DC League of Super-Pets will be officially in cinemas from Thursday, September 15, just in time for the school holidays. This is a family-friendly superhero film that the kids are sure to love.
At the heart of this animated film is Superman’s dog, Krypto, learning how to make and share friends. But let’s go a bit deeper.
The DC League of Super-Pets story
From the studio that brought you The LEGO Movie and Space Jam: A New Legacy, this is a movie that gives kids an opportunity to see what superheroes can be like without an overwhelming sense of fear.
Krypto the Superdog (voiced by none other than Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) has been loyally by Superman’s side since the day Superman was sent to Earth. When Superman (voiced by John Krasinsky) and other Justice League heroes are captured by an evil guinea pig named Lulu (Kate McKinnon), Krypto is responsible for saving them. But he cannot do it alone!
Of course we get the whole narrative around how Superman got to Earth. We see his parents load him up into an escape pod as Krypton is dying, but what DC League of Super-Pets reveals is that his Kryptonian dog sneeks into the pod. It’s a more uplifting start to the film knowing that Superman wasn’t alone.
While Krypto is more than adequate as a superhero pooch, he makes a terrible dog. There’s no sniffing, no running and his poop smells like sandalwood.
We meet Ace (voiced by Kevin Hart), a rough-around-the-edges dog, when Superman drags Krypto off to a shelter in search of a canine friend. Ace has been biding his time ‘behind bars’ by convincing his fellow shelter incompetents a wonderful life at a farm somewhere upstate awaits them. Among the inmates is a hairless guinea pig, Lulu. She’s a former lab rat for the evil billionaire, Lex Luthor (Marc Maron), and she is committed to ensuring her former owner’s dastardly plans are achieved.
What happens next
We are faced with Lulu’s true villainy. We learn about orange kryptonite, coming from the deadly green stuff, and how it can be used to turbocharge the abilities of other animals when it’s released on the shelter.
Ace becomes indestructible. A people-pleasing potbellied pig by the name of PB can change size. Chip, the neurotic squirrel, can shoot electronic bolts. While Merton, an ancient turtle with a potty mouth, unsurprisingly develops superspeed not unlike the League’s Flash. Personally, I’m not sure how I feel about the swearing. It’s all censored, of course — this is a kid’s film. But, this is a kid’s film, so why?
None of them have any self-worth and neither do they have a good grip on their powers. In a cruel twist, Krypto is rendered powerless but his desire to rescue his best friend and the other members of the Justice League remains strong. For DC League of Super-Pets, the League includes Batman (Keanu Reeves), Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), Aquaman (Jermaine Clement), The Flash (John Early), Cyborg (Daveed Diggs) and Green Lantern (Dascha Polanco).
The link between the real heroes of the Justice League and the Super-Pets is worth mentioning. The writers have done a good job making parallels, matching powers or personality traits.
An all-star cast
If you’re familiar with Johnson and Hart, you’ll know they’ve done several films together. The ease at which their humour flows is effortless, and the same can be said of their work here. The connection is evident in their voice performances in the dialogue between Krypto and Ace.
McKinnon is a standout, too. Her character is so central to the film and her performance is devilishly endearing. Despite the fact she is a bald guinea pig, there are no real ‘Aww, cute’ moments. Her dialogue also injects a fair amount of comedy into the movie.
Other voice actors are excellent.
DC League of Super-Pets is full of light-hearted fun. There are some really solid themes too, especially around the fear of change, how you can love friends through upheaval and trust. There is bound to be something in this film for every viewer to enjoy.
Important Classification Information
- Rated: PG
- Running time: 105 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family
- Consumer advice: Action, mild violence, language and rude humour, sex and nudity
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