MOVIE REVIEW: DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS

Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission.

Director: Jared Stern

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves

Release Date: July 29, 2022

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action, mild violence, language and rude humor

Runtime: 1h 45m

Review:

DC League of Super-Pets is the type of family film whose sole purpose to exist could be simply to sell cute plush toys.  While its sure to accomplish that the film itself is a pleasant surprise.  Writer/director Jared Stern's film is breezy, fun and wittier than you'd expected.  The setting borrows from Bruce Timm's classic DC animated shows with its art deco style while the character designs are reminiscent of Pixar's The Incredibles.  Its a visually appealing film that's filled with Easter eggs and visual cues that long time fans of the DC universe will surely enjoy.  The voice cast does excellent work throughout lead by a steady and sincere performance from Dwayne Johnson.  Johnson brings a palpable sense of  earnestness and authenticity that makes the character much more endearing than you'd expect.  Kevin Hart is more of surprise with a measured, funny but thoughtful turn as Ace.  The supporting cast of Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna and Keanu Reeves are all clearly having a ball voicing these characters with Lyonne and Reeve's Batman getting some of the film's best lines.  The story itself plays out like most superhero films only with a furrier facade.  There's plenty to keep kids and adults entertained for the better part of the runtime even though you get the sense it could have been trimmed by 15 or 20 minutes.  Its humor occasionally veers outside of it's kids corner into more adult fare that will likely go over most of the younger kids heads.  As a whole, DC League of Super-Pets is a surprisingly fun animated offshoot that works far better than it should

B

TV SHOW REVIEW: ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Piper Chapman (Schilling), a woman from Connecticut, living in New York City who is sent to the women's Litchfield, NY federal prison for possessing a suitcase full of drug money for Alex Vause (Prepon), an international drug smuggler and Chapman's one-time lover. Sentenced to serve a fifteen-month sentence, Chapman must survive the hardships of prison life, and she may have to be a different person to do so.

Cast: Taylor Schilling, Jason Biggs, Michael Harney, Natasha Lyonne, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Pablo Schreiber

Created by Jenji Kohan

Based on the book Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Review:

Jenji Kohan’s Weeds is the type of show that really divided a lot of people after certain massive changes utterly changed the landscape of that show. Personally, I’ve always been impressed by how bold Kohan was but I digress. I loved Weeds more often than not and it made me a big fan of Mary Louise Parker in the process. Kohan’s new series has some of the hallmarks of what people liked about the first few seasons of Weeds, sharp writing and a deft mix of comedy and drama. Orange is the New Black does occasionally head into melodramatic territory but the sharp writing and impressive ensemble keeps you interested throughout. The story unfolds with a Lost style series of flashbacks after the main plot is presented, each episode focuses on the backstory of one inmates, so we are introduced to the characters before we know their story. As a result, Kohan has us playing into a lot of stereotypes Piper experiences. I’d never call this a hard hitting Oz style prison drama but it does pack an emotional punch quite consistently while providing plenty of laughs along the way. Taylor Schilling, who looks like a pathetic version of Diane Kruger in this unglamorous role, does a solid job in the lead role. She’s believable as a yuppie trying to navigate prison but she isn’t tasked with carrying the entire series. Her character is complex and somewhat unlikable especially as the series progress. Luckily the supporting characters are just as interesting, occasionally more sympathetic, than the lead. The supporting actors and actresses make up one of the most eclectic cast assembled in recent memory. They run the gamut of Star Trek, That 70’s Show, American Pie franchise alums, to character actors who have populated the background of various movies or shows. Each one delivers a strong sense of authenticity to their characters. Kate Mulgrew turn is rather impressive since it’s so effective while she’s sporting a bad Russian accent. Jason Biggs does a solid job as Piper’s fiancé but his American Pie castmate, Natasha Lyonne, really shines throughout. Lyonne, who’d had her battles with addition, nails her portrayal of a former addict. She has a certain warmth and acidity to her performance while never overdoing it. Laura Prepon is nearly as impressive as Pipers ex-lover especially once her backstory is fleshed out. Laverne Cox provides a fascinating performance as a transgender inmate. Pablo Schreiber provides the most obvious antagonist throughout and he makes you hate his character more and more with each passing episode. The world they all create is incredibly rich with multiple characters bringing an engaging storyline to the series. This first season covers a lot of ground in the main and supporting characters emotional arches but leaves plenty to explore in season 2 which I’ll be looking forward to.

B+