The first two episodes of James Gunn’s Creature Commandos animated series are now out. The show launches the new DCU before Gunn’s big live-action Superman movie starring David Corenswet gets released this summer.
A few days ago, the first reactions from Gunn’s chosen media hit the net. Gunn was quick to show off that the Creature Commandos Rotten Tomatoes score hit 100% — which was with 10 reviews or less. Now with 25 reviews, the Rotten Tomatoes Score stands at 96%, with only one negative review.
Fan reaction is mixed
However, the fan reaction is a big mixed. Presently, The Creature Commandos Rotten Tomatoes fan score is at 84%. That number aligns with Gunn’s two previous DC projects, Peacemaker (89%) and The Suicide Squad (82%).
Update: Fan score has dropped to 81%.
Since Comic Book Movie shilled for Gunn and compared the ten shill reviews for Creature Commandos to the hundreds for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, I’ll say Zack Snyder’s Justice League destroys Gunn’s Creature Commandos, as Zack Snyder’s Justice League has a 92% fan rating. Should I write an article about it?
What did fans not like about James Gunn’s Creature Commandos?
As I pointed out in my review, Creature Commandos is the exact same formula Gunn has used for all his projects. One fan didn’t like how it was similar and gave the episodes a half-star:
Same Plot as The suicide Squad and GOTG Don’t waste your time, this show doesn’t offer anything new, If you are going to watch this thinking this is a new show, don’t waste your time as this is 4th or 5th Project that James Gunn made that has similar plot to Gaurdians of the galaxy where a ragtag team of unknown characters come together to take down a villain and then become friends while spitting extremely low IQ teenager jokes. I hope James Gunn will write something original in the future that is not targeted for His teenager fans on X(Twitter)
Other fans say more of the same, with one questioning who are the likable characters. The fan also didn’t like that Pokolistan came off as too generic considering it’s a (fictional) Eastern European country and gave the episodes a one-star review:
With the exception of Fleg and G.I. Robot, who are likable characters, everything else is, to put it mildly, debatable 😶 There is no scene that is not stupid. And Pokolistan? With a rich Balkan history, that’s the best Gunn could come up with? Gimme a break 😅 The expected cringe-fest to say the least.
Another fan feels Gunn injected himself into the content, giving it a half-star review:
Same ol’ silly humour from James Gunn. Almost feels like he is Rick Flag sr. Not a great way to start a new universe with a complete repeat of suicide squad; the suicide squad and peacemaker… gives me less hope for Superman unfortunately.
A three-star review offers more of the same:
While I am intrigued by the direction Creature Commandos is taking, I am also content with not watching it weekly. The overall aesthetic is distinctly James Gunn’s. At times, it can be somewhat formulaic, repeating the same jokes excessively. We have only watched two episodes, so the score could potentially improve.
Another actually complained about the animation, which was actually my favorite thing about the episodes:
In my opinion, there’s nothing here impressive or differential from other mid-level genre efforts from the last few years. If you’ve seen any of Gunn’s work, you know what he’s going to check off story wise. The clichés of a found family narrative, extreme violence and bad gross out jokes with zero charm are all there. The designs are well done but poorly animated. Leaving me feeling that the animation has a frame rate issue much like DC’s other recent animated output. This is not for me.
One fan complained how he felt it was too similar to the MCU and doesn’t fit with DC:
Another nail in the DC coffin. Gunn just doesn’t understand DC characters and it shows. Marvel yuck’em up jokes don’t belong in the more mature DC universe.
An upset DC fan wanted to give the episodes zero stars:
James Gunn is such a one trick pony. This is all he can come up with? this is supposed to save the DC universe? It’s failed right out of the gate. All of his movies are exactly the same over sexualized characters and unfunny sophomoreic jokes. Warner Brothers seriously needs to sell these properties to another company that might actually treat them right I wish I could give this zero stars
Another fan didn’t like the fight scenes, which I can agree with (Rick Flag should have wiped the floor with Doctor Phosphorous but I thought The Bride vs Circe fight was cool):
Very weak. The second episode is better than the first, but everything is very rushed. They said the fights were fluid, but honestly, they’re not. They’re choppy and full of acrobatics and meaningless movements. The ‘Bride’ giving a boost from top to bottom in the air. They should have learned from ‘Batman Vs Ninja Turtles’, the fights between Batman and the Destroyer are sensational, that’s fluidity. Yes, there are jokes without sense, e.g., Flag and the reverence. People get excited too easily these days.
A fan again sounds off how Creature Commandos is too much like Gunn’s other stuff:
James Gunn’s Creature Commandos falls into the same creative patterns as his previous works, such as Guardians of the Galaxy. The series heavily relies on Gunn’s signature brand of humor, filled with quippy dialogue and irreverent jokes, but it offers nothing fresh or groundbreaking. The storyline, while serviceable, feels like a recycled formula: a band of quirky misfits thrown together, punctuated by predictable emotional beats. For viewers familiar with Gunn’s earlier works, this repetition can make the series feel stale rather than innovative. Overall, Creature Commandos fails to differentiate itself from Gunn’s past projects, leaning too heavily on the same comedic and storytelling tropes. While fans of his style might enjoy the familiarity, others will likely find it lacking in originality.
My thoughts regarding complaints Creature Commandos is too similar to Guardians of the Galaxy or Suicide Squad, I have no problem with it.
It’s monsters as members of the Suicide Squad, so it makes sense for the series to be similar to Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
There’s also no doubt the Guardians of the Galaxy movies have been a huge success.
Now the big question: Will the formula work for Superman???
New episodes of Creature Commandos air Thursdays on Max.
