How ‘Creature Commandos’ Recorded That Animated Sex Scene: ‘It Was Long Minutes of Us Kissing Our Hands’

As a connoisseur of creative storytelling and character development, I must admit that James Gunn has outdone himself with the latest episode of “Creature Commandos.” His audacious approach to portraying human relationships, even in animated form, is nothing short of refreshing. The scene between Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) and Princess Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova) is a testament to the complexity and vulnerability that can be conveyed through unconventional means.

Caution: Plot Reveal: This tale delves into the unfolding events of Episode 2 from the series “Creature Commandos,” currently available for streaming on Max.

When James Gunn developed the animated DC Studios series “Creature Commandos,” featuring a squad of misfits made up of non-human characters forced into a pseudo-special ops team, his intention was to showcase within the new DC Universe that there are no limits to what can be achieved. In other words, the series would display extravagant action sequences, and at times, the characters might appear in scenes that could be considered… unconventional.

“Fucking?” Gunn offers.

Indeed, it’s correct. In Episode 2, we find that Rick Flag Sr., the human leader of the Commandos, played by Frank Grillo, succumbs to the persistent charms of Princess Ilana Rostovic (Maria Bakalova), who is not only the heir to the throne of the fictional Eastern European nation Pokolistan but also the individual Rick and his team were tasked with safeguarding. Following a heated late-night fight with one of his charges, Ilana tends to Rick’s injuries as he stands only in his boxer briefs. As events unfold, their interactions escalate, leading to… well, let’s just say things get intimate.

Gunn remarks, ‘They’re engaged in a private moment inside the bathroom,'” suggests a more natural and easy-to-read paraphrase of the given sentence. This version maintains the original meaning while using less explicit language for the context of the scene, which is intended for comedic purposes and character development.

He suggests, “These two mature individuals have a mutual attraction, and they’re both quite attractive. His idea is to depict them engaging intimately in a restroom scene.

Despite the allure of the depicted scenario, capturing it with the actors proved far from seductive. Instead, Grillo and Bakalova performed their parts remotely via Zoom under Gunn’s guidance as director.

Bakalova found it incredibly amusing. She and Frank were in separate countries at the time, yet they had to make sounds as their characters were quite aggressive. For extended periods, they mimicked the sound of kissing by smacking their hands together. It felt strange, she said, ‘What on earth am I doing?’

Reflecting on the series of events, Gunn can’t help but collapse in a fit of laughter. “I had to silence myself due to my uncontrollable chuckles,” he shares. “I have the footage saved – it’s Maria and Frank passionately kissing and making loud noises, even smacking their tongues against their fists. I plan on sharing that clip when the episode goes live, as it’s quite amusing.” (As of now, Gunn hasn’t shared it yet, but we’ve kept an eye out.)

Acting out the scene was more difficult than anticipated for the actors as it was excessively exaggerated. “I don’t produce those sounds repeatedly during a sexual encounter,” Grillo admits with a bashful smile. “While we were filming this, I kept thinking, ‘This sounds absurd. Does anyone really have sex like this?’ But upon watching it, I found myself amazed, thinking, wow, it fits perfectly. And I feel embarrassed watching myself, which is a good sign!

That feeling was perhaps amplified given who Grillo chose to watch the scene with. 

The actor shares that he watched it at home with his 16-year-old son, who exclaimed ‘Wow!’ upon seeing it. The actor replied, ‘But it’s animated!’ Grillo chuckles, adding, ‘He realized it was your voice,'” is a natural and easy to read paraphrase of the original quote.

Read More

2024-12-06 04:46