John Doe (left), and Quiet (right), from Twisted Metal season one, credit: IMDb, Peacock, and Comcast
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Twisted Metal is a longstanding and iconic franchise in the world of video games. Known for its high-octane action and vehicular mayhem, it has captured the hearts of gamers since its inception. The Twisted Metal series debuted on Peacock recently, and it’s the first attempt at bringing this iconic world to life. I’ve watched all of the episodes and thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts to help those of you that may be on the fence about whether or not to watch this series.
In this review, I will be talking about the plot and let you know what aspects I liked about this series, and what I didn’t like about it. In the end, I’ll provide you with a rating, and let you know if I think it’s worth your time.
So let’s start by getting into the plot.
What is Twisted Metal?
Twisted Metal follows John Doe, a milkman that is tasked with delivering packages across the post-apocalyptic United States. Much of the populous live in cities ruled by questionable characters. Much of the country outside of the cities has been reduced to a barren wasteland filled with criminals and many unsavory types. Milkmen must deliver packages from city to city in this dangerous world, and due to the risk of the job, there is a high probability that they will not live very long.
This brings us to the story of John Doe played by Anthony Mackie. John Doe is a man that’s lost his memory due to a tragic accident. He has no memory of his family, and life before the fall. He’s promised an opportunity to do one final delivery that will allow him to live in the safety of the walls of New San Francisco, and have a home.
During the journey, John will encounter many different characters, and risk his life all for a chance at peace once his journey comes to an end.
The World
Twisted Metal is a series that I almost skipped reviewing because the first few episodes were just boring, and the world just seemed all over the place in the beginning. Characters can be brutally murdered, and commit heinous acts but there isn’t a reason as to why this is all going on. There is a brief explanation and setup, but early on I felt like this show was trying to figure out exactly what it wanted to be.
It does seem to make much more sense as the world is fleshed out a bit, but in the beginning much of it reminds me of a poorly done version of the Walking Dead or Mad Max with a hint of Deadpool mixed in.
The Violence
If you’re a fan of Twisted Metal video games, you may be disappointed by Twisted Metal’s lack of vehicular combat. Much of the action and set pieces will take place out of the cars, and the vehicles are more of an afterthought until much later in the show.
This series is violent, and some of it can get a little overwhelming, and it’s more of violence for the sake of violence. Don’t get me wrong I’ve enjoyed plenty of series that have had violent character deaths, but this show isn’t very strategic about any of it. The exception is a character that I enjoyed quite a bit and that is Sweet Tooth, but more on him later.
I just wish that some of the violent scenes in this show were not wrapped in so much humor and instead were there to increase the tension or make us care about certain characters.
The Humor
When the initial trailers dropped for this show I was concerned about what type of humor we’d see. Twisted Metal is written by the writers of Deadpool, and you can see quite of bit of that humor in this show. The only thing is much of it is poorly placed.
An example is a character is put in a life or death situation, but they can’t seem to be someone of normal intelligence for just one moment. Instead, every situation is wrapped in adolescent humor, and it’s pretty much nonstop until about mid-way through the series. Then the show settles down and finally finds its rhythm.
You may be into this type of humor, and if you are that is okay. But for me, I just felt like this show was trying way too hard to be funny.
John Doe
John Doe is one of the best examples of this. You can say that much of his humor has to do with his immaturity. The guy is just plain stupid at times and I question how he’s survived in this world as long as he has. This doesn’t mean that John Doe isn’t likable, especially once the series finds its groove I found myself rooting for him, and hoping that everything he was promised comes true.
I did have concerns about Anthony Mackie being the lead in this series, and I’d say that many of my fears were warranted. Mackie doesn’t seem to fit in at first, but it seems like he was much more comfortable once the humor settles down. If this show gets a second season, It’d be great to see what more Mackie could bring to this role.
Agent Stone
Agent Stone and his Group are the actual villains of this series, and surprisingly he’s a character I enjoyed. There isn’t much to him, he’s a former mall cop that took his job way too seriously. He’s an interesting character, and he shows us what someone can become in this world when they are given free rein to do what they want without consequences.
His group makes rules as they go along, and execute their brand of justice on anyone that happens to come across their path.
Sweet Tooth
Sweet Tooth was the real standout for me with this show. He’s a cool character. A psychopath that is the perfect fit for this world. Sweet Tooth’s character seems to command the screen every time he’s there. He’s a menace that does what he wants, and you can see how someone like him could exist in a world like this.
Most of the characters are genuinely afraid of him as they should be, because he’s truly a character that will keep you guessing as the series goes on.
Quiet
Quiet is a character that is insufferable when she’s first introduced. She’s mad at the world, and this is explained later in the story, but there were many times I wanted John just to leave her on the side of the road and continue the story. She does get a lot better as the story progresses, and the actress does a great job at conveying the complexity of her varying emotions.
Final Thoughts
Twisted Metal is a series that I found very tough to give a rating to. At first, It was going to get an extremely low score, due to how much of a mess the beginning was. But once the show finds its rhythm it’s somewhat of an enjoyable show that is deserving of at least one more season. At least then we may get to see how crazy the vehicular combat can get.
I’ve decided to give Twisted Metal a 7 out of ten, and I recommend it if you were a fan of the games or are just looking for something new to watch, but be warned that the first few episodes may be a bit of a chore to get through.
Thank you for taking the time to read this review. Have you seen Twisted Metal? If so, feel free to share your thoughts down below.
