With almost 1000 reviews on IMDB - not much I can add to a basic review, but I can speak to someone who arrived at this show a little late - finally coming around to watch.
First episode? I seriously thought this was going to be a 9/10 type of TV show, which is super rare in the comedy genre. First episode is witty, fresh, and truly hilarious. All the jokes hit, the timing is perfect, and the world of Peacemaker is established, as well as the foundation for the story arc.
Especially funny is the main characters pettiness, ego and need for validation. It makes for hilarious back and forth conversations with the rest of the cast. Cena is perfectly cast - obviously an extension of his role in The Suicide Squad. In that movie he kinda steals the show as a side character, and not shocking he would find himself in a mini-series (maybe a few seasons?).
Also funny is Peacemakers bend towards conspiracy theories, which then unfold like a self fulfilling prophecy as the show arc is revealed.
I think Peacemaker really puts on full display the challenge of comedy - just how hard it is to maintain the velocity of smart humor, even if it comes off as slapstick or dumb. Episode by episode, the jokes become more sparse, and the show really becomes more focused on character and story development, including real drama. And there is nothing wrong with that - the show just becomes less funny, even if the subject matter remains pretty absurd.
Two shows that also utilize this kind of humor would be the brilliant John Claude Van Johnson, and the Evil Dead TV show. Van Johnson somehow maintains humor throughout, I'd say Evil Dead is a lot like Peacemaker, and kinda slips the longer it stays. All three are well worth watching, I would think especially for fans of comedy. Evil Dead also utilizes humorous violence - something I think needs to be heavily stylized to really work well.
That would be my first critique of Peacemaker - I don't think the violence as humor always works. Sometimes the violence is a little too grounded/realistic, and feels like violence for violence sake alone - without the focus on humor or any other purpose. Same could be said about a ton of media. My other big critique is the lack of a villain, which in a show like this is baffling. Who is the bad guy (or gal?)? Is it their boss? Is it the invasion they are investigating? Is it a family member? Or is it all of them, all nebulously forming an antagonistic force? I don't know - but I do know the lack of a specific/clear villain in a show like this makes zero sense.
Overall though? Peacemaker offers a ton of entertainment. The leading man plays the part very well, and he's a truly unique action star. Surrounding cast is good (especially Vigilante), and from a point of overall production? It is a very well made show. I'd watch a spinoff of a spinoff - Vigilante TV show! More to the point - I'd be fully interested in a second season.
First episode? I seriously thought this was going to be a 9/10 type of TV show, which is super rare in the comedy genre. First episode is witty, fresh, and truly hilarious. All the jokes hit, the timing is perfect, and the world of Peacemaker is established, as well as the foundation for the story arc.
Especially funny is the main characters pettiness, ego and need for validation. It makes for hilarious back and forth conversations with the rest of the cast. Cena is perfectly cast - obviously an extension of his role in The Suicide Squad. In that movie he kinda steals the show as a side character, and not shocking he would find himself in a mini-series (maybe a few seasons?).
Also funny is Peacemakers bend towards conspiracy theories, which then unfold like a self fulfilling prophecy as the show arc is revealed.
I think Peacemaker really puts on full display the challenge of comedy - just how hard it is to maintain the velocity of smart humor, even if it comes off as slapstick or dumb. Episode by episode, the jokes become more sparse, and the show really becomes more focused on character and story development, including real drama. And there is nothing wrong with that - the show just becomes less funny, even if the subject matter remains pretty absurd.
Two shows that also utilize this kind of humor would be the brilliant John Claude Van Johnson, and the Evil Dead TV show. Van Johnson somehow maintains humor throughout, I'd say Evil Dead is a lot like Peacemaker, and kinda slips the longer it stays. All three are well worth watching, I would think especially for fans of comedy. Evil Dead also utilizes humorous violence - something I think needs to be heavily stylized to really work well.
That would be my first critique of Peacemaker - I don't think the violence as humor always works. Sometimes the violence is a little too grounded/realistic, and feels like violence for violence sake alone - without the focus on humor or any other purpose. Same could be said about a ton of media. My other big critique is the lack of a villain, which in a show like this is baffling. Who is the bad guy (or gal?)? Is it their boss? Is it the invasion they are investigating? Is it a family member? Or is it all of them, all nebulously forming an antagonistic force? I don't know - but I do know the lack of a specific/clear villain in a show like this makes zero sense.
Overall though? Peacemaker offers a ton of entertainment. The leading man plays the part very well, and he's a truly unique action star. Surrounding cast is good (especially Vigilante), and from a point of overall production? It is a very well made show. I'd watch a spinoff of a spinoff - Vigilante TV show! More to the point - I'd be fully interested in a second season.