The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

[Ezen Baklattan]

Review, Discuss, Debate, Celebrate, just don't get too crazy.

 

[AniNate]

Pervading this film is a very clear sense that they're going to throw every joke they can think of at you and hope you'll laugh at a few of them, at least. And on that front they succeed as I definitely had my share of lols watching this film.

 

But apart from that it's a wholly unremarkable 90 minutes. What there is of a plot is a cacophony of comic setpieces and flimsy excuses to get in between them, and character relationships have only the bare minimum of development with a weak attempt at pathos about 3/4ths in only serving to highlight how hopeless it is to get us to truly care for any of them beyond their roles as pawns in this elaborate slapstick display. I won't say I didn't enjoy this watching it, but it does little to improve Illumination Entertainment as an artistic enterprise

[baumer]

SLOP is everything a kids animated film shouldn't be imo.  It has very unlikable characters......more later. 

 

5.5/10

[Blankments]

The Secret Life of Pets' opening credits identifies it as a Chris Meledandri production, as if this is something to be proud of. Meledandri has yet to produce something better than "outright obnoxious and terrible", so this viewer was confused on why this movie wears this credit like it's an honor. The first twenty minutes fit this monkier, featuring unlikable characters, annoying shoe-horned pop music, and overlong gags.

 

Yet, once Max and Duke get lost, the film finds its identity. It still is an Illumination film, focusing more on gags than anything else, but it's a lot of fun. The parallels to Toy Story are unavoidable, but what's particularly interesting is the somewhat "feminist remake" aspect of it. The best character in the movie is Gidget, voiced by Jenny Slate, who basically changes the movie from "a Toy Story ripoff" to "What if Bo Peep looked for Buzz and Woody on her own?" She's still just a typical love interest type character, so it's not all the way good, but it's a step in the right direction. Max and Duke also evolve to become pretty good characters in their own right, mostly thanks to some great voice acting on the part of Louis C.K. and Eric Stonestreet.

 

The saddest thing about the film is that merely cutting out ten minutes at the end of the second act would make the film as a whole better and have a stronger emotional core. However, Illumination as a studio has never been interested in that kind of animated filmmaking which is fine. The score is also worth noting, as Desplat has a lot of fun with the whimsy this world holds. The Secret Life of Pets may be a bit uneven, but when it works, it's plenty enjoyable and a delightful time at the theater. B-

Edited July 9, 2016 by Blanks McCoy

[Blankments]

Delete 

Edited July 9, 2016 by Blanks McCoy

[filmlover]

Not exactly the next animated classic, but very cute, funny, and colorful nonetheless. B

[La Binoche]

As expected, SLOP turned out to be a stinker. It would have worked better as a short. The concept and set-up are cute but after 10 minutes you know this movie doesn't have a single original idea and it becomes a retread of superior animated films like Toy Story, Oliver & Company and Lady & The Tramp. It turns into one frenetic chase scene after another, with some generic humor thrown in. This is the kind of movie where a rabbit is driving a bus, wildly and out of control, and someone says "You drive like an animal!!!" Get it? Cuz he is an animal! So clever. And as the bus roars away we see an ad for the studio's next animated movie (Sing) on the back. Gross. It's the kind of movie where an adorable bunny looks up with the cutest saucer eyes and then when you least expect it, it jumps and bites. Cuz we didn't see the exact same joke in Shrek/Puss In Boots. 

 

If you've seen the trailer you've already seen all the good bits. See Dory instead. 

C-

[K1stpierre]

Saw this hours ago with my mom, and I found it to be actually enjoyable. It's a cartoon, and it's geared for kids so I know what to expect, and yet I found it funny throughout the film and was enjoying the story throughout. Sure, it has it's moments where it's a bit crazy and things are a bit all over the place (the sausage scene for example is probably the most 'wtf?' moment and kind of threw me off), but overall it's a good story and is entertaining for what it is. I enjoyed some of the characters whereas some kind of were just 'there' and were clearly extras. Overall I'd give this film a 7/10 and a solid B overall.

[filmlover]

12 minutes ago, K1stpierre said:

(the sausage scene for example is probably the most 'wtf?' moment and kind of threw me off)

That part literally made me wonder if the projection had accidentally cut to Sausage Party lmao.

[goldenstate5]

This is a wholly disposable film where you can feel just the bare minimum being put into the story, characters and animation. (well, for a major animation studio) 

 

However, Illumination at the same time seems set out to prove that they can embody the Pixar style. A similar setup is added that not only draws comparisons to Toy Story, but unfavorably so. Max and Duke despise each other, but the motivations created to get the two lost are nonsensical compared with the barebones backstory they give off. The characters don't bond as much as they just go through some shit, and the film rushes in a Pixarian notion of some depth and heart about pets and their relationships with owners but it never, ever fully connects. The filmmakers seem terrified to actually confront any actual exploration of these questions, and constantly opt to quite literally run away screaming from them with action chase scenes and cutesy moments. The ending is a charming montage in concept, especially if you are a pet owner (like me) but it feels completely unearned and rather disconnected. It seems to leave you puzzled wondering, "What the hell was any of this really about?"

 

Toy Story and its films explored themes such as existentialism, the nature of change, the meaning of true friendship, the fear of mortality and the power of forgiveness. These themes are fully explored in depth, giving an idea towards the humanity of this world that must hide in secret and requires validation via subservience. SLoP is a perfect mirror in concept but it feels like the lines connecting the dots were erased slightly, in fear of anything that can be construed as weighty. However since the film lacks any punch to any percieved theme, the entire affair is forgettable and disposable. It'll be hard for much of this to leave an impression, which is sad considering how much the marketing campaign caught the zeitgeist of America's pet crazy population.

 

It is mildly amusing at points, and is energetic at least. Illumination never stoops to cynicism, but never rises above any sort of subversiveness. The Flushed Pets scene does give the writers an opportunity to engage in some Looney Tunes-ish, cartoony concepts that are fast, quick and sometimes genuinely hilarious. (for one, I caught myself cracking up at "Ricky") Kevin Hart may be irritating to some, but he is giving his all and the fun he is having is somewhat infectious at points.

 

The subplot with Gidget and the animals searching for Max and Duke is also more enjoyable for many reasons. Not only is the score (which I'll get to in a minute) more consistently enjoyable, but it's freed of the seeming unwanted emotional restraints (and the fumbling that comes with it) that beleaguers the Max and Duke storyline. The story of Gidget is carefree, played 100% for humor and is unapologetic to the point of its payoff being somewhat shrugged aside. It's also one of the few times it uses the realism of their species limitations to deliver a somewhat subversive idea. In other words: this feels clever, potent with possible thought. It's too bad that this is also accompanied by a terribly restrained Albert Brooks, who after his first legitimately enjoyable scene fades instantly in the background in favor of an irritating Dana Carvey. While Carvey does get a decent line at the end of the film, for most of it he is hamming up a performance that mostly requires him to say lines solely designed to make little kids giggle. In short: poop humor. So much poop humor.

 

I can't address much of the rest of the cast. Jenny Slate gives a fun, energetic performance that would be better without the shadow of her much more interesting turn in Zootopia. Louis CK's voice is a good fit for his character but the idea is bizarre and rarely does it come up that this edgy and thought-provoking comedian lends his actual self to this rather doldrum script. I hope the paycheck was good and it probably funded his online series so who am I to judge on that? Everyone else does a fairly fine, unmemorable job. Fans of Ellie Kemper should take note that she only has one, insignificant scene that isn't in the trailer. For the owner and the person truly responsible for setting all these events in motion, she is in it surprisingly little. That may strike a point, but it's not felt.

 

Onto the true positives: Alexandre Desplat's score is a surprising delight. Taking inspiration from Gershwin and accenting the New York setting. It helps to give the film orchestral pep that isn't the same bland action score of Illumination's past and certainly not overfilled with pop music. (although a Taylor Swift song does open the film) He combines this easy-going, fun jazz with some nice cartoonish zany beats for chase sequences... it feels right, and it almost feels like it deserves some better accompaniment in the quality department. In addition, this is matched by the enjoyable visual design of New York: a city full of towering brick apartments that provide a carpet for an even larger onset of glistening blue skyscrapers. It's smart that their stymied budget was helped by a neat stylization of seeing Manhattan from a dog's point-of-view and creating a surprising iconic look. If the sequel takes place anywhere but New York, it would be understandable but unfortunate because they did create a nice-looking world.

 

However these elements are hard to separate from the actual film itself, which is ultimately the effort that Illumination is trying to prove that Despicable Me was not a fluke. Certainly the opening weekend box office is proving that there is an appeal towards this film but I can't see how it'll retain its legacy. DM had Gru, the girls and yes, the minions who are sharp and stand out as iconic characters. In SLoP, the closest characters who do aren't the main characters and is maybe tangential (Snowball and Gidget), while the other characters go from boring to outright repulsive. Max and Duke especially are two characters I can't care for... they're boring. God I hope a sequel fleshes them out but with Illumination behind the wheel they seem more likely to take the shortest route instead of the scenic route.

 

C-

 

(what can I say? I was bored at work)

[KGator]

To preface this, I don't really care too much for animated movies.  I only go because I have a young daughter so my intent is to more or less just survive.  That being said, I did enjoy the movie.  Even moreso than Finding Dory (which I actually thought was better than Finding Nemo).  Sure SLOP didn't have all the heartwarming plot points or adult themes (or preachiness if you prefer) but it had moments that left me laughing.  I rate this a B knowing that my affinity is somewhat tainted by a lack of expectations.  I also enjoyed FD and can happily say I made it through both movies without falling asleep and having several chuckles . . . what more can you ask?

[MovieGuyKyle17]

The Secret Life of Toys...I mean Pets: If this film was actually a little bit more funnier and had a better script, I could probably overlook the fact that this is a ripoff of Toy Story or Pixar in general. This movie has an interesting premise and had a lot of very funny people doing the voice work. Hell they even got Albert Brooks in this film but the script really lets this film down. It also doesn't help a lot of the best parts of the film is in the trailers including the entire mid credit scene. There is no real character development for our two main dogs so you really never care about them. The two bright spots of this film is Kevin Hart as the crazy twisted bunny who wants to bring down the human race and Dana Carvey who voices the paralyzed dog. Anytime those two characters were on the screen, I was enjoying the film. This also happens to be one of the best looking Illumination films I have seen. This film is not terrible but considering the current state animation is in, this needed to be a lot better. If you have kids, they will probably enjoy this film.
Grade: C
By the way, IIIumination please stop with the Minions. I really enjoyed the Minions movie but that short in the beginning was awful.

[Alpha]

5 hours ago, MovieGuyKyle17 said:

By the way, IIIumination please stop with the Minions. I really enjoyed the Minions movie but that short in the beginning was awful.

 

 

Illumination:

 

 

[Vanilla]

Biggest problem with the film is that it's boring. 

[somebody85]

Not really worth reviewing but I'll write a little.

(And damn someone already wrote "The Secret Life Of Toys")

 

Most of the best gags are all in the teaser trailer. The actual story was like someone took every Toy Story and jammed them into one movie. The problem is the writers consistently miss all of the character beats along the way that made those movies so special. This has none of the emotion of those movies and they fall into so many tired cliches (the sausage factory gag - really?). There's a few clever jokes for animal lovers (mostly in those first 10 minutes) but that's it. 

 

Right around the time Kevin Hart shows up as a white bunny and hijacks an animal control van this goes into bad Dreamworks territory.

If you loved the climax of Finding Dory then this is your movie. Not only does a rabbit drive a bus through a traffic jam but a tattooed pig drives a taxi later on. When it comes to animal cartoons, Zootopia stands far and above the pack this year. It's seriously not even close.

Besides the jokes aimed at pet owners, I'm not sure what adults will enjoy here. This one is definitely for kids. 

C - because I did laugh a few times. The Ricky gag was funny. 

Edited August 1, 2016 by somebody85

[Ezen Baklattan]

Affably pleasant, but I feel like Illumination needs to fully embrace its borderline surreal comedy further - the movie is at its best, or at least most interesting, when it is. (The sausage scene is one of the weirdest in recent film history) It's a cute film, if pretty forgettable. 

[MrFanaticGuy34]

Finally saw Pets. I might be alone on this....but I really enjoyed it very much. It was just a funny movie for me.

 

The animation looks really great, the characters are very enjoyable, including the 2 main dogs Max, Duke & the rabbit Snowball. I can see pretty good possibilities with the sequel.

 

I think I enjoyed it more than what other people did.

 

A

[miketheavenger]

A fun, enjoyable little movie with some good humor and nice characters. However, the story is quite generic and it doesn't really have an emotional Punch. A bit better than Minions, but not more than a B overall.

[cannastop]

This is not a good movie, and I'm kind of surprised at how well it did at the box office. The only likable character is Gidget, the white dog, and the rest of the movie is actually kind of cynical and shallow. The Kevin Hart bunny is totally unfunny and deplorable.

 

The Secret Life of Pets is cute and lively, I'll give it that. I personally didn't find it funny at all, but this is meant for younger audiences anyways.

 

Grade: D

Edited December 26, 2016 by cannastop

[FantasticBeasts]

I actually believe that it is a perfect movie for kids. It is full of colour, extremely cute, funny and has some great music in it. It is not pretending to be anything more than it is; a heartful installment,visually impresive, fueled mainly by humour. The characters are cliched (just as the story), but they are still full of heart so it is hard not to like them.

It is a bit of a different story If you are an adult, but If you are willing to let go of your dumereness for an hour and a half you can still have some good fun.

It's not the most original story ever, nor it is didactic at any level. But it doesn't try to be, it is good as it is and it is true about it.

B