The pilot of Peacemaker is full of James Gunn staples, off kilter, coarse language, violence, insane characters, and funny! Peacemaker is one of the comic book characters James Gunn plucked from obscurity. The original character was published by Charlton Comics in Fightin’ 5 #40 (1966) created by Joe Gill and Pat Boyette. Christopher Smith had his own series in Peacemaker #1 (1967) by the same creative team. He entered the DC Universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (1985). Paul Kupperberg and Tod Smith created his first DC title with the four issue limited series starting with Peacemaker #1 (1988). There were random appearances over the years, but basically Peacemaker was not a showcase character until James Gunn featured him in The Suicide Squad (2021). The show has the anarchy of Deadpool, but Peacemaker ups the level, and adds a number of wacky characters.
The HBO Max series pilot is written and directed by The Suicide Squad director, James Gunn and absolutely only for adults with content, and the full language, violence, and everything that goes under the category R. The beginning has a recap so here’s a recap of the movie with spoilers, Christopher Smith (John Cena) is recruited by Amanda Waller into Suicide Squad, he has a naive, but racks up body counts next to teammate, Bloodsport (Robert DuBois). Cena, the WWE champion, was also in F9: The Fast Saga (2021), gets to develop the insanity and character of Chris Smith. Peacemaker's Team leader, Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), has found the situation with imprisoned Starro the Conqueror is so corrupt, he wants to take the data to reveal the U.S. government’s role in his capture. Peacemaker opposes him and manages to kill Flag.
The rise of Starro and the Corto Maltese army makes things complicated. Ultimately, Bloodsport faces Peacemaker, and the ultimate sharpshooter shoots the bloodthirsty gunman. The pilot starts with the x-ray of Christopher Chance is shown of his injury and his recovery is noted by Dr. Alandy (Lissa Neptuno). He asks the doctor if the x-ray could show his “small muscle groups”, funny! She advises him not to raise his right elbow to his shoulder and discharges him. Chance is surprised so he asks the janitor, Jamil (Rizwan Manji), if he can trust him. Manji is in the Atypical comedy series. He admits that he is a superhero named Peacemaker. Jamil says he is a racist superhero and Peacemaker he will kill a “fair amount” of white people. He takes out his gear and personal items including a Greetings from Corto Maltese post card! Peacemaker ditches his hospital gown to super suit and walks out with one worker texting to Mr. Murn.
He says he only served five years of his thirty year sentence. Murn says he reports to Amanda Waller. He says Emilia is his handler and John is his “tech and tactics.” Leota is excited to work with all of the team, she’s funny. Murn says the new mission is Project Butterfly, Peacemaker says it is a Mothra, but he says it is to kill “bad people.” He has to go to his dad’s place to get Eagly, his sidekick. An upside down flag is outside of a house with a flag covered car. He explains to his father that he was in the hospital for five months. No reaction. He argues with the neighbor as his father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), opens the door. Patrick, a great genre actor known for the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), worked with Cena in The Marine (2006).
Chris walks in as his father has on the ranting tv personality for Fact Attack. Auggie takes his son to the garage to see Eagly (veteran voice actor, Dee Bradley Baker, provides his screeches). Chris is excited especially when Eagly puts his wings around him in a hug? At their run down office and Emilia notes that it is Waller punishing them. At a quiet table, Chris and his father have a meal with Eagly. Chris tells about Bloodsport, that makes him laugh until he chokes. His father activates a high tech room with a row of helmets. He makes some racist comments. Later, at night, the team is eating at a diner while Peacemaker has driven up with his flag car. He walks up with his clean costume, he tries to order, but doesn’t understand how to talk to regular people. A restaurant worker with glasses, who is actually Adrian Chase, the Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) smiles at Peacemaker. Stroma was in the drama, Bridgerton.
Murn hands him a file for his first target. Adrian walks out of the restaurant and dances excited about the return of Peacemaker. Chris drops his file off at his car and Leota is interested in Eagly. It lashes at her and they have a conversation. He tells her what he knows about Murn who worked as a mercenary. They kind of have a rapport. Later, he is driving and sees Emilia with her phone walk into a bar. She is taking a beer when the yokels try to flirt with her. Peacemaker joins her. One of the yokels is angry his friend was rejected so Emilia painfully has him brought down. They stumble out and the women clap as they exit. She gets angry at Peacemaker and walks away. Then, he eyes a blond woman with bad 80’s hair, who has a name, Annie Sturphausen (Crystal Mudry), but not mentioned on the show. Later, Chris in his tighty whiteys sings and dances to the Quireboys! Annie is not whom she seems, a hint of the butterfly mission?, as is every character except Peacemaker (and maybe Eagly). This is true of the Peacemaker pilot, absurd, violent, and funny, a perfect show for James Gunn!
Four Peacemaker Helmets out of Five!
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