Review - Creature Commandos (2024)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Creature Commandos is the new animated series from DC Studios, and is the first title released for the DC Universe franchise from James Gunn, who created and wrote the series. 

        The series is centered on a team known as Task Force M, also known as the Creature Commandos, who were established by Amanda Waller after the U.S. Congress banned the use of human prisoners for black ops missions as was showcased with Task Force X aka the Suicide Squad. The roster of monsters and non-human entities that compose the Creature Commandos are as follows: the amphibious Nina Mazursky, the radioactive Dr. Phosphorus, the World War II era automaton G.I. Robot, the enigmatic Bride of Frankenstein, and the wily Weasel, who was recaptured from the Corto Maltese after Task Force X defeated Starro the Conqueror. And hand picked to lead the Creature Commandos is General Rick Flag Sr., whose son was killed in Corto Maltese by Peacemaker. 

       The Creature Commandos are dispatched to the sovereign nation of Pokolistan, where the crown princess Ilana Rostovic is being targeted by the Amazon sorceress Circe. But, there's definitely a deeper mystery surrounding what's going on, and maybe the people of Pokolistan aren't necessarily the good guys. Or, perhaps, it's all more manipulations from Circe. Who knows? 

       Okay, so the animation is pretty on par with most DC animated titles, and it definitely works here. I feel that this was a group of characters that could only be done justice through animation, as many of them would look kinda tacky in a live-action project. However, James Gunn has indicated that characters featured in animated DC Universe projects will be able to leap into live-action projects in the DCU, typically with the same actors playing them between animation and live-action. 

       But, having Creature Commandos be an animated series means that James Gunn could go more in depth with character backstory and character interaction. I especially enjoyed seeing the tragic transformation of Dr. Phosphorus from a normal man into an eternally radioactive being. Also, I enjoyed seeing the trials and tribulations that Eric Frankenstein went through to reunite with the Bride, who we see in flashbacks was utterly terrified of him. 

      The vocal talent in Creature Commandos is absolutely fantastic. Frank Grillo was outstanding as Rick Flag Sr., and I definitely look forward to seeing his live-action appearances later this year in Superman and the second season of Peacemaker. The likes of Indira Varma as the Bride, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky, and Sean Gunn as both Weasel and G.I. Robot were all terrific. And, I thoroughly enjoyed both Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana and Anya Chalotra as Circe. 

       All in all, the writing of this series by James Gunn was great, but not without flaws. This was one series I enjoyed tuning in every Thursday to watch on Max. While certainly not a home run for the start of the DCU, I'd at least call this a double. I had fun with the colorful characters, blatant violence and gore, and terrific animation. I'm giving Creature Commandos a rating of 4.5/5. 

          Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off and I'll see you guys in the next review. 

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