The Secret Life of Pets 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated comedy about what pets do when their humans aren’t home. The sequel continues the story of Max (now voiced by Patton Oswalt) and his pet friends Duke (Eric Stonestreet), Gidget (Jenny Slate), Daisy (Tiffany Haddish).
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy has produced a fun sequel to the comedy that had the best opening ever for an original animated film. The Secret Life of Pets 2 sees the return of writer Brian Lynch (Minions) and once again be directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me series, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax). It’s out now.
The story
Terrier Max (Patton Oswalt) is coping with some major life changes. His owner (Ellie Kemper) is now married and has a toddler, Liam. Max is so worried about protecting the boy that he develops a nervous tic. On a family trip to a farm, Max and mutt Duke (Eric Stonestreet) encounter canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a terrifying turkey, all of which only elevates Max’s anxiety. Luckily, Max gets some guidance from veteran farm dog Rooster (Harrison Ford, making his animated-film debut), who pushes Max to ditch his neuroses, find his inner alpha, and give Liam a little more freedom.
Meanwhile, while her owner is away, plucky Pomeranian Gidget (Jenny Slate) tries to rescue Max’s favorite toy from a cat-packed apartment with a little help from her feline friend, Chloe (Lake Bell), who has discovered the joys of catnip. And crazy-but-cute bunny Snowball (Kevin Hart) gets delusions of grandeur that he’s an actual superhero after his owner Molly starts dressing him in superhero pajamas.
We loved meeting Kevin Hart!
But when Daisy (Tiffany Haddish), a fearless Shih Tzu, shows up to ask for Snowball’s help on a dangerous mission, he’ll have to summon the courage to become the hero he’s only been pretending to be. Can Max, Snowball, Gidget and the rest of the gang find the inner courage to face their biggest fears?
The trailer and clips
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The verdict
There are a few examples of animations where the sequel is better than the original movie. That’s the case with The Secret Life of Pets 2. I did not fall asleep for a start (giggle), in fact I laughed quite a lot while the kids had a blast. We all had quite a few laughs, clear signs that this animated sequel – and dare I say new franchise – is headed in a good direction. It has more realistic pet “problems” spun out of the secret “emotional” life of pets and fun characters voiced by an energetic voice cast led by Harrison Ford and Kevin Hart.
Even our usually quiet family-friendly dog Biscuit watched half of it wide-awake and even barked a few times – as a clear sign of approval – during the dog-friendly screening.
Harrison Ford’s character is a grumpy farm dog named Rooster, who steals the show in his adorable eye-pleasing animation.
Another sweet doggy named Daisy (voiced by Tiffany Haddish) is also a great new addition in the sequel. She is a sassy Shih Tzu who is on a mission to rescue a puppy white tiger from a circus.
The duo Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart have great chemistry on the big screen, as they showed in the recent movie Night School. We’ll probably see a lot more of them together in the near future.
London Mums’ Rating: 7/10
Kids’ Club Rating: 9/10
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