A Superhero Film Only For Kids

Warner Bros’ “DC League of Super-Pets” is a great superhero film—if you’re under the age of twelve.

Intro

DC League of Super-Pets is an animated family film about Superman’s dog Krypto and his super-powered friends on a mission to rescue the Justice League. Directed by Jared Stern, this movie was released in theaters in July and made over $200 million worldwide. Super-Pets has since begun streaming on HBO Max. This family film stars the voices of many A-list actors, including Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, John Krasinski, Kate McKinnon, Keanu Reeves, and more. While this movie may have a very predictable plot, it remains somewhat entertaining.

Positives

The premise of this film is original and great for kids who love superheroes but aren’t old enough for the more standard superhero films with lots of violence and some darker themes. This movie also happens to be enjoyable for adults despite having a very ordinary plot. There are a lot of jokes in this movie, some aimed at children and some aimed at adults, so there’s enough for everyone. There are also some suitable life lessons for children, such as teamwork and trust. This movie attempts to elicit some emotion from the audience in a few scenes and succeeds to a degree. Ace’s backstory is particularly moving. It may be an incredibly “safe” movie with no risks or surprises, but it’s fun and has enough heart to make it passable.

Negatives

Although the film is decent, certain aspects could be improved. The animation, for one, is incredibly smooth and generic-looking, with absolutely no style at all. Sure, it’s animated and pleasant to look at, but it has no flavor or originality. The same can be said about the voice actors. Most are huge celebrities, so their voice work isn’t necessarily bad. But the line delivery can’t help but feel bland from most of the actors involved. Speaking of their characters, a couple of the main supporting characters undergo extremely rapid character development. A few motivational lines from the protagonist immediately fix any problems the characters are having. Sure, it’s a family movie, and the character development doesn’t matter much, but it’s still worth noting. And, of course, the plot is an incredibly familiar story of an “independent protagonist who learns to make friends and work with a team.” The story works, but at times, it’s just too predictable.

Closing Critiques

DC League of Super-Pets has enough potential to turn into its separate franchise if Warner Bros wants some easy content for kids. But unfortunately for WB, it would be costly to get all of the A-list actors on board again for another movie or series, so it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll be hearing from Krypto, Ace, or the rest of the League anytime soon. In conclusion, this is a great family movie to watch with the kids. Watching the Super-Pets interact with the Justice League is fun, and it has enough comedy to keep you chuckling. You may be able to see every plot point coming, but you will still be entertained. And while this movie isn’t one of DC’s greatest superhero outings, it’s still the best DC movie starring Dwayne the Rock Johnson (I’m looking at you, Black Adam).

Raving Rating: 6.4