DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

It was all right. I found the stuff with Krypto and Kal as a puppy and a baby beyond adorable, and Ace's backstory broke my damn heart. I especially love that Ace doesn't fault the owners for it.

But you know what? On the whole it felt like a cash grab. It wasn't bad, but one thing I noticed that I think people got the sense of as plot descriptions and trailers were released. I don't get the sense that the creators actually love DC Comics. I don't personally love DC Comics myself, but I do love certain adaptations of it like Justice League Unlimited, and one of the reasons that is great and the best DC adaptation is because the WRITERS love and care about the premise so much. You feel the love and respect throughout the entire project.

If this loved DC Comics they wouldn't have had Kevin Hart voice Ace the Bat-Hound. If this loved DC Comics it would have given Streaky the Supercat a role instead of adding unheard of pets like a pig and a turtle. If this loved DC Comics it would know the Green Lantern Ch'p is not actually a pet (and what's a squirrel doing in an animal shelter anyways?). But really the thing that told me the producers were just piggybacking off the premise is when Batman is listing the exceptions of who he works with, despite claiming to work alone, he mentions "whoever Morgan Freeman played" as an audience laughline. A person who loved DC Comics would have wanted to give Lucius Fox his due and wouldn't make that jibe.

I'm not saying it's a bad movie. I'm not even saying it's a cynical one. But wasn't made with love in the producers' hearts for Krypto the Superdog. I am glad there were a couple of heartstring-tugging moments. But those felt more like they belonged in a Pixar film than a DC one. So I dunno. I will give that a passing, respectable grade of three stars. But considering this DC animated movie looks better than any previous DC animated film, I wish the producers loved the characters enough so that I could share that love. I don't love Batman and Superman on their own. Only great adaptations, invariably made by people who love them, get that out of me. I didn't quite feel that "super" feeling here. ***.