As a comic book fan, I’m quite familiar with the “Super-Pets” from DC Comics – Superman’s Kryptonian dog Krypto, Batman’s Ace the Bathound, Comet the Superhorse, Streaky the Super-Cat… um… I’ve said too much. But despite my knowledge and love of these creatures, there’s a chance a lot of moviegoers never realized some of DC’s more popular superheroes had animal counterparts at one time or another. The new animated movie DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS puts these animals in the spotlight, and thankfully brings some lighthearted fun and levity to the DC big screen mythos.
Krypto (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) is Superman’s dog, sent with him as a baby to help protect Clark from the harmful elements of Earth. We learn this slightly different origin by way of an opening flashback, showing Super-parents Jor-el and Lara sending their baby away from an exploding Krypton, only this time with puppy in tow. Cut to present day, and Krypto enjoying his daily adventures with Superman (John Krasinski), collectively using their superpowers to save the day. Krytpo begins to fear Superman’s romance with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde), which appears to be getting serious. Meanwhile, in a local pet shop, a normal dog named Ace (Kevin Hart) just wants to leave his confining cage, sharing the room with a pig named PB (Vanessa Bayer), a very old turtle named Merton (Natasha Lyonne), a squirrel named Chip (Diego Luna), and a guinea pig named Lulu (Kate McKinnon). All of the animals seem to hope one day they’ll find families to live with, except Lulu, who apparently hopes for world domination. We soon discover she once belonged to none other than Lex Luthor… which explains a lot. And speaking of Lex (Marc Maron), we discover he’s found a new orange Kryptonite that he believes will give him superpowers to fight the Justice League with, but his plan fails and he’s sent to prison. Lulu, however, harnesses the orange rock and it’s revealed that it only works on animals. So Lulu gains superpowers and breaks out of the pet shop… and then, Ace and his pals also gain superpowers, and collectively leave as well. Lulu meets Superman, incapacitates him with good ol’ green Kryptonite, and eventually captures the entire Justice League with the help of an army of superpowered guinea pigs (yes, it’s as adorable as you imagine). On top of besting Superman, Lulu also tricks Krypto by hiding a tiny piece of Kryptonite in a piece of cheese, and now the Superdog is powerless to fight her. Krypto must join forces with Ace and his newly superpowered pals to fight Lulu and her army, and save the Justice League before it’s too late.
DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS is pretty consistently fun and clever, and definitely a refreshing change from the sometimes gloomy big screen DC adventures. The voice casting is inspired and works rather well with the visuals, even if a lot of the film feels like many of the animated movies we’ve already seen in the past decade or so. At times I felt like this could have existed in the same universe as THE INCREDIBLES or THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, very familiar in many ways. For the kiddos, there are good messages here of helping others and working together, and for the comic book fans there are plenty of fan service moments DC diehards will love. For example, the Justice League (comprised of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern) is only briefly on screen, but is handled quite well and done in a way that shows us how much fun that group COULD be when in the right hands. But make no mistake, this is a movie about the animals, the humans come second here. And the vocal chemistry between Johnson and Hart works pretty well, likely due to their frequent collaborations and real life friendship. Oddly, it’s the secondary characters that shine the brightest here, such as Vanessa Bayer as the pig who can grow and shrink, or Diego Luna as the squirrel who gains lightning powers. Natasha Lyonne as Merton is hilarious, and almost feels too adult for this kids film, but in the most hilarious way. There are great vocal cameos by Keanu Reeves as Batman (just terrific) and Jameela Jamil as Wonder Woman. I’m not sure I ever fell in love with Kate McKinnon as Lulu (a bit much here, and I normally love her) or Marc Maron as Lex (it just sounds weird), but most of the vocal casting is really strong.
Jared Stern (who co-directs with Sam Levine) and John Whittington pack a lot into their screenplay, keeping the action moving and engaging, and giving all of the characters their moment to shine. If you love animals, they make sure to shows these creatures being animals amidst the action. It doesn’t feel like they leave anything out or sell anyone short, yet somehow the film lacks a bit of wow factor. Even I, being the comic book fan and lover of DC superheroes, while greatly appreciating what smart touches they added here, still left feeling like there was something missing. I had fun watching the movie, and it seemed like the audience was enjoying it, but it also feels oddly by-the-numbers, perhaps afraid to take any risks. I can’t put my finger on what might be missing, and it does deliver a lot in a respectable run time… heck, maybe I just wanted more. If you love DC Comics, and especially if you’re been hoping for a more lighthearted look at their heroes, DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS is absolutely a step in the right direction.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
