By M.N.Miller - December 2, 2024
James Gunn, now in control of the DC Universe at Warner Bros. Discovery, is diving into the world of animated television with the new streaming series Creature Commandos, which offers a bloody, ominous, and visceral good time. The passionate comic book fanbase will undoubtedly embrace the show. However, the series also has the potential to captivate even the more indifferent fans of animation and comic book fare, thanks to its unique cast of superhuman military antiheroes, including a werewolf, a vampire, Frankenstein's bride, and a gorgon, well, can.
Simply put, James Gunn's Creature Commandos is super cool, darkly funny, and an addictive shot of streaming animation.
The story follows a secret group of incarcerated monsters on a mission to save the world—one too dangerous for anyone in a standard flesh suit. I mean, who else are you going to call when traditional military forces fail to protect the public? That’s where these disparate characters come in. Suppose The Dirty Dozen (or The Suicide Squad) has taught us anything. In that case, you can’t save the world unless a group of individuals—significantly different in terms of abilities, backgrounds, personalities, and characteristics—come together to work as one.
Amanda Waller (Academy Award winner Viola Davis) returns with the help of General Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo, Tulsa King) as they form a black ops team from the “Non-Human Internment Division.” And Waller is nothing but a government bureaucrat who follows the rules, right?
Congress passed a law that they can only use non-human inmates after Waller's antics with her previous group with that alliterative name. So, the good General sets his sights on the Bride of Frankenstein (Indira Varma), a member of Wonder Woman’s villain squad, Circe (Anya Chalotra), a mermaid scientist, Nina (Zoë Chao), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), the Weisel and a dedicated droid, the G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn, who voices both characters).
Max’s Creature Commandos is Feverishly Funny and Devilishly Cool!
What James Gunn has created, much like the themes in his superior version of The Suicide Squad, embraces his unique horror-thriller sensibilities. His style is furiously funny, devilishly cool, and savagely biting in its commentary on the oversight and abuse of government power. You can’t think of another filmmaker who could bring a story like this to such vivid light. This version of Creature Commandos may not be for everyone, but you can't deny the wholly original spin he puts on adapting this comic book series in such unique ways.
You don’t necessarily have to watch all the variations of Suicide Squad or even Peacemaker, but there are references—though I wouldn’t worry if you’re new to the franchise. As the trailer states, the series is hyperbolically violent in the best way, in the tradition of The Boys (and, obviously, The Boys Presents: Diabolical). However, unlike most series that turns into a bloody mess, Creature Commandos is a darkly twisted, gloriously bloody ride. James Gunn always finds what makes many of these “bad characters” tick because an antihero or even villain is a human being mistreated their entire life.
Is Max’s Creature Commandos Worth Watching?
Creature Commandos is incredibly violent, but it is a type of amusement park violence that cannot be taken too seriously. The series works because his script outlines eccentric characters and downright weird scenarios you’ll ever see in a significant studio comic book series to date. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Creature Commandos is available weekly on Max, with the first two episodes airing December 5
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