Filmtracks: DC League of Super-Pets (Steve Jablonsky)

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Written 8/13/22

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Buy it... if exuberantly heroic animated parody scores make you bark with excitement, Steve Jablonsky providing an expressively resounding and hyperactive atmosphere with skill.

Avoid it... if you expect Jablonsky's much-hyped references to classic DC superhero themes by John Williams and Danny Elfman to occupy much air time, for this usage is supplied in cameo duty only.

Jablonsky

DC League of Super-Pets: (Steve Jablonsky) As studios seek to pilfer any possible angle to their comic book superhero properties, it's no surprise that Warner Brothers sought to adapt the "Legion of Super-Pets" concept from page to screen. Partly a parody of its own DC Comics superheroes and owing much to the movies of The Secret Life of Pets, the 2022 animated venture DC League of Super-Pets tells of the exploits of the pets of major DC characters. The movie is partly an origins story for Krypto the Superdog, the Labrador owned by Clark Kent, and an explanation for how a variety of other animals come into contact with kryptonite and achieve their own superpowers. These lucky animals come from an animal shelter and are adopted by the heroes accordingly, helping them thwart evil. In this case, that villain is a guinea pig associated with Lex Luthor, who is largely responsible for the accidental existence of all the super animals. But DC League of Super-Pets earns its charm as Krypto the Superdog is shown leaving Krypton with Kal-El and discovering his own place in a family that inevitably will involve Lois Lane, much to Krypto's consternation. Writer and director Jared Stern had made his name with The Lego Batman Movie, so you can expect the same level of humor aimed within. That tact was music to the ears of composer Steve Jablonsky, who was tasked with providing a score for DC League of Super-Pets that was destined to compete with an absolutely enormous variety of song placements. Not only was Jablonsky encouraged to write over-the-top animation music of immense size, but he was allowed to reference the full range of DC-related themes from the past. Much of the press about the resulting score is about the insertion of vintage themes from the 1970's and 1980's into this context, but Jablonsky's music actually relies on these ideas very sparingly. His tone and thematic narrative is largely his own throughout DC League of Super-Pets, with the themes by John Williams, Danny Elfman, and others thrown in as an occasional pinch of spice now and then. In something of a relief, the album release for Jablonsky's score doesn't shy away from offering cues that contain these references.

The general quality of Jablonsky's writing for DC League of Super-Pets builds upon the composer's impressive outing for Red Notice, showing significant maturation and more than enough intelligence to compete favorably with the best parody animation scores. The scope of the work is massive, encompassing a resounding symphonic ensemble, a variety of choral shades, and the expected contemporary electronic accents to accompany the espionage element of the action. There is top notch bloating of instrumental applications in almost every facet, with countless comedic action techniques plundered and nearly everything overblown in tone throughout. While some listeners may be turned off by the immense volume of much of this score, there are aspects of the mix that do shine despite the walls of noise sometimes thrown at the story. There is fantastic use of percussion throughout the score, these performers offered in a great variety and mix. Solo viola in lamentation mode sometimes joins a theremin for melodrama. The mock theremin effects are a bit tired but serve their purpose. The choral usage is all over the place in the score, though it sometimes excels, such as in the chanting late in "Squeezy Bruce," an excellent parody of fantasy suspense. Jablonsky's handling of themes is extensive in DC League of Super-Pets, dominated by his two primary ideas of good and evil that aren't afraid to do sonic battle in several cues, most notably "A Hunk of Jarlsberg." Likewise, the composer's merging of original and vintage themes is well handled, "Leaving Krypton" in particular a great combination of old and new identities. Among the purely new ideas, Jablonsky concentrates on his ideas for Krypto, Superman's dog, and Lulu, the evil guinea pig. The development of these themes is extensive and constant throughout the work, nearly every cue making use of at least portions of one of these two themes. The primary idea for Krypto is definitely informed by harmonies and progressions from Williams' Superman, but with secondary phrases remind of Alan Silvestri's main Night at the Museum theme and performance inflection that suggests Benjamin Wallfisch's Shazam! at times. He doesn't lose the modern edge to DC scores generally, either, this main idea expressed in power anthem methodology when needed.

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The lead Krypto theme in DC League of Super-Pets debuts at the outset of "Leaving Krypton" on woodwinds with light whimsy and is explored in its entirety in that cue. It returns immediately at the start of "Squeezy Bruce" in exuberant, stuttering phrases, and that cue closes with soft hints of the idea. It provides solo trumpet mystery at 1:09 into "100% Orange Kryptonite" before going massive in minor-key mode at 1:31 with electronic embellishments and wild flutes. Krypto's theme extends to tortured suspense in the middle of "Crazy Good Plan" with Elfman-like zaniness and struggles to re-assert itself late with electric guitar coolness, phrases then attempting to comfort in "A Hunk of Jarlsberg" but without success. It simmers in light fantasy mode early in "It is I, Dog-El," turning to a secondary piano motif in that cue and merely teased in the first minute of "Super Dork." The theme interjects over the Lulu material at 1:37 into "Super Team Stats," struggles to complete in the first half of "La Puerca Sin Pelo Esta Loca" and the midsection of "Whiskers," and rediscoveres some heroic optimism in the middle of "Finally Reunited." Sensitive fragments open "No Justice Without Truth" and later congeal into full fanfare, trying to fight back at 0:58 and thereafter in "All Billionaires Have Rocketships" and late in "Kneel Before Lulu." With electronic vocal effects, the Krypto theme becomes mystical at 0:27 into "The Solar Paw Punch," the orchestra taking the theme's fragments on a frenetic ride before a huge, heroic ending. It becomes sensitive on keyboards and woodwinds at the beginning of "Super Family," transitioning to inspirational militaristic mode and allowing secondary sections of the theme to expand nicely. A determined minor mode for the theme opens "I Ate the FedEx Guy." Jablonsky's suite-like format for the theme occupies "Krypto the Superdog," its melody teased at 0:19 in partial phrasing and consolidating slowly with increasing percussive force, including chimes, until the formal march format ensues at 2:50. The extroverted rendition at 3:25 into "Krypto the Superdog" embodies the closest the score comes to its outright Shazam! references, though a great interlude at 3:50 into the track is reminiscent of Mark Mancina's Twister instead. The application and mix of the vibrant percussion layers is all-around outstanding in this cue.

On the flip side of the coin in the score for DC League of Super-Pets is the theme for Lulu the villain, and it's here that Jablonsky overplays his hand. This idea is distinguished by two five-note phrases of pure menace, though the third note is sometimes dropped. Too often, the theme is conveyed simplistically at high volumes, its character not enjoying much of an arc in the music. Lulu's theme is hinted first at 0:41 into "100% Orange Kryptonite" but develops further at the start of "Crazy Good Plan" in suspense with choir and groaning metal, shifting to mock theremin against the Lex Luthor theme and revealing its full fanfare mode at 3:06 with choir and slamming percussion. It pounds at the start of "A Hunk of Jarlsberg," defining the massive suspense thereafter, and becomes threatening on brass at 0:15 into "Terrifying Villains, Deadly Assassins" before accelerating with choir and brass at 1:12 against Elfman's Batman theme and consolidating to a massively bloated fanfare mode again at the end. Reminders of phrases of the Lulu theme extend on chanted choir and muted trumpets at 0:28 into "Super Team Stats" and fend off the Krypto theme to prevail in "La Puerca Sin Pelo Esta Loca." It's playful early in "Whiskers," becoming fully evil and pounding by the end of the cue, and it comes to dominate "Finally Reunited" by the end with Independence Day-inspired, mega-menace size. The idea stomps near the start of "All Billionaires Have Rocketships," provides brass bravado over theremin at 0:27 into "Kneel Before Lulu" (shifting to even larger tones as a choir joins), and obnoxiously thrashes at the start of "The Solar Paw Punch" without much variance. This theme's suite-like form comes in "Lulu, Daughter of Cinnamon," muted trumpets conveying the melody at 0:30 and the idea increasing its volume to horns at 0:55 and slower tempos with choir at 1:48. Ancillary to the Lulu theme is that of Lex Luthor, opening with hypnotic rhythmic phrasing with ample synthetics and theremin. It dances lightly at 1:10 into "Crazy Good Plan" but is supplanted by Lulu's theme, meanders through the middle of "Terrifying Villains, Deadly Assassins," taunts in the middle of "Finally Reunited," and is best heard throughout its own suite in "Lex Luthor," especially in full brass mode at 1:14. This idea is really marginalized by the Lulu material, however, which itself sometimes utilizes the same hypnotic rhythmic figures, and some listeners may overlook the Luthor theme entirely if not for its separate suite at the end of the album.

The fourth and final significant new theme in DC League of Super-Pets belongs to the Kent farm and the sense of family associated with it. Signaled by ascending two-note phrases at its start, this idea offers a touch off Jerry Goldsmith in its sensitivity and is a welcome diversion whenever it occurs in this score. Previewed at 0:06 into "Super Dork," the theme develops at 2:44 into "All Billionaires Have Rocketships" with greater nobility but is cut off prematurely. Redemption finally comes in its massive performance at 2:46 into "Super Family," eventually achieving a brief fanfare mode at 4:10 after ruminating on extended new family-oriented material. The suite track, "The Farm," opens with the theme at 0:14 and allows the melody to be explored in full by woodwinds, an acoustic guitar a nice additional touch. The only other new motif of interest in DC League of Super-Pets belongs to the sideshow villain feline in "Whiskers," opening that cue on celeste and persisting throughout. Listeners seeking the vintage DC themes will appreciate Jablonsky's attention to Williams' Superman themes, the fanfare previewed at 1:12 into "Leaving Krypton" and the full Krypton theme following at 1:57 on brass layers, using much of Williams' famous crescendo; that Krypton theme is reprised in minor mode for brass at 2:50. A brief snippet of the fanfare exists at 1:30 into "A Hunk of Jarlsberg" while shades provide counterpoint to the soft mystery of "It is I, Dog-El" and a quick fanfare reference at 1:21 into "Super Dork" mingles with the Krypto theme. Elfman's Batman theme is brief but well interpolated in full action mode at 1:23 into "Terrifying Villains, Deadly Assassins," and the composer's general style is emulated in the morbid low strings in middle of "Finally Reunited." More humorous is the 1970's "Wonder Woman" television theme by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel in a nice statement at 2:27 in "Terrifying Villains, Deadly Assassins." In the end, these references are few and brief, only "Leaving Krypton" paying lengthy homage to the past, and the usage works well. Overall, Jablonsky continues to impress, as DC League of Super-Pets is a superbly accomplished animated parody score for much of its length, its percussion and general mix outstanding and its only detriment being the composer's inability to refrain from overstating the stomping tone of Lulu's theme whenever adversity occurs. The long album includes the song, "Count On Me" by Jeremy Silver and performed by Jac Ross, a romantically sweet buddy tune that is attractive but should have been moved to the end of the album. The inclusion of the four thematic suites at the end of that product are a treat and may suffice for listeners not interested in the wild mayhem that occupies the rest of the score. **** @Amazon.com: CD or Download

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For Steve Jablonsky reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 2.2 (in 15 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 2.47 (in 11,924 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

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