“That is gonna be enjoyable!” exclaims Candy Tooth as he lobs his machete in the direction of Anthony Mackie’s John Doe, who narrowly dodges the weapon because it careens right into a on line casino slot machine.
I’m undecided I agree with the enduring homicide clown. I’m watching the primary teaser for Peacock’s Twisted Metallic, and whereas I wasn’t positive what to anticipate from an adaptation of certainly one of my favourite childhood franchises, no matter hopes I had fell away watching this unusual out-of-context clip. Candy Tooth dancing to and singing the lyrics to Sisqó’s “Thong Track?” Exhibiting a comedic fistfight as an alternative of autos blowing one another up? I do know the showrunners are aiming for laughs, however what have they completed to my sport?
After watching the present’s first season, I have to confess: I actually like Twisted Metallic.
Earlier than Joel and Ellie, Kratos, Nathan Drake, and even Crash Bandicoot have been the faces of PlayStation, there was Twisted Metallic. The franchise popularized the now-dormant automotive fight style because of its wildly enjoyable gameplay, darkish humor, and a demented solid of characters – notably its mascot, Candy Tooth. The chaotic motion carried gamers by way of quite a few entries, from its highest highs (Twisted Metallic 2, Twisted Metallic: Black) to its lowest lows (Twisted Metallic 3 and 4).
Regardless of its success, the sequence has been hibernating since its fulfilling however forgettable 2012 reboot. Hope for a revival unexpectedly arose when Pea‑ cock introduced a 10-episode live-action adaptation. Helmed by Cobra Kai scribe Michael Jonathan Smith alongside Deadpool writers Rhett Smith and Paul Wernick, Twisted Metallic stars John Doe, an amnesiac supply driver (dubbed a Milkman) in a post-apocalyptic United States. On the daybreak of the twenty first century, a calamity brought on society to break down. Now, 20 years later, remnants of humanity have huddled in walled cities throughout the now Divided States of America. These residing outdoors these shelters struggle every day for survival on the lawless open roads, which quite a few gang factions and deranged personalities dominate.
Collection followers might tilt their heads at this setup, which sounds nearer to Mad Max than Twisted Metallic. The video games have at all times centered round a singular idea: drivers compete in a demise event organized by Calypso, a mysterious man with the facility to grant any want to the victor (often with an unlucky, monkey paw-style twist). Although completely different, this strategy efficiently introduces new layers to the mythos I didn’t know I wished.
Firstly, it made me care in regards to the individuals behind the wheel, one thing I by no means had outdoors of Candy Tooth. John Doe, a person tasked with delivering a particular package deal to earn everlasting residence in New San Francisco, is a goofy fool with an excellent coronary heart. Pairing him with Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz), a mysterious loner on a revenge quest, results in some enjoyable expletive-laden bickering, not in contrast to the banter dominating the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The truth is, the sequence’ tone is very harking back to James Gunn’s work, significantly HBO’s Peacemaker. That’s a praise. Twisted Metallic’s typically idiotic, violent humor doesn’t at all times land, however it’s absolutely conscious of how silly it’s and embraces silliness in methods I often discover extra entertaining than cringy. Highlights embody Stu, a careless, well-meaning everyman performed by Mike Mitchell, however the sequence’ finest character is its most recognizable: Candy Tooth.
Voiced by Will Arnett and bodily carried out by Joe Seanoa, AKA Samoa Joe, the pair seize the clown’s intimidating presence and unhinged, typically humorous, persona. The present manages a fantastic stability of creating Candy Tooth scary when he must be and a fun-loving outcast you nearly wish to hang around with … nearly. Agent Stone, the present’s predominant villain portrayed by Thomas Haden Church, presents the proper foil as a chilly, law-obsessed sheriff working a brutal police power hellbent on restoring order.
Some diversifications nearly really feel ashamed of their supply materials, however Twisted Metallic embraces its roots by way of copious references. Some are as blatantly ridiculous as John coming into a Twisted Metallic 2 cheat code to activate his automotive’s defenses. Others are refined, with some cameos going over my head till I regarded up their identify in a Wiki. The perfect are self-aware; count on to see a couple of faces from the commonly reviled Twisted Metallic 4 handled like utter losers and bullet fodder. In a couple of circumstances, the present redeems much less beloved drivers – I by no means thought I’d be rooting for Flower Energy.
The story juggles a number of threads with out getting overburdened and does a stable job fleshing out John, Quiet, Stone, and Candy Tooth with flashbacks detailing their respective backstories. The performances are typically good, and the story options fairly a little bit of coronary heart with some surprisingly touching moments. Although I typically felt emotional whiplash leaping from hyper goofy spectacle to lethal critical plot twist, the present manages a good tonal stability.
Sadly, Twisted Metallic doesn’t function almost as a lot automotive fight as I anticipated; most vehicular skirmishes wrap up in a couple of minutes, and far of the extended motion is on foot. With out spoiling, the plot ultimately rewards affected person followers with what they’re on the lookout for, with a satisfying finale that leaves sufficient doorways open to lure viewers again for a possible second season. The perfect praise I can provide is that I hope a second season occurs. Whereas I used to be uneasy, I had a blast as soon as I settled into the present’s groove and the plot hit the fuel. Just like the video games, Twisted Metallic is undeniably silly and gratuitously violent, however it swings for the fences and hits house runs most of the time.
Twisted Metallic premieres on Peacock on July 27.
