Just on the level of being an endearing children’s story with some fundamentally good slapstick, The Secret Life of Pets is a success. But if you’re looking for what would be considered a groundbreaking piece of cinema, you probably won’t find it here. What you will get is an entertainingly psychotic bunny and a Pomeranian who apparently can fight like a Street Fighter character. One scene in particular will make you think she’s activated her V-Trigger.
At times, the new family comedy from the crew behind Despicable Me and Minions feels like it borrows a number of elements from other recent animated films, most notably the first Toy Story with its theme of small characters trying to make it back home after a misunderstanding. In fact, there’s a heavy Nineties feel to the cast and the overall humor. It’s not just because it’s set in New York City, but they almost feel Seinfeld-ish with how self-centered they can be but still appealing, in spite of their faults.
The protagonist acts so much like my own dog, it’s like the writing staff was secretly spying on the two of us. Max, played by Louis C. K. with a mix of sweetness and neurosis, is lovingly devoted to his owner Katie, to the point where unless his fellow animal friends snap him out of it with a ball, he’ll simply sit by the door and wait for her return. So when she adopts a large stray mutt named Duke (Eric Stonestreet), the rivalry is clearly on.
It’s only after Max and Duke get separated from their pet brethren that they learn to work as a team, and to the film’s credit it does lead to a couple of genuinely touching (and sometimes sad) moments. The supporting cast at this point really starts to bring the funny, as aforementioned Pomeranian Gidget (voiced hilariously by Jenny Slate) organizes a team to go on a rescue mission to save him.
Her comrades include a snarky housecat named Chloe ( Lake Bell), taking the piss out of herself), the lonely hawk Tiberus (Albert Brooks, fresh off of another strong performance as Marlin in Finding Dory) and Dana Carvey’s elderly Bassett Hound, Pops, who has romantic preferences towards felines.
The closest thing to an antagonist the film has is Snowball, a hyperactive but determined former magician’s rabbit voiced with hilarious fury by Kevin Hart. Bitter after being abandoned by his former owner, he and a band of stray animals make up an organization called the Flushed Pets, aiming to destroy humanity. He’s tenacious enough to be a threat to the heroes, but it’s tempered by his Napoleon complex, keeping the movie’s more suspenseful moments still somewhat comedic.
But in spite of how over the top the personalities of Pets are, they still have the mentality of how a real world pet would act, which is probably its most unique aspect. A segment with Max and Duke where they bond at a sausage factory is understandably portrayed by directors Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud as your typical dog’s idea of heaven. In spite of her self-assured coolness, Chloe still can’t resist sneaking behind her owner’s back and trying to sneak away a turkey leg or chasing after a laser pointer, and Buddy the dachshund (Hannibal Burress) and his pug pal Mel (Bobby Moynihan) wage an unwinnable war against the squirrels of Central Park in between trying to rescue Max.
There’s enough wit in The Secret Life of Pets for adults to remain interested, but as much as I did enjoy it, I’m not sure if I’d rank it with the best animated films this year. It doesn’t have the ambitious messaging or gut-punching emotional moments of a Zootopia or the artfulness and atmosphere of Finding Dory. Aside from the merchandising opportunities, Pets’ primary ambition is to make you laugh for an hour and a half, and luckily the cast was clearly enjoying themselves making it – something that’s apparent in the finished product. Recommended mostly for families and animal lovers.