Author Topic: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING  (Read 1663 times)

Offline perc2100

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Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« on: January 14, 2022, 09:40:52 AM »
OK, I know this series will not be for everyone: even comic book movie fans.  "Peacemaker," first 3 eps streaming now on HBO Max w/new weekly eps dropping every Thursday, is an R-rated series that is writer/director James Gunn at his peak.  Most know Gunn as the writer/director of the MCU GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films where he expertly delivers offbeat characters in weird situations sprinkling in equal bits comedy & heart.  Fall of 2021 Gunn already delivered us an R-rated comic book romp w/THE SUICIDE SQUAD, where he was able to let his sensibilities fly a bit more unchecked with the R-rating: course language, bloody deaths and goofy sex scenes abound, while still maintaining his typical elements from GUARDIANS (the weird/misfits with heart).  Before he hit Hollywood as a director with the horror film SLITHER, his first feature film (followed up by his first comic book/superhero take with the wonderful SUPER) he was a writer for infamous Troma Studios: one that specializes in cheap, graphic (mostly) direct-to-video films.

Peacemaker is ALL of Gunn's sensibilities rolled into one, and the series is glorious!

From the outset of ep1, we get a "previously, on THE SUICIDE SQUAD to get folks up-to-date with the character, and then the audience is hit with one of the best opening title sequences of all-time.  The tone of the series is immediately set for us: one where our main characters are 100% dead serious, while also incredibly silly and entertaining.  Of course, I'm talking about a bizarro dance number in what feels like an 80's esque set.

From there we learn a bit about Peacemaker, one of the members of Team X/Suicide Squad who is a master assassin (though NOT mercenary).  He states he'll absolutely murder as many men, women, and children necessary to maintain peace: a ridiculous statement that is on-brand through.  After getting out of the hospital he's immediately put to work by some government agency, populated by Amanda Waller's underlings from THE SUICIDE SQUAD.  He's tasked with assassinating a US Senator who is part of 'Operation Butterfly.'  Those who remember what was at the heart of "Operation Starfish" from THE SUICIDE SQUAD can maybe (_MAYBE_) guess where this mission is possibly headed.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2022, 08:08:08 AM by perc2100 »

Offline darkron9

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2022, 09:52:55 AM »
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...he was a writer for infamous Troma Studios: one that specializes in cheap, graphic (mostly) direct-to-video films...

Hmmmmm.  The Toxic Avenger.  An acquired taste.  :o Ok, I'll give this series, 'Peacemaker', a try.

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #2 on: Today at 05:07:58 AM »

Offline Miss Kitty

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2022, 01:14:42 PM »
The opening credits are superb!!! At least watch that. I'm going to watch again just to count how many F bombs were dropped.

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Offline Jim Watari

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2022, 08:06:47 AM »
I'm enjoying it :D
The more things change, the more they stay the same

Hoban 'Wash' Washburn: It's okay, I'm a leaf on the wind!
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: What does that mean?

Offline darkron9

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2022, 09:11:32 AM »
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The opening credits are superb!!! At least watch that. I'm going to watch again just to count how many F bombs were dropped.

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  Hooray for F-Bombs!  I had my doubts about the character,  but it looks like Peacemaker will evolve from his one dimensional character in the movie. 

Offline puppy

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2022, 05:47:00 PM »
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The opening credits are superb!!! At least watch that. I'm going to watch again just to count how many F bombs were dropped.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

I thought insurance companies are supposed to provide tests, too. Instead, our company is referring us to the government site.

Offline perc2100

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2022, 10:20:13 AM »
Well, Episode 4 elevated this series even higher to legit greatness!!  Adding the daddy-issues + fleshing out Vigilante was great.  And hey: welcome to the DCEU Matter-Eater!! Love that James Gunn is delving in the truly goofy/fun/weird corners of DC!

Oh, and hello Jody Hill: really fun to get you behind the camera!

While anything James Gunn does is appointment-viewing for me, "Peacemaker" is absolutely a "watch immediately at earliest convenience" appointment viewing.  The biggest bummer is we're already halfway through the season and we only have four more weeks of this brand of awesome - but it'll be a hell of a fun ride to the end!

Offline perc2100

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2022, 03:50:35 PM »
Today Peacemaker season 1 concludes and I don't think it's hyperbole to say that this is the best work James Gunn has ever done.  Everything about this 8 episode story is about as close to long-form storytelling as it gets, presuming you're into this style of humor/action/gore.  Gunn has really fine-tuned his sensibilities, crafting a story about a group of 'misfits' on a mission that leads to cursing and violence.  This time, thematically the story and characters broadly feel like Gunn's previous works mixed with what I consider the best of a series like Ted Lasso.  Our main characters (even the bad guy butterflies - that's not really a spoiler) are all broken people trying to be their best selves (with the obvious exception of Auggie Smith/White Dragon who is clearly just a racist a-hole bad guy).  Gunn, who wrote every episode and directed all but the middle two eps, knows that it's not JUST blending action and humor and gore and "hero saves the day" elements in his comic book adaptations: he gets that it's the character development, and their growth (or devolution, in Auggie's case) that make a truly compelling story worth thinking about and experiencing on more than a pseudo-disposable level.  In fact, the themes of a lot of his most recent films almost make the plot elements secondary; I don't mean that in any negative way, more in a sense that one who's even kind of versed in super hero/comic book movie tropes absolutely knows in a 'standard' 3 Act structure things will be catastrophic for our main characters at the top of Act 3, only to have our heroes save the day at the end and (mostly) revert back to a semblance of the status quo when the credits roll.  HOW Peacemaker and his crew save the world/humanity is a fun trip to be sure, but we're drawn to the character beats more than plot points.

When I saw THE SUICIDE SQUAD in September, knowing "Peacemaker" was coming our way, I found I couldn't 100% get excited about an 8 episode series featuring him.  He had his fun moments (he & Idris Elba's Bloodsport one-upping each other murdering who they think are bad guys in an all-timer scene in a comic movie), but I found myself doubting if I could get emotionally invested enough to get hyped about an 8 ep. run.  And while the first few eps of "Peacemaker" are _WILDLY_ entertaining introducing us to the characters & their mission, the series never lost sight of what it wanted to say: where Peacemaker comes from, the pain he's held inside his whole life dealing with his (SIGNIFICANT) daddy issues, along with the toils and troubles of his new teammates (many of whom we were introduced to ever-so-slightly in THE SUICIDE SQUAD).  The beauty of this series are the characters' growth and path to healing (both mentally and physically).

I've made my adoration for James Gunn as a filmmaker obvious, but "The Peacemaker" really is a gem of a series.  The only bummer for me is its come to an end, and who knows how long it'll take for a Season 2 to get to my TV.  We of course have GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY vol. 3 to look forward to (and whatever the hell Gunn does with them as a Holiday Special!), but I think I'll be thinking about these interesting characters for quite awhile: and I'll certainly be bummed when next Thursday rolls around and I remember there's no more "The Peacemaker" new eps to watch.

 Have fun, and enjoy the wildly entertaining cameos in this one (there's a whoooooole other discussion on how liberally Warner Bros has let Gunn off-handedly slander some of DC's decades famous heroes, and this finale has a WONDERFUL cherry on top for us)

Offline darkron9

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2022, 07:58:27 AM »
I agree 100% about your thoughts on Peacemaker from the 'Suicide Squad' movie to the 8 episode streaming series.  I only watched it due to your reccomendations and was pleasantly surprised. 

Great stuff from James Gunn.  I couldn't watch the finale last night but will watch it today.

Offline perc2100

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2022, 12:46:47 PM »
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When I saw THE SUICIDE SQUAD in September, knowing "Peacemaker" was coming our way, I found I couldn't 100% get excited about an 8 episode series featuring him.  He had his fun moments (he & Idris Elba's Bloodsport one-upping each other murdering who they think are bad guys in an all-timer scene in a comic movie), but I found myself doubting if I could get emotionally invested enough to get hyped about an 8 ep. run. 
I read an interview this morning with Gunn, and he mentioned part of the impetus for is wanting to create a series about Peacemaker came from Peacemaker not having a positive character arc in THE SUICIDE SQUAD.  I hadn't quite thought about it that way, but WOW did that make sense!

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I agree 100% about your thoughts on Peacemaker from the 'Suicide Squad' movie to the 8 episode streaming series.  I only watched it due to your reccomendations and was pleasantly surprised. 

Great stuff from James Gunn.  I couldn't watch the finale last night but will watch it today.
It has been a pretty fun ride, huh?!  I know we're not even into March yet, but it's going to be difficult for me to like a series more than I've liked "Peacemaker" in 2022.  I'm really enjoying "The Afterparty" for wildly different reasons, but not on the multiple levels as I'm enjoying "Peacemaker."

Offline darkron9

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2022, 07:32:57 AM »
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I read an interview this morning with Gunn, and he mentioned part of the impetus for is wanting to create a series about Peacemaker came from Peacemaker not having a positive character arc in THE SUICIDE SQUAD.  I hadn't quite thought about it that way, but WOW did that make sense!
It has been a pretty fun ride, huh?!  I know we're not even into March yet, but it's going to be difficult for me to like a series more than I've liked "Peacemaker" in 2022.  I'm really enjoying "The Afterparty" for wildly different reasons, but not on the multiple levels as I'm enjoying "Peacemaker."

Aha, and I agree 100% that Gunn suceeded with the HBO MAX series.  I see a bit of myself in the change from THE SUICIDE SQUAD introduction of Peacemaker to his evolved character at the finale of the MAX series.  I sure hope we get to see another season.

Offline darkron9

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2022, 08:02:11 AM »
Well, my wish had been granted.  PEACEMAKER is coming back for a second season!

Offline chocolateshake

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Re: Peacemaker spoilers - James Gunn is KING
« Reply #12 on: February 19, 2022, 12:18:02 PM »
It's a great series.  I loved it.  I binge watched all the episodes again while waiting for this week's finale.  My favorite is Eagly.  I love it when he brings snacks to Peacemaker when he's sad.  Although those aren't realistic unless Eagly has a stash of old kills somewhere.  I notice little details like that.