If 10 years ago, I would have been told that DC had overtaken Marvel in terms of creating and adapting more consistently entertaining and critically acclaimed IP, I would have laughed in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Now although they have had a few critical failures (Joker: Folie a Deux, Shazam: Fury of the Gods), the gradual ramp-up with 2021’s The Suicide Squad, 2022’s The Batman, the Harley Quinn animated series, Peacemaker and now new DC Studios CEO James Gunn’s latest, Creature Commandos, DC seems to have slightly tipped the scale in their favor.
As we enter 2025, box office returns, low streaming numbers and continuously underwhelming reviews would indicate that fans around the world have hit a wave of “superhero fatigue” – of which I am not immune. Taking a poll of those same fans, findings would likely demonstrate that fandom hit an all-time high with Marvel’s Infinity War and Endgame which unfortunately turned into a bit of a catch-22 because I firmly believe that 2019 is the turning point of which the quality started sorely falling behind the quantity. Quality aside, the never-ending war between the seemingly infinitely multiplying Snyderverse fans and literally anyone else with a differing opinion has made being a comic book fan tiresome in the last few years.
Then came James Gunn, and his merry band of horrendously distasteful, abhorrent monsters.
When announced, personally, I had absolutely no expectations. Being a little-known property, continuing with James Gunn’s seemingly never-ending team-centered formula (The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and the aforementioned The Suicide Squad), Creature Commandos was seemingly poised to set up the DCU as dead on arrival. I’ve never been happier that I was wrong. Go with James Gunn if you want your franchise to live.
Off the back of 2021’s The Suicide Squad and Operation Starfish, Amanda Waller (voiced by the returning Viola Davis) has been sanctioned by the U.S. Government and sending teams of humans as fodder is outlawed. Luckily, monsters exist! Assembling Task Force M consisting of The Bride of Frankenstein (Indira Varma), Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), GI Robot & Weasel (Sean Gunn), the affable sea creature Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), led by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), Creature Commandos is the official start of James Gunn’s DCU, and is a rip-roaring, foul-mouthed good time! Tasked with defending a foreign princess against an invading Amazonian sorceress, Task Force M paints the landscape red, leaving behind a trail of blood, guts and debauchery all in the name of the “greater good.”
When announced, personally, I had absolutely no expectations. Being a little-known property, continuing with James Gunn’s seemingly never-ending team-centered formula (The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and the aforementioned The Suicide Squad), Creature Commandos was seemingly poised to set up the DCU as dead on arrival. I’ve never been happier that I was wrong. Please, go with James Gunn if you want your franchise to live.
In a short season of 7 episodes, Varma, Gunn, Tudyk, Chao and Grillo demonstrate that they don’t have to be seen on camera to be effective, given a script that is at times genuinely laugh out loud, every cast member soars. Each character gets their time in the limelight, with plenty of time focusing on the background, motivation and upbringing of each, adding layers of emotional depth that I was honestly quite surprised to come to a head in the season finale. Along with the appearance of some additional DC characters (Clayface, King Shark, and a silhouette of The Caped Crusader), and another laugh out loud performance by David Harbor’s Eric Frankenstein, Creature Commandos is solidified as a must-watch for comic book fans everywhere. However, the actual plot progression falls a bit short for me, while ultimately resolved, it is equal parts slightly rushed, and not fleshed out enough leaving fans with the feeling that there may have been some plot lines cut short in the interest of the shorter season.
It’s no secret, most fans are looking forward to Superman being released in July, and while the Man of Steel is the perpetual symbol of hope and innocence, the bad guys of Task Force M are going to steal the spotlight for a bit. Long live the monsters.
MPAA Rating: TV-MA.
Runtime: 23 mins
Director: James Gunn
Writer:
Cast: Indira Varma; Sean Gunn; Alan Tudyk
Genre: Adult Animation
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Max
Official Site: https://www.max.com/shows/creature-commandos/44f3a3fd-107e-49ac-bf74-c0383525b8ca
Release Date: December 5, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A group of nonhuman criminals comprised of an anthropomorphic weasel, a robot, the bride of Frankenstein, a radioactive skeleton, and their human leader are tasked with stopping an evil sorceress.