The Secret Life of Pets - Film Review

Is it wrong for me to dislike a kids movie featuring a cast of cuddly animals? Because I really didn’t like The Secret Life of Pets, the latest animated effort from Illumination Entertainment. (Yes, that’s the studio responsible for those adorably obnoxious Minions.) I know I’m not technically the target audience for this sort of thing, but couldn’t the filmmakers have included elements to engage its older audience members? An involving plot, perhaps? Or maybe even some likable characters? If you want to see a great animated movie featuring cute animals that won’t insult your intelligence, you’re better off staying home and re-watching Zootopia.

After a promising opening – a montage showcasing a number of pets getting up to all kinds of mischief after their owners have left for the day (if you’ve seen the trailers, you’ve already seen this) – things take an immediate downward spiral. The basic plot rundown is this: Max (Louis C.K.), a loyal terrier living a happy life with his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper, star of Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), gets a nasty surprise when she returns home with a new dog named Duke (Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet). Duke is giant, hairy and intent on making Max’s life miserable, so Max schemes ways to get rid of him. During a walk in the park, the two of them get in a fight and become separated from the rest of the group. They'll have to put aside their differences and work together in order to get home safely.

Basically, it’s Toy Story minus everything that made Toy Story so great.

Pets’ biggest failing is an overall lack of cohesion. It jumps from scene to scene with hardly any connective tissue; it’s just an endless array of uninspired sight gags and potty humor. It’s rarely funny and frequently annoying. Even worse, its characters suck. Neither Max or Duke are fleshed out well enough for their selfish behavior to come across as justified. In Toy Story, Woody was jealous of Buzz because Buzz was Andy’s new favorite toy and no longer paid any attention to Woody; in The Secret Life of Pets, Duke is a complete asshole for no reason, immediately justifying Max’s dislike of him. Buzz was never a jerk. He was just oblivious to his situation. Woody behaved badly, but we understood why he was behaving badly. Over the course of the film, he realized the error of his ways and he and Buzz worked together to get back home to Andy.

Pets never justifies its main duo’s actions. It boils down to two unlikable protagonists doing mean things to each other until they become friends for some reason. There’s no actual character development; they don’t bond because they’ve overcome tremendous obstacles or because they have a moment of realization where they understand each other a little better. They bond because they stumble on a sausage factory and, after a random, bizarre sausage acid-trip sequence where they eat everything in sight, they decide they’re best friends. Compelling stuff.

There’s a whole subplot involving a bunch of Max’s friends trying to locate and rescue him that never takes off either, despite the presence of some talented folks including Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks, Dana Carvey and Hannibal Buress. Kevin Hart shows up too as a fast-talking bunny, determined to take revenge on the human race after being abandoned by his owner years ago. His character seems specifically set up to sell stuffed animals and a potential spinoff series, and contributes little else.

Maybe I would have given The Secret Life of Pets a pass if it was even remotely funny, but it’s not. It’s all slapstick-focused with some poop jokes thrown in for good measure because, you know, kids love poop jokes. The most disappointing part of all is that there's a really good concept here that remains completely unrealized. Illumination has shown itself capable of delivering heartfelt efforts in the past (Despicable Me for one), but The Secret Life of Pets doesn’t come anywhere close to that level. It squanders its talented cast and made me hate the sight of cute, talking animals. For that reason alone, I will never forgive it.

FINAL RATING: 2/5

Finding Dory - Film Review

I’ll admit, Finding Dory wasn’t on my radar in the slightest. While I enjoyed Finding Nemo, I was never as taken with it as I was with, say, Toy Story or Wall-E. And while Pixar has established itself as one of the most reliable brands in storytelling, even the studio’s staunchest supporters will admit their track record as of late has been sporadic, to say the least (Inside Out notwithstanding). And, let’s face it, is there really a strong need for a Finding Nemo sequel aside from Disney wanting to make more money?

Thankfully, Finding Dory eschews any expectations of mediocrity. It’s consistently delightful, delivering all the charm and humor we’ve come to expect from the studio. Andrew Stanton (writer/director of A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo and Wall-E) has crafted a thoughtful examination on the nature of family and how one can achieve great things, despite whatever physical or mental ailments might stand in the way. It might not be on the level of Finding Nemo, but it’s still a worthy follow up, fitting comfortably in Pixar’s ‘good, not great’ category, which is a pretty solid place to be, all things considered. Fans of the first film should walk away feeling wholly satisfied and then some.

As you no doubt have guessed, this time around the focus is on everyone’s favorite blue tang Dory. Things kick off with a heartbreaking prologue, which right off the bat put to rest any fears I had of this being a shallow sequel. (An ocean reference! Let me see if I can keep this up) In it, we’re introduced to baby Dory and see what her life was like before she ended up on her own and grew up to be Ellen DeGeneres. As a child, Dory’s parents did everything in their power to help her cope with her memory condition. They played games with her and invented fun songs to help her remember important rules about the ocean. For reasons revealed later on, Dory became separated from her family, and though she spent her formative years searching for them, eventually she forgot all about them. Her attempts were fully abandoned when she bumped into Marlin and decided to aid him in his search for his son Nemo. It’s a masterfully crafted introduction, exhibiting all the best storytelling traits that have become synonymous with the Pixar brand.

A year after Nemo was found (spoiler alert), we find Dory living ‘happily ever after’ with both him and Marlin. All is well until her memory is jogged and she starts having flashbacks to her time as a child. She remembers her a family and realizes that, more than anything, she wants to be reunited with them. With the aid of Marlin and Nemo, Dory embarks on an epic quest across the ocean to be reunited with her parents, facing many a trial and tribulation and making plenty of new friends along the way.

If this sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is. Finding Dory follows a similar story structure to that of its predecessor, and never shakes the feeling of treading familiar waters. (Boo-yah! Another one. I am the master) Additionally, its 2nd act is made up of a lot of repetitive incidental happenings –  Dory encounters an obstacle, meets a new friend, finds a solution, and the cycle starts all over again. It’s still plenty of fun, but it’s unquestionably the least involving section of the film, and the story never finds a way to satisfactorily involve Marlin and Nemo or make their subplot in which they try to keep up with Dory more engaging.

But, impressively, the screenplay, co-written by Stanton and Victoria Strouse, does a great job fitting in references to Finding Nemo in an organic way without feeling too bogged down by them. Additionally, a colorful cast of new characters help keep things from getting too stale during this section. There’s a near-sighted whale shark (Kaitlin Olson), a lovable, grumpy octopus (played by the lovable, grumpy Ed O’Neill), and, perhaps my personal favorites, two sea lions who laze about on their rock all day (Idris Elba and Dominic West).

And, of course, we have returning cast members Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks as Dory and Marlin respectively. Brooks still provides Marlin with that charming, panic-first mentality; the character is relatively unchanged from the previous film. It’s DeGeneres who really gets a chance to shine here, as Dory takes the leap from supporting character to fully-formed lead. DeGeneres, who is always a delight, takes full advantage of the opportunity provided here. She instills Dory with all the charm we’ve come to expect, but now there's a level of emotional resonance which makes it far easier to empathize with the character. It's some of DeGeneres's best work.

At the end of the day, it’s the underlying themes that make Finding Dory truly effective. Stanton keeps the heart of the tail (like a fish tail! Sorry, that one was a bit of a stretch…) firmly at the forefront, while still managing to keep things light and fun. Despite its meandering middle section, Finding Dory is a worthy entry in the Pixar catalogue and a fine sequel to a classic animated film. If you have any level of affection for the original, you won’t want to miss this.

FINAL RATING: 4/5