The family buddy cop movie with fur and a lovable way of helping teach some valuable lessons about friendships. DC League of Super Pets is a tried and trusted formula but how does it hold up against some of the big studio releases?
DC League of Super Pets revolves around Superman’s best friend, his dog Krypto voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Krypto’s world is thrown into chaos when Superman starts to get a little too serious with Lois Lane. After superman and the entire Justice League are mysteriously kidnapped, Krypto has lost his powers, he is all alone and unsure what to do until he finds help from some unlikely animal friends. Ace voiced by Kevin Hart is the dark and brooding dog, PB the Super Pig voiced by Vanessa Bayer, Chip the neurotic Squirrel voiced by Diego Luna and Merton voiced by Natasha Lyonne the Tortoise who has seen it all before are the group who after mysteriously gaining superpowers broke out of their adoption centre and now must band together to help Krypto in his time of need to save the Justice League.
DC League of Super Pets leans heavily on characters that we all know to play a part in the background and build up the story. Lex Luther once again gets a run as the bad guy though in a way you wouldn’t quite expect. Overall, it is the pets taking centre stage here. We have the maniacal villain, the plucky superhero trying to grow, the one who refuses to accept their new greatness and then we’re left with the comic relief.
Unfortunately where DC League of Super Pets falls slightly is its reliance on the relationship between Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. Don’t get me wrong, these two have been brilliant together in just about everything they put their names to, but that visual chemistry is lost in an animated movie. The animators do their best to try and bring their mannerisms to the characters but fall agonisingly short. Hart’s portrayal as the dark and brooding Ace is a little one-dimensional, but that is more attributed to the story and script than his performance. Johnson can do no wrong at the moment and plays Krypto exactly as you would expect a plucky superhero to be played. It felt at times that he was somewhat restrained when he should have loosened the reigns a little more.
That is really only a small gripe. As a father, my view on a lot of animated movies and the comic book genre has changed somewhat over the years. I love a good animated movie, but I enjoy it even more if there is a meaning the kids can pick up on without even knowing it. DC League of Super Pets, at its core, is a story about accepting and working with change, overcoming adversity and accepting others for who they are is always a great way to grow and become friends. The movie has heart in spades and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to keep you entertained along with your kids.
While there isn’t anything groundbreaking that we will be talking about for years to come, DC League of Super Pets is the perfect family movie that you’ll get a laugh from, your kids will enjoy and at the end of the day, give you a new way to introduce them to the wider DC Universe, the kid-friendly stuff anyways. There are some big names and big talents attached to this film that, while a little restrained, all fit well, and if you’re watching in Australia, you might even notice some Aussie accents of one of our favourite vets and comedians in there too.
Releasing just in time for the school holidays, it might just be the perfect activity you’re looking for.
