"The Secret Life of Pets" is more for children than adults although if you're an animal lover, you'll probably find this (just a bit more) entertaining.The animation has a generic quality so it doesn't pop like a Pixar film. And the story is nothing special. The people look like caricatures and the animals have a cartoonish, stuffed animal appearance. Not much of a realistic look here. There are moments of humor and the script does a good job of anthropomorphizing the dogs, cats, birds, etc. A cute bit is Chloe the cat unable to resist chasing a moving light.
The basic story finds Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) having to put up with another dog, bossy Duke (Eric Stonestreet), that owner Katie (Ellie Kemper) has brought home. Their inevitable feud carries over onto the streets during the next day's walk. Max and Duke escape when the dog walker is distracted and are captured by animal control. One rescue later they find themselves in the middle of a gang of abandoned pets led by angry bunny rabbit Snowball (Kevin Hart) and no closer to home. Meanwhile, friends Gidget (Jenny Slate), Chloe (Lake Bell) and some other friends go searching for Max. "The Secret Life of Pets" is strong enough that parents won't fall asleep, but it lacks a strong emotional punch that mark superior animated movies.
Note: The movie is preceded by a new 7-minute short about a quartet of Minions who go into the landscaping business. In no way does it compare to 'Piper,' the animated short that accompanies Finding Dory, but it's a good marketing ploy for a future Minions movie.
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