Jul 28, 2022

'DC League of Super-Pets' Review Roundup: positive reviews for the latest animated comic book adaptation

DC League of Super-Pets, the last of this summer's big studio animated theatrical releases, opens Friday, and critics are bullish on its potential to appeal to a wide audience.

In DC League of Super-Pets, super-dog Klipo is an alien's best friend, in this case Superman. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Kripo gathers the super-shelter animals and teams up to rescue the heroes.

DC League of Super Pets is directed by Jared Stern, writer of The Lego Batman Movie, with veteran artist Sam Levine (director of Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, animated arm of Tarzan, Meet the Robinsons ) is on board as co-director. Stern also wrote the film's screenplay with regular collaborator John Whittington ("The Lego Batman Movie," "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"). The stellar voice cast for "Super Pet" includes Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, John Krasinski, Marc Maron, Keanu Reeves, Jemaine Clement David Diggs, John Early, Jamila Jamil, Olivia Wilde, and David Pressman, among others.

DC League of Super-Pets currently has 41 reviews reported on Rotten Tomatoes, 30 of which are positive; on Metacritic's Negative-Mixed-Positive scale, 17 of the reported reviews, only one of which falls into the negative category. Critics were almost unanimous that the film's humor should appeal to the widest possible audience, with jokes and references that will appeal to both children and adults. Many critics also praised the film's low threshold for those not yet familiar with the world of DC superheroes.

Here's what the critics had to say:

Polygon's Samantha Nelson compared "DC League of Superpets" to the best the genre has to offer:

Like "The Lego Batman Movie," "DC League Superpets"'s best The DC League of Super Pets" is the screenwriters' knowledge and love of the source material.

The Wrap's Alonso Duralde praised the many comedic touches that audiences of all ages will enjoy:

The scripts are also both kid-friendly (with a Paw Patrol gag that makes a four-year-old think, "I know that quote") and adult-friendly ( Winona Bradshaw is adept at throwing jokes at both (she voices Whiskers, an adorable but murderous kitten who borrows catchphrases from A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Warriors to hunt down his prey).

Deadline's Valerie Complex puts the film ahead of most of DC's live-action offerings:

DC's animation has always been miles ahead of its live-action content, and "A League of Super Pets" is DC's best offering productions, and has earned the right to be among the best DC has to offer. The sharply written script, talented cast of voice actors, and villains are among the best in the DC Cinematic Universe to date. The story has something for everyone. Fans of the DCU will recognize some key scenes borrowed from other films (such as one that looks like it was ripped straight from "Man of Steel").

Screen Daily's Tim Grierson was entertained but less enthusiastic about the film's overall ability to entertain for its full running time.

Overall, "Super Pets" serves as a nice balance to the flashy antics that have become the norm in superhero movies. Heroes like Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman are spoofed, but with a wholesomeness that has become less favored in the genre. So it's a shame that director Stern can't come up with a better story that complements the film's luscious disposition. Our love of dogs may be unconditional, but our patience with mediocre comic pictures is far from inexhaustible.

One of the few objections to the film's appeal comes from Empire's John Nugent:

Despite the delightful voice acting, this is a lazy effort to squander the characters and will probably bore anyone over 10. Bad Dog.

"DC League of Super Pets" is a Warner Bros. production from Seven Bucks Productions. It is produced by Danny Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Patricia Hicks, Dwayne Johnson, and Jared Stern.