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Before we break it down, its worth mentioning a previous article I’d written on the Twisted Metal TV Series. The basic gist is “do these five things, the show will be successful.” And boy did they do those five things!
Twisted Metal on Peacock is a wild, zany, and surprisingly heartwarming ride. Based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, the show follows a motor-mouthed outsider named John Doe (Anthony Mackie) who is offered a chance at a better life if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Along the way, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
The show manages to perfectly capture the zaniness and frantic energy of the video games. The action sequences are over-the-top and ridiculously violent, but they’re also incredibly fun to watch. Special effects are adequate, and the show does a great job of creating a sense of chaos and destruction.
Casting choices are also excellent; Anthony Mackie is perfect as John Doe, and he’s supported by a great ensemble cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, Neve Campbell, Joe Seanoa (Samoa Joe to fellow wrestling marks) and Will Arnett. The characters are all well-developed, unique, and they bring a lot of energy to a show that feels like it moves at 100 miles-per-hour.
The writing is sharp, witty, and full of clever references to the video games. Fans of the series will appreciate all the Easter eggs, but even newcomers will have plenty to enjoy. To all the purists of the Twisted Metal story, the television series does a great job of creating a foundation on which more seasons will hopefully be built.
Twisted Metal is a great example of how to adapt a video game property for television. It’s faithful enough to its source material, but also brings something new to the table. Audiences are left with a fun, action-packed, and heartwarming show that’s sure to please fans of the games and newcomers alike. Twisted Metal also joins a growing list of successful video game adaptations. In recent years, shows such as The Last of Us and Castlevania have proven that video games can be adapted into high-quality television. Twisted Metal is a great addition to this list, and it shows that there’s still a lot of potential for video game properties.
If you’re a fan of the Twisted Metal games, you’ll definitely want to check out the show. But even if you’re not familiar with the games, you’re still likely to enjoy the ride. It’s a fun, action-packed show that – for some of us – is what we imagined Twisted Metal would be.
