Preceding its sequel by three years, The Secret Life of Pets (2016) introduced the world to the notion that pets live an active social life when their people leave into the world that exists outside the home. Rooted in New York City, New York, this action comedy was directed by Chris Renaud and written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio and Brian Lynch.
The movie begins by setting the close relationship that Max, as voiced by Louis C.K., has with Katie, as voiced by Ellie Kemper. While anxiously awaiting Katie’s return from work, Max shares his looking forward to the return of Katie with other animals in the building, including Chloe, Mel, Buddy and Sweatpea, as voiced by Lake Bell, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Tara Strong, respectively. When Katie introduces Duke to the home with Max, the two find ways to respond to one another in a less than cordial manner. Eric Stonestreet voiced Duke.
The disagreements between Duke and Max move beyond playful when Ozone and a group of other animals attacks the pair on the street while the pair were being walked by an inattentive handler. Ozone, voiced by Steve Coogan, separates the pair from their collars.
As Max and Duke get thrown into a world with stray animals, animal control, and legitimate fear for what happens when captured by animal control, the pair encounter Snowball, leader of a group of abandoned and rejected pets. Max and Duke must use their wits to engage with Snowball and his friends in the streets of New York City. as the pair are engaged with Snowball, as voiced by Kevin Hart, the building mates of Max and Duke mount a rescue.
Gidget, Tiberius and Norman join the rescue party, recruiting Pops as the wise old patriarch of the domesticated animals seeking to help get their friends back home. Gidget, Tiberius, Norman and Pops were voiced by Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks, director Chris Renaud and Dana Carvey, respectively. The dynamics of the larger group contributed to how the different groups relate to each other, eventually getting to a point where the goodness of the community leads to positive results for the full scale of pets included in the story.
The charm of The Secret Life and Pets surpasses that of the sequel for me. The notion where the introduction of a completely new set of characters with a new social engagement structure, rather than continuing that structure into subsequent movies, helps earn this Chris Renaud directed movie 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.
Matt – Saturday, March 4, 2023