The Secret Life of Pets 2
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Rating: PG-13
A fun 3 out of 5
We follow our favorite group of city pets once again in this urban adventure that delivers many a laugh, as well as a new pee-wee scene of action made from and for the little characters.
The story surrounds lead pooch Max (Patton Oswalt) as he transitions from a grounded life of three (including himself, fellow pet Duke, played by Eric Stonestreet, and owner Katie, Ellie Kemper), to more people than he knows how to deal with. First a man comes into the picture, then a baby; life seems like it’ll never stop bringing changes. But as soon he looks past the differences he has with the new comers and, in fact, takes a liking to the child, now a rowdy toddler, he looks forward to the everyday protection, playtime, and teaching involved in the care of the little guy.
Life is good again, but more fearful than ever now that he feels this responsibility. And we follow multiple storylines in this movie; one involving Max’s stressful, but eye opening trip to the country, and the others centering around many things actually, from a mission to rescue an abused tiger cub from the circus, to the tough, but not impossible task of turning a dog into cat. This is a crazy, fun, and much more energetic take on what actually happens when we leave our pets home alone.
I enjoyed this film more than I first expected. It was very funny, featuring a killer comic cast including smart talents such as Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Nick Kroll, Pete Holmes, and Dana Carvey, among others. There was even a critical canine role in the movie who’s voice was lent by none other than...Harrison Ford! (I would not have expected him to accept an animated role like this, but I'm glad he proved me wrong. Side note: I love when actors decide to try new things, keep things fresh, you know?)
Though giving plenty of good jokes, I felt that it crossed into the territory of annoying and mindless on many occasions. Too many smart quips, and bumbling action, can overshadow the genuine takeaway the audience actually needs. I began to see a good message emerge from the scene, which was kind of cut with every final blow of sarcasm to overly balance the emotion; only in the end did things settle enough for a BOLD and direct delivery the viewer would comprehend. Though this was one of the downsides for me, I did appreciate the nice lesson conveyed, which was that: Every time you life feels like it settles, new things come and disrupt that existence, and instead of fearing that inevitable change, you should embrace it. ‘Run at life, not away from it’.
I thought this was message was profound, especially for the kids (who may or may not have gotten it. But at least it was given in all caps for them). These days, as well as throughout my life, among the sea of children's TV and film, it seems that the executives behind these shows have spoken to kids in the way they perceive their levels of intellect: low, and inclined to stupid and witless ventures. I'm sure I'm being dramatic, and I'm also sure I've touched on this in the past, but if you give children wholesome, appealing stories (for a start) to counter the other dumb stuff, they will take to it very quickly (not considering all of the other electronic distractions these days). I always appreciated Pixar’s fantastic and respectable approach to storytelling. Watching Monsters Inc. and/or Toy Story as a kid vividly incites strong memories and emotions that were served alongside a fully entertaining storyline, and that I continue to love to this day. Sure I've had my fair share of fun sarcastic movies, and after all, we’re not discussing an Oscar film, just a kids movie, but I’m just talking about balance, especially regarding the development of children's media consumption, in short.
Getting back to the film at hand, I enjoyed the colorful visuals and recognizable character design that Illumination Entertainment has coined over the years, making a staple in pop culture. And though I was not impressed this film, I think it surpassed the first movie in engagement, with humor that appealed to all ages, and gave a good message, not only about self growth, but also that you can do anything no matter what whiskers, paws, or claws you may be set with. And it is those sets of morals and teachings that I truly and joyfully look out for. Until next time. Cheers!
