable is that the music texture of the show really gives it that lift along with Cena's embracement of just going for it. It does help that Fred Raskin, Gunn's editor cut at least the first three episodes as well. Raskin went to film school at NYU the year ahead of this journalist and has become Gunn's long standing editor since the first "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and also serves as editor for Quentin Tarantino on his last 4 or 5 films. Knowing that rhythm with a filmmaker can make any production really sing and Raskin has done that. Kudos to his accomplishment.
Another interesting fact that "Peacemaker" allows Gunn (not unlike "The Suicide Squad') is that he can push the jokes more towards bad taste in this smaller format, especially in terms of social elements and relevance. Bad taste perhaps is not the right word but extended taste because it does make comments on racism and gender perspective (in a way at times that only Gunn can) while still creating some bruising comedy. Episode 1 in a way just reestablishes what happened to Peacemaker after the events of "The Suicide Squad" but also his new assignment per se and the caveats that come with it. Some of the NSA team is with him from before but it is a motley bunch. Jennifer Holland as Harcourt provides some kick ass and vicious perspective while new addition Danielle Brooks as Leota adds some need real world humor and context.
However it is Cena and especially Eagely (with of course CG enhancement) that really anchors the feeling. Peacemaker is like a big kid with no filter who kills people. He is mostly wrong most of the time but at certain times (especially during one ill fated evening in Episode 2 entitled "Best Friends For Never") it just works because he just wants connection in a weird way. From a "so bad that it is good" karaoke sequence that keeps building in a small space to blown out brutal action sequence within it that starts off from an unusual place, there are some crucial moments of brilliance. Add to this in episode 3 ("Better Goff Dead") where the real gist of the focus of the series is established. The aspect of a would-be superhero BFF in Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) comes through but like Eagely, the reason it works is that it is the closest thing Peacemaker has to a friend and he keeps messing it up. The back and forths between them are awesome simply because they have no basis in reality. Robert Patrick as Peacemaker's father Auggie also has an interesting role to play but one gets the sense that Peacemaker's issues stem from early on. The rest of the series will of course determine how it integrates but with "Peacemaker", Gunn opens up the DC Universe a little more in a way that Marvel can't with some of its bigger series because of the umbrella it is under. B
By Tim Wassberg
