DC League of Super-Pets

Christmastime sees Shazam take on the Fury of the Gods. Before that, his archnemesis Black Adam headlines his own movie in October, where he's embodied by Dwayne Johnson. Before that, meaning now, Johnson headlines another DC movie, the animated DC League of Super-Pets. Let me fetch you a description.

Kal-El and his puppy were both saved from Krypton's destruction. They grow up as Superman (John Krasinski) and Krypto (Johnson), defenders of Metropolis. Krypto, alias Bark Kent, sees his best friend position threatened when Clark plans marriage with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde). Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Marc Maron), sets his eye on some Orange Kryptonite to give himself superpowers. It doesn't work on humans, but it works on Lulu (Kate McKinnon), Luthor's literal ex-guinea pig. Lulu now seeks revenge on Superman for separating her and Luthor.

Lulu's Kryptonite piece accidentally empowers her shelter-mates. Ace the Dog (Kevin Hart) is supertough, PB the Pig (Vanessa Bayer) can change her size, Chip the Squirrel (Diego Luna) can shock-and-awe, and Merton (Natasha Lyonne) is now the world's fastest turtle. That comes in handy after Krypto is tricked into eating some Green Kryptonite. The newly formed league comes together to stop Lulu from enacting her revenge on the Justice League with her army of superpowered guinea pigs.

How silly is this movie? It's so silly that even the live coverage of the super guinea pigs' rampage is baffled. But director Jared Stern and his co-writer, John Whittington, make it work. They begin with Superman and Krypto's endearing relationship. You'll feel it when you see them share a rocket to Earth. You'll laugh when you see how Krypto wakes up Superman. You'll feel it again when Krypto discovers Superman in danger. Anyone with a pet can relate to them - even if neither of you are super.

Lulu makes for a delightfully devious villain. She's fun to watch as she plots her evil plans and is formidable when she puts them in motion. You almost feel bad for her being separated from her "owner." It's mostly treated as a joke considering who her "owner" is. But her final form shows how dangerous a Kryptonite-powered guinea pig can be. Meanwhile, her number one kitten, Whiskers, is a hysterical surprise. Amongst the guinea pig army are the sympathetic Keith and Mark (Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch) and another surprise.

Now for the rest of the League. Ace gets the most focus, complete with a legitimately sad backstory. That makes it fun to see him get through Batman's (Keanu Reeves) flimsy loner exterior. Merton's censor beeps and fixation on leafy greens made for a few good laughs. PB and Chip are mostly fine, but they excel when they finally master their powers. Aside from Batman, Aquaman (Jemaine Clement) and The Flash (John Early) are easy standouts.

What else is there to say? It's got some decent character designs, an enthusiastic cast (especially Johnson) and some exciting action. There's also a good score by Steve Jablonsky which works in classic hero themes at the right moments. Overall, it's sure to appeal to animal lovers and comic book fans alike. Anyone looking for a fun DC movie can wait for Fury of the Gods or fetch a ticket now to DC League of Superpets. Any option is fine by me.