As superhero movies have grown more convoluted, self-serious and ludicrously expensive, it’s fallen to their animated counterparts to keep the multiverses grounded in actual fun. Think the unserious, self-referential madness of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or The Lego Batman Movie, a zany, film-length jab at Batman’s relentless darkness, isolation and general emo-ness. DC League of Super-Pets, from Lego Batman writers Jared Stern and John Whittington, takes some similar lighthearted digs at Batman, but he’s a side character to the irresistible stars of the show: man’s best friend, plus some pals. Why can’t animals be super, too?
The 105-minute romp, directed by Stern and Sam Levine, shares with the Lego Batman Movie a deadpan sense of humor, frenetic action, reflexive winks for adults and cartoon harmlessness for kids. This vision of Metropolis is clean and horizon-less, presided over by billionaires with skyscrapers and the Justice League. A somewhat hapless Superman (John Krasinski) fixes emergencies in tandem with his canine companion Krypto (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), sent to earth as a puppy to look after the infant Kal-El. Krypto is as suitable for crime-fighting as his owner (flying, laser eyes, godly strength) but comically bad at being a dog – no sniffing, no running, and his poop smells like sandalwood.
