Creature Commandosfits nicely within creatorJames Gunn‘s growing superhero oeuvre . Not only is it a follow - up to Gunn’sThe Suicide Squadthat explicitly references both that film and the writer - director’sPeacemakerTV serial , but it also center around the kind of rabble , misunderstood misfits that Gunn has been distinguish stories about since at least 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxy , if not his whole career . This makes it seem , on paper , like a bit of a “ secure alternative ” for Gunn ’s first prescribed entry in his and Peter Safran ’s newDC Universe . It ’s within minutes ofCreature commando ‘ premiere that one gets the sentiency that Gunn is operating from a very comfortable spot , too .
WhenCreature Commandoswas first announced nearly two years ago , though , it seemed like a strange start point for a franchise that forebode to be as all - embrace and challenging as the DCU . for sure , Gunn’sSupermanwould be the more fitting first chapter?Creature Commandoscertainly does n’t do nearly as much worldbuilding or franchise gruelling lifting as that film in all likelihood will . It does , however , establish the DCU as a franchise where Gunn , at least , can still be himself and tell stories that in reality worry him . Whether or not those allowances will be extended to artists whoaren’ta DC Studios conscientious objector - CEO remains to be run into , but they ’ve nonetheless given Gunn the probability to create one of his best comic book - inspired misfit adventures to date .
Waller assigns Rick Flag Sr . ( Frank Grillo ) , the hardened father of Joel Kinnaman ’s deceased Rick Flag , to lead the team on a mission to protect Princess Ilana Rostovic ( Maria Bakalova ) , the royal head of a Baltic - like foreign country , from Circe ( Anya Chalotra ) , a grievous sorceress who is hell - bent on killing Ilana . Along the way , other recognizable comic Holy Scripture characters appear , includingCreature Commandos ‘ resident scene - stealer , Eric Frankenstein ( David Harbour ) , a unfrequented monster whose undying compulsion with marrying the Bride manifests in way both horrifying and hilarious . Eric is n’t a primary character inCreature Commandos , but he makes one of the biggest impressions of the lot , partly because of how perfectly Harbour plays him . He is monotonal and yet whiny , and his romantic desperation helps him stand up aside from Drax , Peacemaker , and the other clueless brutes Gunn has land to life over the years .
Eric is , like all ofCreature commando ‘ character , paint with blanket strokes by Gunn , but his fib is also dutifully filled in . Each ofCreature ranger ‘ seven episode , in fact , function as both present - day continuations of its ongoing plot and flashback - sound origin stories that research the characters ’ yesteryear . This structure is established early on on inCreature Commandos , and Gunn , who wrote all seven of its episode , sticks unerringly to it . At points , this makes the series find a snatch repetitive , especially when its final episode repeatedly disrupt the present - tense action in purchase order to cut out again . For the most part , though , this twin - timeline format works well forCreature Commandos , and certain episodes — such as those centre on The Bride and G.I. Robot — find ways to thematically link the natural action of the past and present that are at the same time electrifying and surprisingly go .
While Gunn commendably fills in the oversized outlines of his characters with enough disaster and pathos to make them fit right on in alongside his past outcasts , he does a more odd job of justifying everyone ’s cellular inclusion inCreature Commandos . Nina Mazursky ’s place in the series , in special , is never to the full clear , and even Grillo ’s Rick Flag Sr . feels superfluous , not to mention relatively less interesting than his more colourful counterparts . The series ’ overarching plot is n’t anything specially memorable , either , and its climactic twists are obvious from the get - go . The former progeny leave Bakalova ’s Ilana feeling flatter and less defined thanCreature ranger ‘ other characters , and that trouble becomes harder to snub the more that the serial publication ’ central conflicts revolves around her .
Creature Commandosoccasionally suffers as well from some of the same moments of tonic whiplash that have drop back down Gunn ’s projects ever since 2017’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 . The show ’s Weasel - centric episode , for instance , attempts to bounce from scenes of startling darkness to lighter comedic gag , but it does n’t overstretch off those changeover as seamlessly as it intends . Altogether , these unrefined aspects ofCreature Commandosprevent it from being the home run that some fans may go into it expecting . But it also does n’t seem like “ thoroughgoing ” is whatCreature Commandoswants to be , and there are multiple stretches throughout its former and midseason installment where it feel as imaginative , playful , and loose as any superhero dangerous undertaking that Gunn has so far had a script in telling . It also , for the most part , lacks the ham - fisted soupiness that has sometimes left his previous projects feel gawky and cynically calculated .
Even more importantly , Creature Commandoshas ample amounts of the same heart that has always elevated Gunn ’s good films and TV shows . Here is a film maker who , for as wry and acidulous as he can be , harbors an unabashed , devout love for amusing books and superheroes . None of Gunn ’s past Marvel and DC projects have feel like payroll check gigs , and the same is true forCreature Commandos . It ’s a series that is ultimately move along by a real , infectious love for its characters . It ’s concentrated to imagine anyone reaching the serial ’ close and not wanting to drop more time with , say , The Bride or Doctor Phosphorus .
That ’s an achievement in and of itself , but what ’s even more encouraging thanCreature Commandos ‘ quality is what its arrival intimate . If the serial publication really is think to be take like the mission statement that it almost definitely will be interpreted as , then the messageCreature Commandossends is that the DCU will be a franchise governed by its characters and its film producer ’ own , personal artistic interests rather than matters of brand synergy or agenda - dictated “ phase . ” Only time will say whether the dealership lives up to that promise , but it ’s an supporting content for Gunn and company to institutionalise , and it makes one empathize whyCreature Commandosmay have been the best choice to launch the DCU after all .
The first two episodes ofCreature Commandosare streaming now on Max . New episodes premier every week on Thursdays . Digital Trends was given early access to all of the serial ’ seven chapter .
