Review of The Secret Life of Pets (2016) by Monika M — 11 Sep 2016

Touted as Toy Story with animals, the latest family-friendly adventure from Illumination Studios (Despicable Me, Minions) takes a light-hearted peek behind the door at the lives of pets residing in a Manhattan apartment block.

All is well for these domesticated creatures until Max (Louis C.K.), a spoilt Terrier who loves his comfy existence, doesn't return from a visit to the dog park, sparking a perilous journey throughout the Big Apple led by the indefatigable Pomeranian Gidget (Jenny Slate).

The first half hour is full of laughs as we meet our eclectic group of pet protagonists, but once the trek through the streets commences the jokes dry up at an alarming rate, largely because it fails to add anything to the lost-in-the-big-scary-world formula.

The characters are a mixed bag too, a few memorable ones carrying the bland other ones. The quiet ball of fury Gidget, the nonchalantly self-centred cat Chloe (Lake Bell) and the hyper-energetic bunny Snowball (Kevin Hart) leave the biggest impression.

But it ticks all the right boxes to ensure kids will love it: bright and bubbly animation, a bopping soundtrack, non-stop visual gags, quotable dialogue, very few quiet moments and, in Snowball and Gidget, two pets who would be a hoot to own.

Considering the potentially hilarious concept and the great opening act The Secret Life of Pets squanders it's opportunity to land in the higher echelon of animated flicks, nevertheless it's an easy, breezy 87 minutes of uncomplicated kiddie fun.