From a purely entertainment perspective for families, The Secret Life of Pets isn’t necessarily a bad movie. It boasts vibrant animation, occasional humor, and a heartwarming message about acceptance, all wrapped around a clever concept that might captivate children for its duration. As a basic children’s film, it certainly could be worse. However, when digging deeper, the cracks begin to show.
The core issue with The Secret Life of Pets is its struggle to seamlessly weave together its narrative, characters, and central concept into a cohesive and satisfying whole. The film feels hurried, cluttered, and burdened by illogical choices that undermine any promising ideas it initially presents. It resembles a rough draft more than a polished final product, especially when considering the rich possibilities inherent in exploring the Life As Pets when humans are away.
The story centers on Max, a content Jack Russell Terrier enjoying a comfortable life as a pet with his owner Katie in a spacious Manhattan apartment. This idyllic pet life is disrupted by the sudden arrival of Duke, a large, boisterous Newfoundland, introduced as Max’s “new brother” much to Max’s dismay. Predictably, the two dogs clash, leading to a series of mishaps that result in them becoming lost in the city. Gidget, a Pomeranian with a secret crush on Max, is the first to notice their absence. Driven by her affection, she rallies Max’s circle of pet friends and other neighborhood animals to embark on a rescue mission through the sprawling urban landscape of New York City, showcasing the surprising social life as pets can have.
Unfortunately, Max’s group of friends are largely forgettable, serving primarily as devices to trigger uninspired comedic sequences. They contribute little to the plot’s progression and fail to achieve the endearing, resilient, and diverse ensemble dynamic reminiscent of Toy Story (1995), which the film seemingly aspires to emulate. A key reason for this is that these supporting characters rarely solve any actual problems. They rush from one place to another, but when confronted with obstacles, their reactions feel hasty and lack ingenuity. Gone is the clever resourcefulness, like Mr. Potato Head improvising a body from a tortilla; instead, we see Pops, an elderly Basset Hound, confidently hobbling through dangerous construction sites, a scenario that stretches believability even within the animated life as pets context.
Focusing more on the film’s antagonists might have yielded a more engaging narrative. Snowball, a bunny with grandiose delusions of world domination, leads the “Flushed Pets,” and his storyline is arguably the most entertaining aspect of the movie, despite its underdeveloped nature. This group of abandoned pets could have served to complicate Duke’s loyalty to his new home or highlight Max’s status as a pampered, domesticated pet in need of “re-education” in the harsh realities of the life as pets on the streets. Snowball presented the best opportunity for the movie to truly explore the characters’ motivations and make the audience invested in their journeys. However, this potential was squandered in favor of extended chase scenes and a pointless detour to a sausage factory that adds nothing to the overall story or the exploration of life as pets.
This leads to the film’s fundamental flaw: its approach to its own high concept. The Secret Life of Pets attempts to straddle two worlds, portraying its characters with overtly human traits while simultaneously clinging to the charming, pet-like quirks we recognize and love in our own animal companions. For instance, Gidget enlists the help of Tiberius, a hawk who initially tries to prey on her. She narrowly escapes his claws only to trust him again moments later, simply because that’s what a plucky little dog would presumably do in a cartoonish portrayal of life as pets. Max’s friends Mel and Buddy are oblivious to Max’s disappearance, easily distracted by butterflies and squirrels, stereotypical dog behaviors that undermine their supposed role as a concerned rescue team. They are less a band of lovable rogues and more a collection of simpletons, succeeding only due to the conveniently shifting allegiances of the main villain. Adding to the narrative incoherence, Snowball inexplicably joins forces with Max in the climax to save Duke, a plot twist so contrived it renders the entire friends’ search and rescue mission utterly meaningless and detracts from any meaningful exploration of life as pets.
Ultimately, The Secret Life of Pets is a rushed, personality-deficient, and bland children’s film that barely sustains its plot across its runtime. As mentioned earlier, if you’re simply seeking a forgettable family movie to pass the time, you could find worse options. However, considering its appealing premise and the studio behind Despicable Me (2010), one would expect a more imaginative and well-developed exploration of the intriguing concept of the secret life as pets.
