“You’ve got the stench of domestication all over you.”
As the film opens and the first chords of Taylor Swift’s over simplistic “Welcome to New York” floods your ears, you quickly realize that The Secret Lift of Pets, in all its cute adorableness, is going to be, well - simple.
While the film misfires its opening by replaying the trailer that was introduced to audiences months ago, it does get on track when it narrows its focus to Max (Louis C.K.) and his beloved owner Katie (Ellie Kemper). Through a flashback to his humble beginnings, we get a front row seat to their perfect story, showcasing an undeniable love for one another as they battle the hectic concrete jungle they call home.
Enter Duke. A big, burly stray that Katie brings home, sending Max’s world upside down. Feeling his connection with his beloved owner slipping Max hatches a strategy to get his new roommate picked up by animal control. But plans rarely go according to plan and Max finds himself alone in a dark alley facing off against a mountain of stray cats.
Sound familiar? It should.
Pieced together with the popular plot points of both Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Illumination Entertainment works hard to prove that it has the magic of Pixar. For what it’s worth, the studio does prove itself during short spurts. But it never reaches the height of the stories that inspire it, making it that much more obvious that it doesn’t quite contain as strong a grip on its premise as we had hoped.
A roadblock lies in the underdeveloped personalities of its main characters. While dogs are cute and contain a genetic likability, neither Max or Duke come across particularly endearing. The film takes advantage of its audience, assuming they will love any canine that sits, stays and rolls over on call. While that it true for many, it isn’t for all. The misfire is immaculate in size, personifying a sharp disconnect as director Chris Renaud attempts to win you over with silly situations that, admittedly, are cute and harmless, albeit not overly creative.
The film does score high marks for its dialogue and situational humor. From Max’s inner-battle to accept his new “brother” to Chloe’s struggle to understand why people would get dogs instead of cats, the jokes are intelligent as most of the casual dialogue is laced with comedic undertone. A running joke in regard to Ricky (rest in peace) creates a few chuckles, especially after the humor involved with Snowball (a white rabbit with an intense rage towards all things domesticated) subsides. It isn’t perfect. Far from it in fact. But it works, keeping those who aren’t mesmerized by bright colors and talking animals engaged.
The film’s main villains appear to be stuck in a revolving door as Max and Duke can’t seem to shake any of them as they work to return back home to Katie. The setup gives the film a “chapter” feel, allowing the audience to digest it in parts. It’s an interesting approach, though I’m not entirely convinced it was done purposefully. It shines a light on the fact that The Secret Life of Pets has beautiful pieces that don’t quite add up to the beautiful puzzle its premise warrants. It isn’t a bad film, and definitely has its moments; however, unlike Up!, Inside Out or Finding Nemo, I’m not scratching at the door to see it again.
