PEACEMAKER Reviews - Here's What Critics Are Saying About The DCEU's First HBO Max Series

PEACEMAKER Reviews - Here's What Critics Are Saying About The DCEU's First HBO Max Series

The first reviews for Peacemaker have started finding their way online, but what do critics think of the first HBO Max series set in the DC Extended Universe and how does it compare to The Suicide Squad?

By JoshWilding - Jan 04, 2022 07:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker

Reviews for Peacemaker are starting to pour in ahead of its January 13 premiere, and while critics have only been given access to the first three episodes (the norm for shows like these), we can still get a good indication of what to expect from the eight-part series spinning out of The Suicide Squad.

In Rolling Stone's 4* review, it's said that "the series functions as a sincere character study of its flawed hero — and the unfortunate souls who have to work alongside him — just enough for the joke to never quite wear thin. Even in a wildly oversaturated market for tales of hypermuscular men and women punching their way to justice, Peacemaker stands out. You’ll wanna taste it, even the parts that are in incredibly bad taste."

The Daily Beast was similarly impressed, concluding that Peacemaker is "Self-conscious but never smug, sociopathic and yet also sweet, and timely if never preachy, it’s the very sort of no-holds-barred, tongue-in-cheek endeavor that’s become Gunn’s specialty." Collider wasn't quite so keen with a C+ grade, saying the series doesn't quite live up to what we saw from the title character in The Suicide Squad. In fact, they note that "the series choosing to back-pedal on what could be considered his defining traits [as a villain] only makes for an aggressively fine follow-up."

The Hollywood Reporter echoes those thoughts, wrapping up by stating "In its quest to shed new light on a character who came out of his last movie looking dangerously close to outright villainy, Peacemaker loses too much of the darkness that made him compelling in the first place"

On the plus side, ComicBook.com was quite a bit more impressed and wrap up their 4* verdict by explaining, "there are a small number of growing pains, but they are vastly outweighed by the creative and entertaining things that the series does right. Like the countless DC Comics solo series of the 1980s, Peacemaker proves an essential point about the DCEU — that when you showcase the weirdest possible fringes of a fictional universe, it helps the entire universe feel much bigger and more complete."

There are still lots more verdicts to be counted, but these early reviews definitely offer an idea of what's to come in Peacemaker. It's surprising that some critics don't like Christopher Smith's transition from villain to hero, though we do wonder how much attention they were paying to the character's story arc in The Suicide Squad as his motivations there, while certainly wrong, weren't evil.

Keep checking back here for the latest on Peacemaker as we have it. 

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Cap1
Cap1 - 1/4/2022, 7:28 AM
No surprise that it sounds like they’ve dialled down the villainy, although no less disappointing
Twenty23Three
Twenty23Three - 1/4/2022, 7:34 AM
I get it. You can’t have someone be an actual villain as the main character. I guess in TSS he was being a hero in his own warped way. CAnt wait to see what this show has
Cap1
Cap1 - 1/4/2022, 7:41 AM
@Twenty23Three - Dexter, GoT, Breaking Bad, to name a few
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 1/4/2022, 7:45 AM
@Twenty23Three - He was doing the job he was assigned to do by the government in the name of justice.

It kind of fits his character and it's a fine line between that and villainy.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 1/4/2022, 7:52 AM
Not very interested in this show but it would’ve been something had he stayed a villain
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:19 AM
@BlackBeltJones - 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣






I love this shit
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 1/4/2022, 7:58 AM
I’m reminded of a film called, ironically enough, The Peacemaker, starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. Near the end, the good guys are hunting a terrorist with a WMD in downtown New York City, and a sniper for the authorities reports that he has him, but he’s in a crowd walking towards him and there’s a little girl on her father’s shoulders or something that keeps him from having a clear shot. And the heroes of the film, who know things are just that dire and the sheer amount of people who could be killed at any moment just reply that they understand and *take the shot*.

It’s an interesting thing to say “Here’s a character who operates on that principle all of the time.” I’m not sure what you get when you take that away from the title character in order to make him more palatable.
CamtonoOfBeskar
CamtonoOfBeskar - 1/4/2022, 11:09 AM
@Chewtoy - I loved that movie.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:23 AM
@Chewtoy - I think there’s very little interesting actually. If he solely rocks that morality for a film, awesome (Gunn’s TSS) but the show has to do more than just give us 6 episodes of more of the same. Unless you like shit content without actual characterization and you’re here for fluff, then I get it. But this show is about Peacemaker realizing his truth, going through an arc. I’m excited to at the very least give it a chance I knew the reviews would be better than the trailers make it look based on the TSS trailer, which were also quite terrible IMO
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/4/2022, 8:00 AM
Gonna give it a chance, dont know how Gunn is gonna sell such an asshole as an anti-hero...then again, he made me care for Rick [frick]ing Flag
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 1/4/2022, 9:07 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 -

I still hate that Flagg died.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/4/2022, 11:13 AM
@HulkisHorny - I got a bit teary about Rick Flagg dying.
Teary. About Rick Flagg. Dying.

I though making me care about a TREE was imposible to top, but Gunn somehow did it

McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:24 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - which is ridiculous cuz I despised his character prior
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 1/4/2022, 11:25 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 -

It sucks that they did his character so much justice in the film and then they killed him off. I wish he would have made it out alive for one more adventure. I’d have traded him for Ratcatcher 2 personally. I think she was great but I don’t see much need to use her more.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/4/2022, 11:40 AM
@HulkisHorny - I agree, if there is a SS3, I dont know who could replace Flagg as the "moral center" of the team.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:54 AM
@HulkisHorny - I dunno Ratcatcher was t brilliant that would have been SUPER dark. Flagg dying just hits different after the film leading to that point
Jager87
Jager87 - 1/4/2022, 2:34 PM
@HulkisHorny - Same.
SerKurtWagner
SerKurtWagner - 1/4/2022, 3:08 PM
@TheHumanSpider2 - Bronze Tiger seems the logical choice. Though they could always dip into Secret Six and pull out Catman.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/4/2022, 3:50 PM
@SerKurtWagner - Bronze Tiger isnt a criminal? legit question, I only know him from the animated movie.
SerKurtWagner
SerKurtWagner - 1/5/2022, 7:01 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - He was brainwashed by the League of Assassins, but after Waller rescued and deprogrammed him, he's been a pretty consistent hero/antihero ever since.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/5/2022, 12:45 PM
@SerKurtWagner - I can buy it.
A shema Idris is already playing Bloodsport.
dragon316
dragon316 - 1/4/2022, 8:01 AM
Bad good reviews still look forward see this show not fan of character
Comicmoviejunki
Comicmoviejunki - 1/4/2022, 9:09 AM
🤦🏽‍♂️
TheBatlist
TheBatlist - 1/4/2022, 9:10 AM
As someone who loves both Marvel and DC, I feel lucky to be a fan right now. DC needed a run of critically acclaimed content right now and it’s good to see that happening. I like that I can get more adult-oriented, creator-driven content from the DC side and some of the more serial style, continuity-laden content from the MCU.
Jeight8
Jeight8 - 1/4/2022, 9:26 AM
@TheBatlist - critically acclaimed content such as what?

Titans is bad, the cw dc shows are bad and the last dc movie before tss was ww84.

For every superman and lois there is a batwoman or aflash and for every doom patrol, a titans.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:13 AM
@TheBatlist - yup you want something like Gunn’s TSS or Reeves Batman, Hamada is your guy. Films made by artists with creative control. If you want a weird Joker Scorsese rip off, lol, here ya go. If you want a rated R Peacemaker show with no creative input from the studio, BOOM.

If you want your Doctor Strange to be delegated to a imbecile, if you want your Hulk to open a [frick]ing gay bar, if you want Thor to get drunk and pregnant, then Kevin Feige is your guy!
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:14 AM
@Jeight8 - Gunn’s TSS is critically acclaimed like a mother [frick]er and this show is getting more praise. That’s what he’s referring to. No one pays any kind to CW buddy or any of the crap DC live action content. It’s all shit. Not from the same creative teams and wholly irrelevant
Jeight8
Jeight8 - 1/4/2022, 11:22 AM
@McMurdo - gunns tss isnt even the most acclaimed cbm this year let alone "one of the most acclaimed of all time" like i have seen tou claiming in numerous articles. Pretty sure both shang chi and nwh got better reviews.

I responded that dc doesnt have an acclimed streak with multiple movies and shows getting mixed reviews so what are debating here?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/4/2022, 11:27 AM
@Jeight8 - ya I wouldn’t ever call it the most acclaimed. I think people liked it more than Shang Chi. All the best reviews for Shang chi shit on the third act, and for good reason as it becomes a different movie at that point, a very FAMILIAR one. TSS just had way better characterization and a better third act. Just my opinion but Shang Chi comes in second for me. I loved Shang Chi too watched it yesterday morning cuz I’m quarantined and heavily bored.
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