Director Jared Stern and Sam Levine finally did it. The filmmaking duo did what Zach Snyder could not. They brought together the core members of the Justice League (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and more) for a hopeful and fun superhero movie. Making matters worse for Snyder (the director of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League”), Stern and Levine made these characters second fiddle to a bunch of animals and still pulled it off.
Leading the pack in “DC League of Super-Pets” is Krypto the Superdog (a suitably heroic Dwayne Johnson). For those who did not discern this from his full name, Krypto is Superman’s dog. Unfortunately for Krypto, Superman, played by a fantastic John Krasinski, is focused on his fiancée, Lois Lane (a barely used Olivia Wilde).
While this is a headache for the canine crime buster, he’s got a bigger one in the form of Lulu, a maniacal guinea pig played by the hilarious Kate McKinnon. The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member easily walks away with the movie by giving her performance as much gravitas as a DC Comics villain demands. Lulu may be small, but with McKinnon’s voice and comic timing, she is a fabulous addition to this new animated movie.
Krypto wants to bring Lulu to justice on his own but eventually realizes that five heads are better than one when trying to defeat this evil guinea pig. Thankfully, Krypto comes across a crew of recently developed Super-Pets who are up to the challenge of defeating Lulu.
There’s a lightning-shooting squirrel named Chip (a fun but forgettable Diego Luna), Merton, the speedy turtle (a surprisingly foul-mouthed Natasha Lyonne), the size-shifting pig named PB (a sweet and silly Vanessa Bayer), and Ace , the no-nonsense, invulnerable dog (played by Dwayne Johnson’s frequent co-star Kevin Hart).
Rounding out the cast are some great TV and movie stars such as Marc Maron (“GLOW”), Keanu Reeves (“John Wick” movies), Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”), Ben Schwartz (“Sonic the Hedgehog 2”) , Jemaine Clement (“Moana”) and Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”).
Stern and Levine should be pleased because their cast does much of the heavy lifting by making each character entertaining for children and adults. Parents of curious-minded kids should beware though because Lyonne’s character says a few naughty words (likely to appeal to adults), but they are bleeped. Yet that may not be enough for the young ones who wonder what the silly old turtle said.
Beyond the risky, recurring joke, the filmmakers strike a great balance between humor that will appeal to kids and adults alike. Stern strikes that same balance with fellow screenwriter John Whittington by giving kids plenty of fun action and adults some heartfelt moments that break up the monotony of juvenile humor. While the action is engaging, overall, it’s nothing groundbreaking. “DC League of Super-Pets” features manufactured 3D animation that gets the job done but certainly doesn’t match the creativity of superhero films like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” or “The Lego Batman Movie” (another Jared Stern and John Whittington film).
Regardless, this is the most fun the Justice League has had on-screen since, well, ever, and their pet counterparts are a fun addition to the DC Comics canon. “DC League of Super-Pets” might not be the perfect superheroes of the cinema, but they still pack a punch with their trotters, claws, and paws.
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