Review: 'Twisted Metal' is the most unexpected joyride of the year

I haven't been into video games since Ms. Pac-Man was all the rage, but I can't imagine that PlayStation's "Twisted Metal" was as much fun to play as its TV adaptation is to watch.

In the 10-part series, dropping Thursday on Peacock, John Doe (Anthony Mackie) plays a nomad in a post-apocalyptic America, assigned to race from San Francisco to Chicago to deliver a mysterious package. Along the way, he must contend with a power-hungry cop (Thomas Haden Church), a resourceful drifter (Stephanie Beatriz) and a deranged clown named Sweet Tooth (the body of Samoa Joe and the voice of Will Arnett). It's "Smokey and the Bandit" with severed limbs.

Despite the dire circumstances, Doe retains his sense of humor. Mackie's cockiness and charisma will remind you of a young Will Smith. If Hollywood ever decides to make another "Independence Day," Mackie's your man.

The action isn't for the faint of heart. Characters perish in gruesome fashion. Sweet Tooth is the kind of villain that would make Batman think twice about putting on that cape. But the non-squeamish are in for a creative, action-packed joyride that rivals any Mad Max adventure.

The final episode teases to a second season that could be even more harrowing. We can't wait.

Also this week ...

'The Beanie Bubble'

Barbie isn't the only toy taking a bow this month. This engaging movie looks at the '90s popularity of Beanie Babies through the eyes of three women (Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook and Geraldine Viswanathan) who were instrumental in creating the craze, only to take a back seat to sexist tycoon Ty Warner (a beardless, heartless Zach Galifianakis). The film does a nice job of tracking the rise and fall of a hot trend, but it's primarily a rallying cry for feminists who think "9 to 5" didn't go far enough. Friday, Apple Plus

'How to With John Wilson'

This series, which kicks off its third and final season, doesn't play by the rules. Wilson, an awkward narrator who would have trouble winning a high school debate, has trouble sticking to a story line. He starts off promising to explain how to clean your ears, only to get distracted by stories about hoarders and slumlords. An episode about how to watch sports on TV ends up at a meeting for vacuum cleaner collectors. But the unexpected pit stops are part of this journey's appeal. Wilson may appear to be lost, but he knows exactly where he's going. 10 p.m. Friday, HBO

'Fat Man and Little Boy'

"Oppenheimer," Christopher Nolan's big-screen epic, may have you wanting to watch more on the building of the atomic bomb. There are not a lot of choices. "Manhattan," which aired on WGN America from 2014-16, is a mess. "Fat Man," the 1989 film directed by Roland Joffé, is better. But lead scientist Robert Oppenheimer ends up playing second fiddle to Gen. Leslie Groves, who oversaw the project from a military standpoint. That's because he's played by Paul Newman. Joffé and writer Bruce Robinson seem so enamored of the movie star that they sometimes forget what's happening in the lab. Pluto TV