Rated: PG (Action and some rude humor)
Running time: 91 minutes
3.5/5 Stars
I know I'm late in reviewing this flick, but the only way I can review as frequently as I do is by visiting the dollar theaters. Of course the films shown there are no longer new releases. Anyway, a few days ago I saw The Secret Life of Pets.
Usually when I go to the movies with my mom we do go to the regular theaters. Sometimes though, a movie we've both wanting to see eludes us until it hits the lower priced theaters. This has been on my "to watch" list since I first saw the previews several months ago. Ever since I adopted my dog Voldemort, my love and interest in animals has been reawakened. (Of course it never died, but having a pet makes you see things differently. I digress.)
My mom has been equally interested in seeing this film. Illumination, the company behind Despicable Me, created this film and I was happy to see them produce something with no minions to be found. This wasn't exactly the film I was expecting, but the voice cast makes up for it and the characters are too cute it's easy to forgive them.
The basic premise is not necessarily an original one. A dog's world is turned upside down when his owner adopts a new dog. He does not want to share his owner and decides this new dog must go. While we do get a glimpse into what these pets do when their owners are not home, it is a small one. Apparently pets have more secretive lives than we thought. Or rather, the animals that stop being pets are the real secret ones.
It is a simple story. There is nothing particularly special about it, but it is charming. It is directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney and they have managed to make New York more colorful that it usually is. It's fun to watch, but don't expect the next Oscar contending animated film. Of course that does not make it a bad film. It's colorful. The action never slows down.
As I keep mentioning, the plot isn't what I was expecting. Max (Louis C.K.) is a dog who is loyal and happy with his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper). They live in a small apartment in Manhattan and when Katie leaves for work, Max wants nothing more than to wait by the door anticipating her return. While he does have other animal friends including Gidget (Jenny Slate), Mel (Bobby Moynihan) and Chloe (Lake Bell) he tends to ignore them for the door Katie left through.
One day, Katie brings home Duke (Eric Stonestreet) and he makes himself right at home. After a dog walker loses sight of them, they become lost in the big city and must work together to find their way home. During their journey they come across former pets who have been abandoned led by the bunny Snowball (Kevin Hart).
We are led through all different parts of New York City as the animals try to either make their way home or take revenge on humans for having abandoned them. That's the story. Snowball wants Max and Duke to join his revenge idea, but they don't want to. Max's friends from his apartment all come looking for him.
The stand out character is Tiberius (Albert Brooks). I didn't even recognize Brooks in that role. He's a hilarious character with a lot of heart. He starts off as a killer, but turns out he has a heart of gold.
Of course it's always great when there are strong female characters and this one has several.
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