‘Creature Commandos’ Review: A Striking & Wicked DC Story

Creature Commandos is finally upon us, and with it the first instalment in James Gunn’s and Peter Safran’s DC universe reboot. Read our full review below.

The first DC Universe project sees the launch of a very lived-in and wickedly nuanced DC world. A lot is riding on this series but Creature Commandos proves itself with a stellar cast, strong emotions and solid humour. 

This review was made possible by screeners courtesy of Max. 

Creature Commandos has been one of, if not my most anticipated DC projects ever since its announcement at the beginning of 2023. Largely thanks to my love of the previous Suicide Squad ventures, this series appealed to me, promising a strong James Gunn-penned story in combination with a unique European animation style. But on the flipside, Gunn could have easily fallen into a trap of repetition considering his past repertoire of films and television. Proud to report that this is not the case. 

Creature Commandos follows Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) as she assembles a new task force of operatives, but due to the events of Peacemaker season 1, she must only use non-humans. Led by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), the team consists of The Bride (Indira Varma), Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), Dr Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), G.I Robot (Sean Gunn), and Weasel (also Sean Gunn). The team is shipped over to a foreign country ruled by monarch Princess Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova) where they’re forced to protect her from the sorceress Circe (Anya Chalotra). 

From the get-go, it is important to note that this story isn’t very complicated or nuanced. While it has a few twists and turns, the core story is very straightforward and is honestly probably one of the lesser aspects of the series, where it is just good and nothing more. While The Suicide Squad has more meaning behind the story of the film, the plot of Creature Commandos really only serves to bring these monstrous characters together and create that beloved James Gunn ‘found family’ trope. 

On the flip side, the characters are by far the strongest aspect of the series. Each main member of Task Force M gets their own backstory, giving the audience an insight into the rights and wrongs of these monsters. The backstories of several members, particularly those of episode 4 and episode 7, are quite tragic, making you feel for the characters on the team. But not every character here gets this treatment, with some flashbacks making you despise certain characters even more. While not a member of the team, Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour) is one of the most despicable creations in any James Gunn project. 

The way the stories of these characters are laid out really helps build out the world. From the past events of the universe to the present-day happenings of the plot, it’s safe to say the DC Universe feels lived in. Certain cameos are spread across the show, and all of them add something to the story, not aiming to shock and surprise audiences, but aiming to develop this universe. It’s something that was worrying me before I had the chance to watch it, wondering if Gunn & co. would cave under the pressure and poor standards set by other franchises. 

The animation is pretty minimal, not overcomplicating itself but still looking great. All animation is fluid and the action sequences specifically hold a lot of weight. Particularly, a few gunshot sequences throughout are heavy in visual tone, sometimes incorporating slow-motion so we as audience members can comprehend the actions. This is all complimented by an interesting and vibrant score created by Kevin Kiner and Clint Mansell, complete with Hugo Blanco’s “Moliendo Café” serving as a theme. The result is a very folky and upbeat soundtrack that is both sombre and gruesome but also light. 

The voice work here is solid, with each actor and actress emoting as much as needed. I particularly loved the performances from Maria Bakalova and Zoe Chao, who make the show a delight to watch. Sean Gunn also melts into his role as GI Robot and of course, is unrecognisable as the voice of Weasel. Some guest roles here are acted pretty well and seeing some of the unannounced James Gunn project alums have roles here was a delight. The result is an A-list team of stars who all bring their A-game. 

Creature Commandos isn’t perfect and is probably the worst thing Gunn has done at DC so far in his tenure. But that is not a bad thing, considering the quality of his catalogue and how well this series serves as an introduction to DCU Chapter One: Gods & Monsters. Through a combination of great technical elements and enjoyable performances, Creature Commandos is a must-watch for any animation fan. 

Creature Commandos is showrun by Dean Lorey and written by James Gunn. The series stars Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Indira Varma as The Bride, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr Phosphorus and Clayface, Sean Gunn as GI Robot and Weasel, Steve Agee as John Economos and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. The series begins streaming its first two episodes on Max on December 5th, releasing each episode weekly following the premiere.

Thanks for reading this Creature Commandos review. I’ll be continuing my coverage here at Feature First with weekly recaps of the series, so stay tuned!