Much like a puppy you bring into your home, there are things
to like about The Secret Life of Pets and some…well, not so much. Yep, it’s cute, charming and fun for a little
while but then it runs away with itself and makes a bit of a mess, one that
could have been avoided had a bit more attention been paid. Using the Toy
Story template almost verbatim, the film walks a familiar path, populated by
animal characters whose cuteness is undeniably appealing. However, desperation sets in from the mid-way
point on as screenwriters Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio and Brian Lynch are obviously
straining to give the tried-and-true formula a new spin, the result being a
manic, harsh exercise that no amount of being adorable can save.
All is right with the world where beagle Max (Louis C.K.) is
concerned. He and his master Katie (Elle
Kemper) are true blue friends and nothing could ever come between them in their
cozy Big Apple apartment. Well, that’s until she inexplicably brings home
ANOTHER DOG! He’s a big sloppy galoot by
the name of Duke (Eric Stonestreet) who has a kind heart but is a bit oblivious
as to how his presence has upset the delicate balance between Max and
Katie. (Louis C.K. earnestly delivers
the film’s best line, describing him as “the death of all good things.”) Canine rivalry rears its ugly head and before
you know it, Max and Duke wander off from their dog-walker only to find
themselves involved with a group of discarded pets that want to overthrow the
human race.
Do you see how quickly that plot synopsis jumped the rails?
The shift in the movie is nearly as jarring as a story that is a cute, pleasant
diversion suddenly morphs into a frenzied in-your-face assault that careens
into the ridiculous, even by animated film standards. Kevin Hart provides the
voice for the leader of the animal uprising, a tiny white rabbit named
Snowball, and unfortunately the hyper agitated approach he’s taken to becoming
a successful comic comes through in full force here. Abrasive and shrill, the
actor’s personality single-handedly hijacks the film as he delivers a
performance that’s at about 100 on a scale of 1 – 10. Of course, directors Yarrow Cheney and Chris
Renaud are at fault as well as they hired Hart for this purpose. Their decision to let the performer eclipse the
fine work done by the rest of the cast proves to be a fatal mistake.
This is a shame as there are some cute pets – Gidget (Jenny
Slate), a love struck Pomeranian, Tiberius (Albert Brooks), a self-loathing
hawk and Pops (Dana Carvey), a cranky old Basset Hound – all of whom get blown
off the screen by Snowball/Hart’s antics.
You’ll find yourself wishing that you could have spent more time with
them and that Max and Duke had never wandered away from home.
This article appears in Jul 7-13, 2016.
