"The Secret Life of Pets" Review

Title: The Secret Life of Pets

Directed by: Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney

Written by: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Bryan Lynch

Year: 2016


The Secret Life of Pets had everyone buzzing with anticipation after its first trailer was released. The jokes were clever and the premise caught our attention. But then the next few trailers showed the pets going on some grand adventure, which is not as quaint of a story as many expected. Does this film play with a relatable concept, or is it too overblown for its own good?

Max is living a very happy life with his owner Katie, until she brings home a new dog named Duke. The two dogs do not get along and after a few exchanges, they find themselves stranded in the city. Now it is up to Max's friends to find him and bring him home.

Leading the cast is Louis C.K. as Max, and he is excellent. He throws plenty of appropriate energy behind his character and his manner of speaking is very fitting for Max. Eric Stonestreet gives a solid performance as Duke, with a reasonable likability and good comic delivery. Jenny Slate is one of the standouts for me, playing Gidget. Gidget is my favorite character from this movie, mainly because of how much Slate brings to the character. Her distinct voice matches Gidget perfectly and she really brings the character to life. Lake Bell is well-cast as the careless Chloe, with a suitable demeanor projected from her voice.

I am not always a fan of Kevin Hart. At times he can be funny, but other times I find him irritating. My fear going into this film was that he would get on my nerves. However, that is not the case. Hart is used effectively and periodically as Snowball the bunny, which is key to keeping his appearances fresh. Albert Brooks voices the falcon Tiberius, and he is great. Tiberius is well realized by Brooks' performance, making him one of the more memorable characters. Finally, Dana Carvey portrays the elderly Pops with a comedic outing. It sounds like Carvey is having a lot of fun with the role, which translates to Pops very well.

Where The Secret Life of Pets truly shines is its first act. This is where the film delivers on its premise. We are treated to an extended sequence of what the pets do on a daily basis once their owners leave. Admittedly, most of the content was already shown in the trailer, but it is still hilarious to watch. There is a great array of creativity present and the editing pattern works wonders. The variety of jokes and gags that are pulled off in the opening sequence is astonishing and almost all of the humor sticks.

Once the adventure gets going, the film loses a bit of steam as it becomes a generic seek-and-rescue mission. However, the movie does remain thoroughly enjoyable as it plays out. The Flushed Pets are an entertaining bunch and the crew that Gidget assembles to find Max produces plenty of humor. The film pans out exactly as you would think. You have two opposite personalities that clash but, over time, they learn to accept each other's differences and become friends. Is it cliché? Yes. But I feel the film does enough differently to make it stand on its own.

Having said that, I might as well mention that The Secret Life of Pets bears a striking resemblance to Toy Story. The film follows a lot of the same plot points and emotional beats as the 1995 classic. Duke and Max are like Buzz and Woody; both duos get stranded from their homes; there is a truck chase in the third act; etc. But as I said earlier, I feel there is enough originality to separate the two entities. The Secret Life of Pets throws a few curveballs every now and again, which help to keep the plot slightly refreshing; but only slightly.

However, there are some parts of the story that fall flat. For instance, there is a plot thread involving Duke's previous owner that is very interesting and holds emotional value. But it is visited only once and by the end of the film it is hardly memorable. It turns out to be a plot device used to place the characters in a certain situation. There are multiple examples of this where an idea could have and should have been explored further in order to profit from its potential. In addition, the story is rather safe. It settles for an established formula, which unfortunately makes it quite predictable. Although there is aesthetic originality on display, the story is not as creative as it could have been.

The animation is very impressive, with each animal sporting a unique texture and design. There is a surprising amount of rapid slapstick humor and the animation accompanies the execution marvelously. The best example is as soon as Gidget starts looking for Max and has an encounter with Chloe. The quick movements and speed of the humor is complemented by the fluid animation gloriously. Something that really clicks about this picture is the sound design. The sound effects truly pop, making for an odd highlight of this film. Aside from the track that plays when the Flushed Pets gang is introduced in its entirety, the score by Alexandre Desplat is a tad underwhelming. The music is not very effective and fails to leave an impression.

I suppose I should mention the short that plays before the movie; "Mower Minions." It is quite mediocre. I am not the biggest fan of the minions, so I am definitely not the target audience. There are a few good jokes sprinkled throughout and I appreciate the effort of trying to bring back classic cinematic customs, but the short did not do much for me. It is very short and not terrible, just not all that appealing for me.

The Secret Life of Pets is a lightweight family adventure that is sure to please pet-owners especially. There are loads of colorful characters; some good jokes riddled throughout; exceptional animation; and fantastic sound mixing. However, the plot is quite generic, which betrays the creative premise; a few plot lines are dropped before they come to fruition; and the latter two acts fail to reach the heights of the first. This movie is very enjoyable, but one of those disposable movies that you begin to forget not long after having seen it. Though charming, The Secret Life of Pets lacks staying power.

Grade: B