'Creature Commandos' is an Animated Hit

        On December 5, 2024, Max released 'Creature Commandos', which has earned rave reviews from critics and a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "A black ops team is formulated out of prisoners, laying the foundatoin for the Suicide Squad." The ensemble cast includes Viola Davis, Zoe Chao, Sean Gunn, Indira Varma, Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Maria Bakalova, and Alan Tudyk. Read the full review round-up below. 

Photograph by Courtesy of Max

        Tyler Robertson of IGN Movies says, "James Gunn’s classic recipe of lovable weirdos, great music, and lots of jokes and violence is on full display, but in a new, fresh way that’s presented well in animation." Adding, "The performances are an across-the-board highlight here, even those from actors more accustomed to live-action projects. Grillo and Varma are the deep-in-character standouts, but Zoë Chao and Viola Davis do great work as Nina Mazursky and Amanda Waller, respectively, and Alan Tudyk and Sean Gunn are well suited for their various roles. David Harbour doesn’t always hit the sweet spot as the curt and aloof yet irrationally immature Eric Frankenstein, but that might be more about the writing for the lovestruck monster. But when it works, it works, and it’ll be interesting to see how these characters are translated to live-action – according to Gunn, the actors will reprise their roles in other corners of the DCU."

       Jarrod Jones of AV Club notes, "Even with all these messy feelings and messier body parts flying around, Gunn’s monster mash achieves the level of gravitas it so often seeks. Even when he’s running in circles, the guy still knows how to deliver cheap thrills." Continuing, "Gunn, ever adept at pulling compelling beats from the most absurd characters, made the Guardians of the Galaxy a household name simply by giving space aliens motivations we understood, which is also why Creature Commandos works as well as it does. What motivates a supervillain is only a cliché if the writer lets it be, and Gunn is too canny a storyteller, too fascinated by the make and psychology of these esoteric freaks and geeks to let their stories be generic. So, Gunn takes detours from the series’ pandemonium to explore the Commandos’ origins, painting a vivid picture of who these oddballs are and why they’re so willing to march to Waller’s drum. (For most, it’s redemption by hellfire.) Even Tudyk’s cackling radioactive man gets a tragic backstory that explains why he’s so picky about when, where, and how he uses those melting powers of his. He may have a permanent rictus grin, but he ain’t smiling."

       Reuben Baron of Looper.com writes, "Gunn knows how to keep this material entertainingly twisted while still treating his silly characters with emotional sincerity. The only major downside is that the show is doing almost nothing new." Concluding, "Fans looking for clues as to the future of the DCU will find some potential Easter eggs relating to bigger-name superheroes, but will leave with many more questions about what the rest of the cinematic universe will look and feel like. "Creature Commandos" feels like a solid preview of the tone of the TV-MA "Peacemaker" Season 2-slash-"Waller" segment of the DCU, largely because it's completely in line with "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker" Season 1 segment of the DCEU. But there's no way Gunn's "Superman" movie will be a tonal match for "Creature Commandos" — not when some uncomfortable scenes here border on the edge of Gunn's "Super."