DC League of Super-Pets. Light-hearted Addition to the Universe

In DC League of Super-Pets, the countdown to Krypton’s destruction is marked by the ticking of a second hand. Baby Kal-El lies in a cosmic capsule. His parents, proud yet resigned to their tragic fate, say goodbye to their son. At the last moment, a dog jumps into the rescue ship too—a puppy named Krypto. “Leave him, he’ll take care of our son,” Lara tells Jor-El. The planet explodes. The child and the dog survive unharmed. Of course, they safely land on Earth.

Then, a jump several decades forward, and we enter the superhero routine in Metropolis. A train disaster? Superman and Superdog (both in red capes) lie under the train, filling the missing section of the tracks. A monster from the netherworld demolishing city skyscrapers? Quick action neutralizes the threat. Luthor putting his latest sinister plan into motion? The entire Justice League comes to the rescue. It takes a bit more effort, but the problem is swiftly solved. Just another day. The alarm will ring again in the morning, and the hero’s costume will have to go back on.

In DC League of Super-Pets, the filmmakers initially lean on the rich backdrop of comic-book iconography, placing us in a familiar environment where even the threats and villains stay within expected bounds. Director Jared Stern, however, tells the story from a “dog’s” perspective, managing to cast familiar events in a new context and create a sense of paradox. Saving humanity takes on the character of an innocent game of fetch, while Clark’s romance with journalist Lois Lane becomes the real, serious danger. Soon, Krypto will no longer be the entire world for his owner, his only friend. Competition emerges, and it’s unclear how to deal with it.

This obstacle will have to take a back seat when Superman is kidnapped and Krypto is weakened by kryptonite, stripped of all his superpowers. The villain in this case is rather unusual: a guinea pig in love with Lex Luthor (hoping the feeling is mutual). Small in size, but with a huge ego. Currently confined to a shelter, but already preparing for a grand escape. If capturing all members of the Justice League is the way to Lex’s heart, she will stop at nothing. A certain mineral, producing the opposite effect of kryptonite, will prove useful in this plan. One strips powers, the other grants them through its radiation.

The guinea pig’s master plan seems perfectly set—if not for a few unexpected circumstances. The first, less severe, is that several shelter animals have also gained miraculous abilities and are determined to help Krypto in his rescue crusade. The second, insurmountable and carrying the film’s moral lessons (which must resonate clearly), is the power of friendship and selfless cooperation. Our lead canine hero will learn what trust really means and how to manage his jealousy. He will also discover that being super is not defined by the ability to fly or having X-ray vision. A true hero is made of steadfast character and composure.

Simple and predictable conclusions, but in DC League of Super-Pets they are handled quite deftly—without excessive pathos, yet with the proper dose of emotion and wisdom. Jared Stern’s animation is a breakneck action movie, a parody, and a light-hearted addition to the Detective Comics universe. Batman’s “loneliness” and “darkness” are humorously mocked, and Flash ends up trapped like a hamster in a wheel. The Super-Pets League, overall somewhat generic, visually and narratively conservative (we won’t find here the stylistic flair and intertextual ambitions of The Lego Batman Movie), leaves behind a few funny images and sharp quips. It’s little, but perfectly adequate.