Dance Numbers, Viscera, and Tighty-Whities: ‘Peacemaker’ is a Filthy Delight
5/5 Eaglys.
James Gunn has no interest in brooding, dark, and gritty superhero adaptations. From The Guardians of the Galaxy to The Suicide Squad, Gunn has always found his calling in the more gonzo aspects of comic books: from sentient trees to giant starfish to planetary bad dads, he is unafraid to embrace the more ridiculous characters and storylines, while still finding an emotional core to ground the narrative. And it’s exactly that spirit that drives his latest offering, the HBO Max series Peacemaker.
The series follows John Cena’s Peacemaker aka Christopher Smith, who we last saw in critical condition after getting shot in the neck in The Suicide Squad. The series finds him healed but aimless, until he is recruited to join a special ops team directed by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). It’s that or return to prison to finish out his 30 year sentence.
The team is made up of The Suicide Squad alums John Economos (Steve Agee) and NSA handler Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). Joining their team is over-eager new recruit Leota Adebayo (Orange Is the New Black‘s Danielle Brooks) and team leader Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji). And on the sidelines is wannabe superhero and Peacemaker’s BFF Vigilante (Freddie Stroma). Peacemaker’s role is as a hired gun, and he is assigned to take out targets codenamed “butterflies.”
Most of the team thinks he’s a joke, except for Leota, who senses a sadness underneath Peacemaker’s bravado and aggressive personality. While Peacemaker is the butt of many a joke (and rightfully so), Gunn and John Cena (in a role he was born to play) tap into Smith’s insecurity, loneliness, and self-hatred.
And after a frosty reunion with his father Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), it’s easy to see why Peacemaker is the way he is. Auggie is an all-American monster, a walking example of toxic masculinity run amok. He is a jingoistic white supremacist and shows zero emotion for his son, except for contempt and disappointment. Yet despite his dad’s awfulness, Chris is still desperately seeking his approval.
But lest you think this show is all about daddy issues, there is plenty of fun to be found in Peacemaker. The jokes fly fast and furious, the violence is explosive and over the top, and the needle drops are absolute perfection. Peacemaker’s relationship with his pet Eagle, Eagly, is absolutely hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt. Peacemaker also offers one of the best opening credit sequences in recent memory, which sees the cast dancing along to “Do You Wanna Taste It?” by Wig Wam.
Still, the MVP of the show is Cena himself, who combines his athletic skills and comedic timing to craft Peacemaker into a wholly three-dimensional character. Cena is clearly game for whatever Gunn throws at him, be it brawling in his tighty-whities, hugging a CGI eagle, or delivering the dumbest lines with straight-faced conviction. It’s hard to think of a an actor/character combination that has ever worked better.
The first three episodes of Peacemaker are currently streaming on HBO Max, with the rest dropping weekly. I can’t wait to see where this series goes, and I am loving the ride so far. Do yourself a favor, and get into Peacemaker.
(image: HBO Max)
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