Superheroes. An alien invasion conspiracy. A choreographed dance sequence. A pet bald eagle. White supremacists. A commentary on internet misinformation. How do these seemingly disparate elements combine together? “Peacemaker.”
Created by James Gunn as a spin-off from his 2021 film “The Suicide Squad,” the TV series follows one of the film’s characters, a mercenary named Peacemaker played by an incredibly committed John Cena, as he grapples with his vow to “achieve peace, no matter how many men, women and children he has to kill to get it” all while uncovering an alien invasion.
With the show, Cena expands on a potentially career-defining role as he continues his acting career. While he’s known first and foremost to many as a WWE wrestler, he brings a surprising raw vulnerability to his central role along with the expected muscle-bound bravado.
Peacemaker isn’t alone on his quest, though. The show features a well-developed supporting cast, including team conscience Adebayo, the scene-stealing sociopath Vigilante, closed-off “cool-girl” Harcourt, enigmatic leader Murn, group punching bag Economos and, of course, the show’s heart and soul: Eagly.
The team’s dynamic develops over the course of the season amid battles, bonding and betrayals. Even though the show is called “Peacemaker,” each character contributes to the plot and nobody is simply just “there.” The eight-episode count balances focus on story and character moments without falling into endless filler or just going from plot point to plot point.
Because “Peacemaker” is an HBO Max original with a TV-MA rating, it isn’t beholden to conventions of normal television. It allows Gunn to go all out with his signature mix of graphic violence, crude jokes and a few sex scenes — for better and for worse.
While the rating allows for some creative and engaging action scenes, Gunn’s preoccupation with anuses and fart jokes is a little much.
Gunn approaches comedy like that one kid in middle school or high school who thinks “more is always better” but with a major streaming service’s budget to do whatever he wants. I’m not saying it’s bad. I just think the show could’ve used a little less of it.
If there’s anything Gunn loves more than butthole jokes, though, it’s slow-motion shots of the main characters walking in a horizontal line set to a rock song. Outside of multiple appearances in “Peacemaker” (sometimes twice in the same episode), the director also employed the shot for “The Suicide Squad” and both “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.
The director’s trademark of soundtracking his work with rock songs is on full display in “Peacemaker.” The show’s official playlist, curated by Gunn himself, contains 43 songs. Over eight episodes, that averages to 5.375 songs per episode. Some standouts include Wig Wam’s “Do Ya Wanna Taste It?,” the bizarre opening credits dance sequence and John Cena’s piano cover of “Home Sweet Home” by Mötley Crüe.
“Peacemaker” is a wild, if not overly crass at times, ride. If you’ve got an HBO Max subscription and like John Cena and James Gunn movies, this is the show for you. Just make sure you’ve seen “The Suicide Squad” first, as the show directly follows the events of that film.
