DC League of Super-Pets – newsdubai
★★★½
In his directorial debut, Jared Stern, writer of The Lego Batman Movie, warms audiences’ hearts with the DC League of Super-Pets. The 3D computer-animated comedy follows familiar superhero tropes, but will entertain moviegoers who attend for more than just the heroes to save the day. With a truly star-studded cast, Super Pets delights both children and adults.
Perhaps the biggest stars in the film are real-life best friends Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart. The two previously teamed up on two Jumanji films, and their on-screen chemistry is undeniable. Although the actors only lend their voices to the show’s main dogs, their personalities and friendship are evident.
At the heart of the DC League of Super Pets is Krypto aka Bark Kent, voiced by Johnson. The film begins with a scene familiar to Superman fans: Kal-El’s planet is in ruins. His parents project their baby into space, hoping to give him a chance to survive. In this version, Krypto, a Labrador Retriever puppy, jumps into the spacecraft and lands on Earth with baby Clark Kent (voiced by John Krasinski). The two form a lifelong bond, and the film fast-forwards to the present, where the duo live in a posh apartment in Metropolis.
All the DC heroes, such as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Batman, appear, especially when the classic villain Lex Luthor tries to give himself superpowers. However, Krypto’s enemy is not Lex with all his evil plans. Instead, Lois Lane (voiced by Olivia Wilde), whom Clark plans to propose to soon, is Krypto’s nemesis. In his mind, Clark’s girlfriend stands in the way of his close bond with Superman.
Krypto has always been powerful and has the same skills as his master, Superman. This has allowed him to feel that the pair’s relationship is more of an equal partnership than a typical human and dog. Because of this, Krypto looks down on other pets, preferring to see himself as a member of the DC team, not an animal. Krypto’s heroic journey is thus about him learning what it means to be a dog, man’s best friend.
Who better to teach Krypto this lesson than Ace, voiced by Hart, a boxer with a tough exterior who has lived at the animal shelter for far too long. Although Ace and his shelter friends, a pot-bellied pig named PB, a turtle named Merton McSnurtle, and a red squirrel named Chip, gain powers from mysterious orange kryptonite, they never lose sight of their true goal: to find people who love them. Being a dog isn’t something Krypto has ever thought about, but Ace knows from experience that dogs will do anything for the people they love.
In the end, Krypto learns what it means to sacrifice for the people you love, which is more than just saving the earth from the ultimate danger. It’s letting your best friend get engaged, even if it means he’ll have less time for you in the future. Krypto proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s a great sidekick and, more importantly, a really good boy.