Gone to the dogs

Many viewers will find the new animated film DC League of Super-Pets a cute twist on the superhero multiverse. Who could resist a flying dog named Krypto—Bark Kent when he removes his cape—patrolling the Metropolis skies with Superman? But my impression was that the film presented pets as equal companions—disappointing but unsurprising in an age when many people already treat their pets as children.

Early in the film, Krypto (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) boasts that he sleeps in Superman’s bed, except—he hangs his head—when Superman’s girlfriend, Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde), spends the night. Superman (John Krasinski) frets over how to cheer up his jealous best friend while wooing his soon-to-be fiancée. “He rescued me a long time ago,” the superhero explains to Lois. Will resolving this relationship triangle consume the entire film? What a relief when evil guinea pigs enter the picture—probably the first time I’ve ever said that.

Lulu (Kate McKinnon), a guinea pig from Lex Luthor’s lab, gains superpowers from orange kryptonite. She sidelines Superman and six other superheroes using green kryptonite and other superpower-neutralizing juju. When Krypto too loses his super abilities, he gets help from four shelter animals—a boxer (Kevin Hart), a pig (​​Vanessa Bayer), a turtle (Natasha Lyonne), and a squirrel (Diego Luna). Lulu plots world domination, raising an army by giving several other guinea pigs various powers. Krypto must defeat Lulu, rescue the superheroes, and work things out with “Supes.”

Super-Pets, rated PG, has several funny quips but also a few near-blasphemies. While the animal characters are admittedly anthropomorphic, the film’s exaltation of human-pet devotion arguably blurs a Creator-ordained distinction between people and animals. In its final scene, the film pairs each human superhero with a suitable animal partner (including some of the guinea pigs)—portraying finding a pet as life’s greatest joy.