Connor Bynum // Film Critic
DC LEAGUE OF SUPERPETS
Rated PG, 105 minutes.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
It would certainly be an understatement to suggest that Warner Bros. has made some questionable decisions with their DC superhero properties. However, just because their decisions are beard scratching, doesn’t mean they haven’t been enjoyable.
DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS is a delightfully weird albeit unnecessary romp that kids and parents alike can enjoy, and it’s available on 4K UHD today.
Movie Grade: B
Did you ever ask yourself, “What would happen if Superman had a super dog?” Better yet, have you followed that first question up with, “What if that super dog had the voice of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson?” Odds are the answer to both is a resounding “No,” but apparently, the Bros at Warner just think differently than us. And wouldn’t you know it, DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS may just be charming enough for even viewers without children to appreciate.
The film takes the well-established mythos of Superman (John Krasinski) but adds the twist of the hero bringing the aforementioned superdog named Krypto (Dwayne Johnson) along with him as he is sent away from his dying home planet of Krypton. As they both grow up on Earth and live the superhero life together, Krypto first becomes jealous of Superman’s growing relationship with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde) but then becomes insecure at the realization that other than Superman, he has no other friends in the world.
But before things can get too existential, the evil super billionaire Lex Luthor (Marc Maron) uses a massive tractor beam attached to his obviously evil skyscraper in Metropolis to bring a meteorite made of Orange Kryptonite down to Earth, a variant of Kryptonite that gives a random assortment of superpowers to animals. Hijinks ensue as an evil Guinea Pig named Lulu (Kate McKinnon) uses the new Orange Kryptonite to kidnap every human superhero DC owns forcing Krypto to make friends a lovable group of unadopted pets who also received powers to save Superman and learn about the importance of friendship as well as what it means to love unconditionally.
The story is certainly not without a level of silliness one would expect in a children’s film, but it is competently told nonetheless. The cast is predictably filled with copious celebrities, but that’s not to say they don’t deliver perfectly fine, if not exceptional, performances. McKinnon is clearly enjoying herself as Lulu, but it feels like Johnson is on autopilot for this one. Kevin Hart and Vanessa Bayer also give notable performances as a dog with a troubled past named Ace and a super-powered pig named PB, respectively.
Overall, DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS succeeds as a kids’ film that won’t drive parents crazy and may even elicit an honest chuckle or two.
Video/Audio Grade: A-
DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS is presented in 4K UHD through an upscaling process but still has a considerably improved visual quality compared to the standard Blu-ray. Character models are clearly defined, and the expected detail in grass and fur strands are all given that bit of extra clarity. The real selling point for the upgrade is definitely HDR10. What was already a very colorful film is made even more enjoyable with the expanded color pallet and brightness spectrums that come with the format. Krypto’s red cape contrasts much better with his white fur, and the Orange Kryptonite’s glow is all the more vibrant.
The Dolby Atmos audio mix is also outstanding. Viewers without an Atmos setup can also rest easy, as the mix automatically converts to a DTS HD 7.1 or 5.1 mix, depending on your hardware — and all three options are wonderful. The rear and side channels are particularly noticeable during the film’s many action set pieces, and dialogue is always audible above the rest of the mix.
Now the real question to consider for this one, especially for those with kids comes down to this: Will the kids actually care about these improvements over the standard Blu-ray? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean the parents won’t notice.
Extras Grade: C+
In what might as well be tradition by now, all special features can only be found on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc. There may not be much groundbreaking content to be found, but like the film, they’re perfectly fine. It just would have been nice to have them included on the 4K disc, especially considering the film itself is an upscaled 4K master and only clocks in at 105 minutes.
- How to Draw Krypto (6:48)
- Behind the Super Voices (14:39)
- Super-Pets Animation 101 (8:18)
- The World of Super-Pets (7:41)
- Find the Easter Eggs (3:39)
- Deleted Scenes (12 clips with “Play All”, 20:48 total)
Final Grade: B
While it is far from being the next SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, this animated superhero film is exactly the kind of DC film Warner Bros. needs right now and has just enough of an edge to justify the 4K upcharge over the Blu-ray.
