The Secret Life Of Pets review: “A lovingly produced animation with plenty of laughs.”

The Secret Life Of Pets review: After a charming first trailer, it has to be said that their is something too familiar about this latest animated comedy.

Have you ever wondered what your pet gets up to when you’re not around? Of course you have, which is why you’ve probably dabbled in an app that lets you watch the little critter. That’s when you discovered the awful truth that your pet probably just sits around for long stretches of time. Luckily, those writers in Hollywood are more imaginative than that and have given us a rollicking adventure that sees a rollercoaster of a day for one pooch and his group of friends. Illumination animated films may not be mentioned in the same breath as Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks just yet, but with the Despicable Me films under their belt, they at least have some heavy box-office hitters to contend with the giants.

In the city if New York lives Max (Louis C.K.), a dog who shares a special bond with his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper). One day she brings home Duke (Eric Stonestreet), who threatens to tip the balance of Max’s perfect world. After their rivalry escalates, Max and Duke end up on the run from the pound, and a group of animal liberators known as the Flushed Pets and lead by manic rabbit Snowball (Kevin Hart). Meanwhile, Max’s neighbour Gidget (Jenny Slate) launches a search party.

The Secret Life Of Pets hit us with a brilliant first trailer and an intriguing concept that seemed like a treasure trove of comedic setups. So it’s sad that the film doesn’t explore the titular secret life of pets outside of that trailer footage. In fact, you may have noticed from the synopsis, this treads very dangerously along the lines of a Toy Story remake. The whole plot of a character threatened by the new kid in town just can’t be rushed the way it is here. The duo are out on the road before any true tension or relationship can develop, which means it’s not emotional when they eventually form a connection. Obviously the whole film couldn’t be vignettes of the pets and how they spend their days, but it would have been funnier and more interesting than a generic odd couple road trip adventure.

What it lacks in terms of story it does make up for in the comedy department. There’s a mixture of great character comedy, funny dialogue, and witty observations of animal behaviour. The writing and animating combine to also provide us with absurd set pieces and some amazing animation in the facial expression department. The action is very slapstick, but also exciting and makes the best of 3D.

The vocal performances are mixed, with Louis C.K. adding dry wit but a surprise amount of adorableness to Max. Hart is a delight as the unhinged Snowball, and doesn’t rest on his usual schtick. Stonestreet on the other hand is underused and really adds no passion to the role of Duke. In fact, Duke is mostly forgettable, and we’re not given enough time to establish his rivalry with Max before being thrown into the return home plot. It’s a shame that the film feels it needs to rush to a conclusion.

Far too episodic and unable to slow down and focus on what it wants to achieve, The Secret Life Of Pets is still a lovingly produced animation with plenty of laughs and lots of fun moments. It’s just a shame that it didn’t strive to be something more, especially when emotional subtlety shines through at the very end. It does gain points for the lack of any singalong at the very end, which has become a sad cancerous fad to many animated movies. Bright, colourful, with lots of memorable characters, The Secret Life Of Pets may have been best as a short film, but at least it never becomes annoying or shoddy.

The Secret Life Of Pets review by Luke Ryan Baldock, June 2016.

The Secret Life Of Pets is released in cinemas from 24th June.