Directed by Jared Stern
Voices by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Keanu Reeves
Opening with baby Superman and his adorable puppy escaping Krypton, DC League of Superpets is a super-cute superhero movie that will appeal to all the Marvel Universe movie fan parents. While the plot is well known action fare (Luther and pet capture superman. Animal buddies to the rescue. The end.), it is really a movie about relationships – about friendship, trust, love, and making room for others in your circle.
Cute enough for little tackers 3-6, and action packed enough for the 7-10 age bracket, this is a great movie choice for a family. Adults will enjoy the sarcastic inside joke quips, like Batman’s “superpowers are overrated you know,” shocked news reports that “a wealthy person actually goes to jail” and dark references to “the farm upstate.”
The corny dog-owner montage will appeal to all the puppy lovers, with Queen’s You’re My Best Friend serenading us into the core film relationship of Krypto the dog and Superman, with early morning wake-ups and cuddles in times of distress.
Unlike a recent supervillain movie that couldn’t decide what it was doing (the recent Minions: The Rise of Gru), DC League of Superpets stays on track, even cracking a joke about not needing an inspiring training montage. The characters are clearly defined and relatable, ideal for the under eight audience comprehension.
DC League of Superpets does feel like a very shrewd attempt by DC comics to indoctrinate the next generation. It playfully introduces the Marvel universe characters including Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Flash, and even gives you origin stories for Superman and Batman, cleverly capturing the market and future buying power of kids too young to watch a real Marvel Universe movie. Puppies make excellent propaganda.
MELISSA MANN
