We’re back with some more excellent blu-ray content from Warner Bros.! Having recently reviewed Supergirl The Complete Series (review here) and Legends of Tomorrow The Complete Series (review here), it’s now time to take a look at one of the best surprise hits of 2022, DC League of Super-Pets!
When League of Super-Pets released in the theater, no one really knew what to expect. Perhaps another kids’ movie to sell a bunch of merchandise or a hokey spin-off from old comics. But it turns out that not only was that not the case but Super-Pets was remarkably entertaining and well-written for a variety of reasons!
League of Super-Pets follows the exploits of Krypto, Superman’s dog. For those of you who aren’t deeply steeped in DC Comics lore and history, Krypto the Super Dog has been a staple of Superman and Superboy comics since the 1950s. Many late Golden Age and early to mid- Silver Age comics featured the heroic dog in a variety of backup stories and support roles over the decades. But Krypto isn’t the only super-pet featured here. Ace the Bat Hound is also present in this story, also appearing originally in the 1950s but much less widely utilized. Ace featured a popularity resurgence in the 1990s when he was featured as a staple supporting character in the animated Batman Beyond TV series.
Super-Pets starts on a distinctively comedic note, at least after the destruction of Krypton. Superman and Lois are starting to form their famed relationship and Krypto feels left out. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is testing a new Kryptonite-based weapon and things are about to go a bit off the rails. Turns out that it only works on animals not on humans and due to a bizarre twist, a bunch of animals develop super-powers. Unfortunately not all of them are good and this ends up triggering a rather entertaining series of events which it would be a shame to reveal due to the movie being utterly excellent in every way.
What you might notice first about League of Super-Pets is the animation style. The cartoonish, over-exaggerated design of the characters lends itself perfectly to the plot and characters of the movie. Batman in particular is insanely hilarious, possibly the best comedic interpretation of the character ever put to celluloid. The smooth CGI detail of the animation is fluid and enjoyable and the overall aesthetic created is simply fantastic. Unlike most other DC animated movies which are more traditionally styled, the Super-Pets look trends more towards a Pixar style and a high degree of polish, a new direction for Warner Animation with regards to DC.
Naturally the music keeps up with the animation and there’s an excellent score by Steve Jablonsky as well as performances by Queen, a Tribe Called Quest, R.E.M., Taylor Swift, The Chemical Brothers, Burt Bacharach and more. League of Super-Pets syncs up well with the music as you’d expect from a major studio production and everything fits together like a well-oiled machine, music and sound effects slotting naturally in with the action and plot.
Oh, and there’s plenty of star power in the voice acting too! Dwayne Johnson headlines as Krypto with Kevin Hart as Ace the Bat-Hound and Kate McKinnon as Lulu. Keanu Reeves sneaks in as Batman as well and even the late Kevin Conroy has a small cameo appearance. It’s a fantastic voice cast with a roller coaster ride of feels here.
In terms of the technical presentation, DC League of Super-Pets is exactly what you’d expect from a Warner Bros. blu-ray. Colors are crisp and vibrant and the audio quality is outstanding. This blu-ray release is in 1080p and looks utterly fantastic, but even if you don’t have blu-ray, there’s a DVD version included as well as a voucher for a digital version of the movie which you can redeem places like Google Play and watch on the go. Both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD tracks are available and the sound is deep and vibrant. If you have a high enough quality audio system, it’ll be just like the theater.
In addition to the menus, there are six featurettes included as extras on the disc. Fans can watch interviews with the voice actors, behind-the-scenes animation clips, a lore video, an Easter Egg guide, 12 deleted scenes, and even a fun little feature on how to draw Krypto! That’s a fair chunk of bonus content to contend with and well worth a few bucks on its own. Combined with the easy-to-use menu system, there’s a lot to love here.
Ultimately, if you’re a fan of DC comics, a regular watcher of family-friendly movies, or just like to watch a good show, DC League of Super-Pets gives you plenty of bang for your buck for $27, and you might even be able to grab it for less on sale during the holidays! It’s definitely a great gift for the whole family and one that you’ll likely watch over and over!
This review was based on a blu-ray copy of DC League of Super-Pets provided by the publisher. It was watched on a 55” 1080p Sony TV using a Sony blu-ray player. DC League of Super-Pets is also available on 4K blu-ray and on various streaming services for rental and purchase.