Impressions from the series Twisted Metal. A hit surprisingly better than The Last of Us show

TV series of Twisted Metal is one of those projects that nobody expected. The original video game series is now only remembered by true veterans, and the show’s strange opening clips destroyed any hope of a viable adaptation. And behold, how wrong we were. The two-leg series flies to the big leagues of the best computer game adaptations and even gives light to “One of us” (The Last of Us). Fascinated? And now about everything in order.

Few people remember the original series of games today, but it has a dozen projects. At one time, collisions in heavily armed cars won the love and respect of the people of critics, but as time went on, the formula remained almost unchanged. In addition, the gameplay has always been the most important thing in Twisted Metal, so the plot did not receive much attention.

Gradually, higher quality competitors forced the series off the market, but that same clown with a burning head, which became the symbol of Twisted Metal, was firmly engraved in the memory of the children of the 90s. Admittedly, the image of the character alone is not enough for a hit. It is all the more surprising that in 2021, nine years after the release of the last part, the online service Peacock did not spare the budget and invested in a full-fledged show of ten 30-minute episodes.

It seems almost impossible to do anything comprehensible with such meager source material. Different arenas and survival races, where everyone is for themselves – that’s all the series has to offer. In addition, it was worth expecting problems with the target audience. Adult fans will surely grumble that “the spirit of the game has been lost”, and young gamers are unlikely to be interested in this.

However, the final result surprised everyone. Twisted Metal or “Screech of Metal” is a very strong project in our opinion, taking the best from the Mad Max and Welcome to Zombieland series. The show was produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, whose signature style is unmistakable. They not only managed to develop the existing concept, but also gave the 2023 Twisted Metal its own “face”.

Why there was another end of the world is hardly explained to us. At some point, planes began to fall from the sky, the Internet disappeared, and people were divided into those who live in cities behind strong walls, and everyone else. The plot seems trivial, we have already seen similar first data in a hundred different dystopias, action movies and post-apocalyptic series.

The Twisted Metal is good though. The project is not trying to say a new word in the genre or change the approach to familiar things. He just makes good use of what he has. In that respect, the film adaptation of Crazy Racing suddenly turns out to be a more coherent show than The Last of Us. In the adventures of Joel and Ellie, the creators were too carried away by various kinds of statements and the desire to deal with as many current topics as possible at once, forgetting about their main characters.

There is nothing of the sort in Metal Scrape. Courier John Doe is tasked with carrying a particularly valuable cargo from one end of the country to the other and back. For all 10 days, but the reward is great – a lifelong residence permit in the city of dreams, where nothing threatens and there are no horrors from the outside world. For ten episodes, we will get to know the main character and his companions step by step, without being distracted by the inappropriate agenda, the problems of African Americans, and so on and so forth.

The furious road movie turns out to be a thoughtful, almost academic show, in which every character and every scene matters, exposes the characters and evokes emotions. I especially want to praise humor. Jokes don’t roll in second graders jokes. And all of this is spiced up with a hefty dose of fan service that will bring tears to the most devoted old fans. But even if you’re under 25 and don’t notice most of the references, it’s fun to look at. Plus, there’s the coolest music. Suddenly, Tatu turns out to be very misguided and touches the heart.

Actors and their characters are perhaps the main asset of the series. Anthony Mackie has followed in the footsteps of longtime cramped Chris Evans as the straightforward Captain America. John Doe is an interesting, ironic and very dramatic character. Nothing close to boring Falcon from Marvel. This also includes Tikhonya, the courier’s companion. Thanks to her incredibly vivid facial expressions, the actress depicts such a wide range of emotions that no words are needed. Finally, the main feature of the entire show is the same clown Sweet Tooth. The madman has his own written backstory, clear motivation and logical development. Such an in-depth study of secondary characters is something you definitely don’t expect from a series called Metal Grinder.

Unfortunately, the first season is traditionally introductory. The tournament itself has never been shown to us and only gives a rough idea of ​​the looming lawlessness. But there was a place for the canonical demon Calypso, who in the original was the organizer of survival races. The antagonist, it seems, they want to make a local analogue of Thanos, who will not appear until the very end.

The most important thing in Twisted Metal is that the show evokes emotions. If you watched The Last of Us with a stone face, this series will certainly not leave you indifferent. The characters are great, the motivation is simple and straight forward, and the jokes and action sequences are well thought out and very successful. Even if you’ve never heard of this universe, you should definitely check it out. We guarantee that you will become a fan by the last episode.