DC League of Super-Pets Review (2022)

Although DC’s success with live-action movies has been mixed, the production company has always shined with its animated films and TV shows.  The kid-friendly DC League of Super-Pets is the most recent entry into this universe.  DC and Warner Bros partner with Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions to introduce some of our favorite superheroes’ furry friends.  Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart also anchor an all-star voice cast.  Will Johnson and Hart’s longstanding chemistry bring DC another animated hit? 

What’s it about?

Krypto (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) is a dog from Superman’s home planet of Krypton.  

Kal-El’s origin story sees his parents put him on a spaceship to earth so that he could escape the exploding planet. In this revision, Krypto the puppy also escapes with his best friend Kal-El.  They both grow up together in Smallville, KS, and eventually become Superman and Superdog.  They spend all their time together saving the world and just hanging out, as best friends do.

However, Krypto isn’t well socialized. His only real relationship is with Superman. He looks down on everyone else, humans and pets alike.  Superman’s romantic relationship with Lois Lane makes Krypto feel insecure about being replaced.

Meanwhile, an asteroid of orange kryptonite is drawn to earth by Lex Luthor.  He believes the orange kryptonite would grant him superpowers, but it only works on animals.  His evil guinea pig Lulu (Kate McKinnon), currently being held at an animal shelter, gets a piece of the orange kryptonite and develops telekinetic powers.  She breaks out of the animal shelter and sets her evil plan to kidnap Superman into motion. 

Little does she know that exposure to the orange kryptonite also gives the other shelter animals powers.  Now Ace the boxer (Kevin Hart), PB the Pig (Vanessa Bayer), Merton the tortoise (Natasha Lyonne), and Chip the squirrel (Diego Luna) all have abilities that they don’t know how to use and a world that needs their help.  Superdog must now learn how to lead these newly powered Super-pets to defeat Lulu and save Superman. To be successful, he must also learn some life lessons along the way.

 My Reaction

Pets have been used in superhero comics for a long time.  Often, the purpose of these characters and their respective comics was to appeal to a broader audience of much younger readers.  Their stories had some stakes but were lighthearted and straightforward for their young audiences.  DC League of Super-Pets follows this model, giving kids relatable, anthropomorphic characters that can provide lessons on kindness, teamwork, and relationships.  

The voice acting was strong enough, with some good moments throughout.  Keanu Reeves’ Batman was always funny and very meta for a children’s movie, poking some fun at the brooding hero.  Vanessa Bayer’s PB and Natasha Lyonne’s Merton were also highlights.  They were nice juxtapositions, with Bayer’s innocence and Lyonne’s slight edginess.  However, it was Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart’s chemistry that shone through. If they did not play off each other well, this movie would have quickly become tedious.

With a villain that is more cute than scary, our heroes’ journey is more just a vehicle for teaching lessons in kindness, confidence, and working with others.  The story can feel unnecessarily padded with scenes for a few additional jokes or heartfelt moments. However, for this movie’s intended audience, this is fine.  

Overall Rating

Coming into the summer movie season, my expectations for DC League of Super-Pets were tempered.  That said, I am pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed the film and how it stacks up with its other summer movie competitors. The movie understands its audience and doesn’t sacrifice relatability to that audience by cramming jokes for adults into the film. Netflix’s Sea Beast may be the best animated film this summer, if not this year. But shockingly, DC League of Super-Pets has been the best family experience in theaters.