There’s yet another Batman in town, asDC League of Super-Petshas found its Caped Crusader in Keanu Reeves. He is the fourth Batman to hit movie theaters this year, following Robert Pattinson’s lead role inThe Batmanand the upcoming appearances by Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck inThe Flash.
TheLeague of Super-Petstrailer picks up with Reeves’Batmangiving a comically dramatic monologue to his dog Ace, voiced by Kevin Hart. His voice lends itself well to Batman, as he plays it with a straight face, serving as a foil to the absurd animated comedy. There’s also a number of subtle in-jokes that Batman fans will pick up on, including a reference to Morgan Freeman’s role as Lucius Fox inThe Dark KnightTrilogy.
RELATED:DC’s League Of Super-Pets Gets Its First Trailer
DC League of Super-Petsseems similar toThe Lego Batman Movie, in that it works as a lighter DC film for young kids, but still has enough reverence for the source material for older fans to enjoy. The trailer features Danny Elfman’s iconic themefor the 1989Batmanfilmand a Superman design very similar to the original Max Fleischer shorts. Even the premise has roots in the comics, as Dwayne Johnson’s lead role, Krypto the Super-Dog, is an iconic legacy character in the Superman family.
On one hand, the premise makes a lot of sense. If there’s one thing kids love more than superheroes, it’s talking animals, so combining the two could be a perfect match. And besides, DC films have a tendency to be unsafe for kids, asThe Batmanborders on an R-ratingand it’s uncertain ifBlack AdamorThe Flashwill be particularly family-friendly. So at the very least, it’s nice to have an option for the youngest DC fans.
Though on the other hand, it’s easy to wonder if this is the right direction. It used to be that animated superhero projects only appealed to kids, but that’s not the case anymore. Sony Animation’sSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewas beloved by audiences of all ages, with many fans deeming it superior to any of the live-action Marvel films. With that in mind, perhaps DC should aim for an animated film of similar quality and mass appeal, asLeague of Super-Petsmay seem a bit juvenile and standard by comparison.
Only time will tell ifLeague of Super-Petscan be aLego Batmanlevel success. Though even if it’s not, kids are sure to enjoy it, and it’s nice to have the great Reeves in yet another iconic franchise.
