Good morning everyone! Today, we are going to be diving into the DC realm of superheroes. But there’s a twist this time. Instead of having a full-on adult themed version like Batman Begins, Wonder Woman, or something like that, this film is going to surprisingly be an animated film that is more family friendly, and features Clark Kent (aka Superman) having a dog named Krypto, who also has super powers, and there being a new cast of animals as well. Made by Warner Bros. animation department, Warner Bros. Animation Group, and released on July 29th, 2022, movie is DC League Of Super Pets. Was this film any better than the last animated film that I just reviewed, or worse? Well, we shall find out momentarily.
Plot: Clark Kent (aka Superman, and voiced by John Krasinki), and his white Labrador Retriever, Krypto (aka Super Dog/Bark Kent, and voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) are living the good life in New York City. Clark is a reporter, and journalist at a newspaper company called Daily Planet, and dating a journalist named Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde). But one day, Kent/Superman’s archenemy, Lex Luthor (Marc Maron), and Lulu (Kate McKinnon), a hairless Guinea pig with special abilities following a science experiment, succeed in retrieving a piece of Krypto bite, and beginning to unleash chaos on New York, and the world. Now, with help from Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), Batman (Keanu Reeves), and some new pet friends, including a bill dog named Ace (Kevin Hart), a pot-bellied pig named PB (Vanessa Bauer), and a whole diverse cast of humans, and animals, will they be able to put a stop to Lex Luthor, and Lulu’s evil scheme once and for all?
Let me start this review off by saying that ever since I saw this trailer around the beginning of this year, or near the end of last year, DC League Of Super Pets was surprisingly one of my more highly anticipated films to see for this year. Why? Maybe because I have started to warm up to the superhero genre for the past decade, or two? Maybe because I thought it exciting to see some of our superhero buddies in a theatrical film debut? Or maybe it was seeing some of the superheroes like Clark Kent/Superman having a pet that had cool abilities like flying around. Or maybe it was all of those. One way, or another, I had been stoked for DC League Of Super Pets for the past several months? So was it worth the wait in the end? Yes, without question it was. First of all, for a computer animated film that wasn’t made by Disney, or even DreamWorks, for example, the animation felt mostly, if not fully top notch. Not since movies like Happy Feet, or even Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole, for example, have we had such great animation, especially on the animal characters. Imagine if say Warner Bros., and Disney/Pixar had worked together to make a film. Well, obviously the two companies didn’t. However, DC League Of Super Pets almost makes it feel like the two animation companies could have easily done so. Next, there are the characters. Oh man, when it comes to well-known celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Kevin Hart, for example, they bring so much life, and personality to these characters. Same goes for John Krasinki as Clark Kent, and even for lesser known celebrities like Kate McKinnon as the female villain, Lulu. And for the characters overall, they are definitely well-written, and developed from beginning to end. I mean if you liked films that have involved the DC Super team together, or even the Marvel films with all of the Avengers, chances are you’d most definitely love it when these new Super Per characters are together. They each get fleshed out really well, and you’ll enjoy every moment that they are onscreen as a result. Not to mention that there are a couple of them that get interesting backstories. Additionally, there’s the storyline for this film. Yes, there are a few predictable moments here and there. However, the plot twists that are scattered throughout this film outweigh those predictable moments. For an animated film, that’s saying something. Because of that, the writing for this film ends up being really clever. Why this film hasn’t performed better than it has in theaters is baffling because of that. It is sad to hear that this film might become underrated in the long run. I hope I’m wrong, but still. Oh, and the film also has some funny moments, and really hilarious lines, thanks in particular to comedians like The Rock, and Kevin Hart, and some of the other voice actors. Finally, the film incorporates some good lessons in greed, power, and even jealousy. The only downside side is there being a snippet of a gay couple. Sure, it didn’t last as long, not even close to as king as Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear, but still, definitely not the best idea to incorporate that in this movie.
And that’s my review for DC League Of Super Pets. After seeing this film, it is surprising to see this film underperform at the box office. Especially when compared to Paws Of Fury, and likely even Minions 2: The Rise Of Gru, DC League Of Super Pets could potentially feel like a masterpiece. This is one of those animated films that should get an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Will that happen? Not sure, but this film should. The cast is great, the story is genius, and hardly has any cliches at all, and has some really great animation for a non-Disney film. I would say that if you haven’t seen this film, definitely go see it if it’s still playing at a theater near you. You will be pleasantly surprised, and creative this film with it’s great writing, fun characters, excellent animation, going for it.
Final Grade: A
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 