By Paul Hall
We’ve all done it. We’ve looked at our pet and wondered just what they do when we aren’t home. Never fear, The Secret Life of Pets is here, and we get a story based on that very thought. If you “Sit!” for this story, you’ll be rewarded with a treat — no rolling over necessary.
Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is Katie’s dog. He loves her and waits for her return on a daily basis — the best parts of his day are spent with Katie. When Katie leaves in the morning, Max is joined by all the other pets in his complex who want to enjoy the day with him. It seems like a perfect existence for Max until Katie brings home a new dog named Duke (Eric Stonestreet) and Max’s world is thrown into disarray.
On a normal trip to the dog park, Duke hatches a plot to try and get rid of Max. The plan backfires and the two new roommates find themselves on the streets of New York trying to get home. On their journey, they encounter animal control officers, and a group of “discarded” pets roaming the sewers led by a maniacal yet adorable bunny named Snowball (Kevin Hart), who is set on revenge against the humans who have left these pets behind.
Meanwhile, back at the apartment building, Gidget (Jenny Slate), who has a doggie crush on Max, is assembling a rescue team. The ragtag group of animals sets out on the streets of New York to try and find Max and Duke, but can they get to them in time?
We love our pets. The dogs, cats, birds, fish and guinea pigs that we own become a part of our family. We treat them with kid gloves and they become a part of us. All of us leave those pets alone at times and wonder just what happens, especially when we return to a tipped-over vase or ripped up garbage. Creating a film to address this mysterious time when no human is around is intriguing to virtually everyone. Though it is intriguing, filmmakers have to make it fun and the good news here is, they DO.
All of the animals are lovable and fun. As a viewer, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next and actually left wanting more of the fun that occurred when the animals were at home and less of the journey-through-New York part of the story, but that is a small nitpick.
The music works, homages to the Minions appear throughout and a bonus scene pops up during the credits. All of this, coupled with a great new Minions short called Mower Madness to kick things off, makes for an absolutely splendid time at the movies.
We need more movies like The Secret Life of Pets. Movies that put us in a happy and joyful state of mind are rare. Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me and Minions) is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with and they hit another animated home run here. Grab your bucket of popcorn, your favorite pet (and of course their treats), and enjoy this funny look at our fine furry (and not so furry) friends.
The Secret Life of Pets
Rated: PG
Voices Of: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart
Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud
Grade: A-
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