DC League Of Super-Pets

''DC League of Super-Pets'' is a 2022 American 3D computer-animated superhero comedy film based on the DC Comics superhero team Legion of Super-Pets. Produced by Warner Animation Group and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it was directed by Jared Stern, who co-wrote the script with John Whittington. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Krypto alongside Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Marc Maron, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves. With CGI animation provided by Animal Logic, the film tells the story of Superman's pet dog Krypto and shelter dog Ace who work with other animals to save the captured superheroes from Lex Luthor and Lulu.

During the early days of Warner Animation Group, Stern pitched the film in 2012, after working in an animal shelter, where he noticed how older animals were less likely to be adopted and wondered about the idea of those pets having superpowers. He was hired to write and direct a film about DC's Legion of Super-Pets in July 2018. Sam Levine would co-direct with Stern, and Patricia Hicks joined as the producer in January 2019. Johnson was hired to join the voice cast in May 2021, while other main cast were confirmed to join the voice roles by June 2021. The inspiration for the film's animation style came from Art Deco architecture and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. Steve Jablonsky composed the film's musical score.

''DC League of Super-Pets'' premiered in Los Angeles on July 27, 2022 and was theatrically released in the United States on July 29, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing over $204 million worldwide on a $90 million budget.

Plot

During the destruction of the planet Krypton, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever comforts fellow infant survivor Kal-El as they head in an escape pod toward Earth.

Years later, now known as the famous superheroes Krypto and Superman, they live in the city of Metropolis under their dual identities Bark and Clark Kent. Clark is a reporter and journalist at the ''Daily Planet'', a newspaper company, and dating Lois Lane, a fellow journalist whom Krypto is jealous of. Thinking that Krypto needs a friend to distract him, Clark heads to an animal shelter to find one. A Boxer named Ace tries to escape the shelter, but Krypto stops him. Later, Superman and Krypto spot their archenemy, LexCorp CEO Lex Luthor, reeling in a meteor strapped with orange kryptonite with a tractor beam, intending to gain superpowers. He is easily defeated as the two are aided by the Justice League.

Meanwhile, Lulu, a guinea pig test subject from LexCorp sent to the shelter, reels in a piece of orange kryptonite with her own tractor beam, which gives her flight and telekinesis. Unbeknownst to her, everyone else in the shelter also gains superpowers. Ace is now super-strong and indestructible; PB, a potbellied pig, can change size; Merton, a nearsighted turtle, becomes super-fast; and Chip, a paranoid squirrel, gains electrokinesis. While at home, Superman and Krypto have an argument when the former plans to propose marriage to Lois. However, Clark is captured by Lulu. Krypto tries to save him, but due to a piece of Jarlsberg cheese inside a Batman toy he ate laced with green kryptonite, he loses his powers. Later, Krypto comes across the shelter pets who agree to help him, with Ace only agreeing after Krypto blackmails him.

Meanwhile, Lulu recruits a group of guinea pigs, captures the Justice League, and heads to Stryker's Island to free Luthor. The shelter pets try to stop her but fail miserably. They regroup in the Hall of Justice where Ace tells a distraught Krypto he used to be the puppy of a family with a toddler. One day, the toddler nearly fell down the stairs when Ace bit her arm and pulled her to safety. Upon seeing the bite-marks, the parents assumed Ace attacked her and sent him to the shelter. However, Ace stands by his actions and ideals. Encouraged, Krypto leads the pets to LexCorp. While there, a kitten named Whiskers, who can create weapons at will, attacks them, and the team traps her. At Stryker's Island, the shelter pets confront Lulu, but put themselves in prison cells when she threatens to kill Krypto. Lulu frees Luthor, who betrays her and locks her in his cell while freeing Mercy Graves. Lulu breaks out easily and decides to destroy the Justice League and Luthor herself.

The Kryptonite passes through Krypto's system, restoring his powers. Fearing for their safety, he asks his friends to stay out of harm's way and heads to LexCorp. He defeats the guinea pigs while Lulu traps Luthor in a similar prison as the League's and launches a rocket from the building. This forces Krypto to choose between the Justice League or Lois, who is in a nearby helicopter. He decides to save Lois while his friends help the League. Enraged, Lulu puts the orange kryptonite in her brain, becoming a ''kaiju''-sized version of herself. The League and the pets team up to stop her. Realizing she has become too powerful, Krypto decides to use the "Solar Paw Punch", a move that can defeat any supervillain but will likely kill the user. The attack causes a massive explosion that removes the kryptonite from Lulu's brain, and shortly thereafter, her redeemed henchmen Mark and Keith trap her in a hot dog stand. Krypto accepts his fate, but Ace uses his invulnerability to save him.

In the aftermath, Krypto allows Clark to marry Lois. The shelter pets, Mark, and Keith get adopted by the rest of the Justice League. Sometime later, the pets have formed their own superhero team called the " League of Super-Pets".

In a mid-credits scene, Luthor is still trapped in his prison asking any passing super-animals to free him. Meanwhile, Lulu is freed by Mercy, who adopts her.

In a post-credits scene, Krypto and Superman encounter Black Adam and his dog Anubis. Krypto tricks them into flying to Pluto.

Voice cast

* Dwayne Johnson as:
** Krypto / Bark Kent / Superdog, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever and Superman's pet dog.
** Anubis, Black Adam's pet dog who hates when people refer to his owner as a villain more than an anti-hero.
** Teth-Adam / Black Adam, an anti-hero that appears in the post-credits ending, as a reference to his then-upcoming role in the DC Extended Universe.
* Kevin Hart as Ace / Bat-Hound, a Boxer with super strength and invulnerability ever since coming in contact with Orange Kryptonite. He later becomes Batman's pet dog. According to Krypto, he is 3/4 Chihuahua.
* Kate McKinnon as Lulu, an evil hairless guinea pig who gains flight and telekinesis through Orange Kryptonite. She later becomes Mercy Graves' pet.
* John Krasinski as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman, a superhero from Krypton who protects Metropolis and Krypto's 'hooman'.
* Vanessa Bayer as PB, a potbellied pig who can change size in scale ever since coming in contact with Orange Kryptonite and admires Wonder Woman, whose pet she becomes later.
* Natasha Lyonne as Merton McSnurtle / Terrific Whatzit, a Red-eared slider with poor eyesight and super speed ever since coming in contact with Orange Kryptonite. She later becomes Flash's pet.
* Diego Luna as Chip, a paranoid red squirrel with electrokinesis ever since coming in contact with Orange Kryptonite and speaks with a strong Spanish accent. He later becomes the Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz)'s pet.
* Marc Maron as Lex Luthor, the CEO of LexCorp and Superman's arch-nemesis.
* Keanu Reeves as Bruce Wayne / Batman, a vigilante superhero who protects Gotham City. He later becomes Ace's owner.
* Thomas Middleditch as Keith, a white guinea pig who was recruited by Lulu who was empowered by Orange Kryptonite where he possesses cryokinesis (later hydrokinesis after Lulu smashes him against Mark). He later becomes Aquaman's pet and joins the team.
** Julia Morris portrays Keith in the Australian version.
* Ben Schwartz as Mark, a brown guinea pig who also was recruited by Lulu who was empowered by Orange Kryptonite where he possesses pyrokinesis. He later becomes Cyborg's pet and joins the team.
** Chris Brown portrays Mark in the Australian release.
* Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane, a reporter of the Daily Planet and Clark's girlfriend.
* Jameela Jamil as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, an Amazon princess and superheroine from Themyscira. She later becomes PB's owner.
* Jemaine Clement as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, an Atlantean demigod, superhero, and the king of Atlantis. He later becomes Keith's owner.
* John Early as Barry Allen / The Flash, a police forensic scientist who protects Central City with his immense superhuman speed abilities. He later becomes Merton's owner.
* Daveed Diggs as Victor Stone / Cyborg, a former football player who gained cybernetics after an accident. He later becomes Mark's owner.
* Dascha Polanco as Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern, a superheroine and member of the Green Lantern Corps. She later becomes Chip's owner.
* Keith David as Dog-El, Krypto's father.
* Sam J. Levine as:
** The Robot Guards at Stryker's Island.
** Waffles, a Boston Terrier that interacts with Krypto in the park.
*** Richard Arnold portrays Waffles in the UK version.
*** Sean Lee portrays Waffles in the Malaysian English version.
* Maya Erskine as Mercy Graves, Lex Luthor's henchwoman and bodyguard. She later becomes Lulu's owner.
* Yvette Nicole Brown as Patty, the owner of an animal shelter.
* Alfred Molina as Jor-El, Superman's biological father.
* Lena Headey as Lara, Superman's biological mother.
* Busy Philipps as Foofy Dog, a dog that interacts with Krypto in the park.
* Dan Fogler as:
** Carl, Patty's assistant who constantly tries to hit on her.
** Pilot
** Racer
* Winona Bradshaw as Whiskers, a kitten with weapon abilities who tries to kill the Super-Pets for Lulu as a thank you for rescuing her. She appears later in a mid-credits scene where Luthor is still trapped in the park as she passes by him.
* David Pressman as a Welsh Corgi waiting outside the shelter with Krypto, who later gains size manipulation.
** Munya Chawawa portrays the corgi in the UK version.
* Jared Stern as:
** A guy in a bathtub whose bath keeps getting disrupted by the animals.
** JLA Hotline
* Michelle Morgan as the A.I. for Lex Luthor's Mech Suit
* Amanda Ames as Guinea-Pigasus, a guinea pig who was recruited by Lulu who was empowered by Orange Kryptonite where he possesses the wings and hindquarters of a bird.
* Gavin McCrillis as Black Kitten
* Andre Hyland as Storm
* Mark Walton as Topo

Production

Development

In July 2018, Jared Stern was hired to write and direct an animated film about DC's Legion of Super-Pets. In January 2019, it was announced that Sam Levine would serve as co-director with Stern, and that Patricia Hicks had signed on as producer. The film was pitched by Stern in 2012, during the early days of the Warner Animation Group.

In May 2021, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would star as the voice of Krypto the Superdog. In addition to starring in the film, he, alongside Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Stern would be joining Hicks as producers; while John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Nicholas Stoller were set to executive produce.

In June 2021, additional cast members were announced, with Kevin Hart starring as the voice of Ace the Bat-Hound in the film. Additionally, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, and Keanu Reeves were cast in undisclosed roles. The following week, Jameela Jamil joined the film. By September 2021, Marc Maron had joined the cast as the voice of Lex Luthor. By November of the same year, additional roles were revealed to be: Chip, Green Lantern's squirrel (Luna); Merton, Flash (DC Comics character), The Flash's turtle (Lyonne); PB, Wonder Woman's pig (Bayer), Superman (Krasinski) and newer additions, Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz. In March 2022, Reeves was revealed to be voicing Batman. The following month, it was revealed that Dascha Polanco would be voicing Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern. Three weeks before the film's release, the remainder of the cast for the Justice League and Lois Lane were announced in July 2022 through posters.

Writing

Stern developed a pitch for the film after working in an animal shelter, where he noticed how older animals were less likely to be adopted and wondered "what if those pets got superpowers?". Stern was originally unsure what DC characters he was allowed to incorporate in the film, thougth he added Luthor after the character was suggested by DC. This led to the concept of the villain, Lulu, being a guinea pig, as Stern felt "guinea pigs are someone who would have a chip on their shoulder" due to them being used as test subjects, and Lulu being Lex's test subject served as a parallel with Krypto and Superman's relationship.

According to Stern, DC executives suggested adding satirical jokes regarding their properties, which Stern felt allowed the film to make fun of the characters while portraying them respectfully. Stern said the humor regarding DC characters was meant to be rooted in the film's focus on pets, such as portraying Superman as a dog owner or Batman as "a guy who really could use a pet". Early drafts for the movie had Ace in a more prominent role, but his role was changed to co-lead once the filmmakers concluded the focus for the film should be on Krypto's relationship with Superman.

Animation

The animation was provided by Animal Logic in Sydney and Vancouver, which also provided animation for the Warner Animation Group's ''The Lego Movie (franchise), The Lego Movie'' series. Approximately 70 animators worked on the film. Animators worked on the film for 2 years, as well as an extra 3–4 months after the film's release date was delayed by a year.

The film's art style was inspired by Art Deco architecture and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, as well as the Art Deco style from the original ''Superman'' comics. Stern wanted the characters and environments to have both visible brushstrokes and "chunky heroic shapes". Character designers Mayumi Nose and Matt Williamês drew inspiration from the ''Superfriends'' animated series and Superman comics from the Silver Age of Comic Books for the designs of the characters, while still having a comedic edge to them.

The artists aimed for the film's visuals to reflect the optimistic tone from the ''Superman'' comic books, while also being relatable and cartoonish. In order to accomplish this, they had the visuals to be mainly vertical and have a "painted feel". The artists were influenced by the ''Superman'' comics from the Golden Age of Comic Books, particularly in those comics' painting style.

Music

The film's original score was composed by Steve Jablonsky. The film's score album was released on July 29, 2022, by WaterTower Music. The Taylor Swift songs "Message in a Bottle (Taylor Swift song), Message in a Bottle" and, a re-recording of the song "Bad Blood", "Bad Blood (Taylor's Version)", are also featured in the film.Also included is the powerful original ballad “Count On Me,” written and produced by Jeremy Silver and performed by Jac Ross. The song plays during an emotional montage sequence where we learn Ace (a tough shelter dog) used to have a great home life with a family.

Marketing

On May 24, 2022, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Comics announced the release of merchandise inspired by the film in collaboration with Fisher-Price. The products include apparel, pet accessories, toys, collectibles, costumes, and furniture. McDonald's also announced that their Happy Meals will have toys based on the film.

Release

In January 2019, the film was scheduled to be released on May 21, 2021. The release date was later pushed back to May 20, 2022, in favour of ''The Matrix Resurrections'', another WB film starring Reeves. It was then pushed back to July 29, 2022 (taking the release of Black Adam (film), ''Black Adam'', which also stars Johnson), among other films from Warner Bros. getting pushed due to production delays. The film's premiere was held on July 27. It is eligible to become available on HBO Max and/or premium video on demand on September 26, 2022 under a plan announced by WarnerMedia in 2021, though subsequent announcements by new parent company Warner Bros. Discovery suggest that streaming timing will be considered on a "case-by-case" basis going forward; it eventually became available on digital on August 23, 2022, and available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD beginning on October 4, 2022, along with the official announcement that the movie would be available on HBO Max on September 26, 2022.

Reception

Box office

''DC League of Super-Pets'' grossed $93.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $110.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $204.5 million. The film made $9.3 million on its first day, including $2.2 million from Thursday previews. It went on to debut to $23 million, topping the box office, though coming in at the low-end of expectations. The film made $11.2 million in its sophomore weekend, finishing second behind newcomer ''Bullet Train (film), Bullet Train''. In its third weekend it made $7.1 million, staying in second place.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 146 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Although it never quite soars, ''DC League of Super-Pets'' is a more than satisfactory diversion for families in search of four-legged fun." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Nell Minow writing for ''RogerEbert.com'' praised the "lively" voice talent, and called the script "smart, exciting, and very funny". Reviewer Dwight Brown wrote, "It doesn't break the mold. However, it is sly, wicked and so much fun. Kids will laugh at the antics. Adults will chuckle when they hear the puns, jokes, catty remarks and doggy banter." Peter Travers of ABC News wrote that while the movie "is not a revolution in animation. It gets the fun done for family audiences." Clarisse Loughrey of ''The Independent'' criticized its "limited imagination", adding: "The film is desperately craving an angle—one that certainly can’t be fulfilled by the fact all the pet ownership jokes have already been used up by the ''The Secret Life of Pets (franchise), Secret Life of Pets'' series."

Future

In August 2022, following the positive financial and audience reception, Johnson stated that the film will be the first installment of a new Shared universe, franchise.

Adaptations

A video game based on the film titled ''DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace'' was announced during DC FanDome, and was released on July 15, 2022.

''DC League of Super- Pets: The Great Mxy-Up'' is a tie-in comic taking place after the events in the movie, featuring Mr. Mxyzptlk.

References

External links

*DC page
moviecomics (TGM-U)
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* at warnerbros.com
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