Review Summary: Paw-sitively adorable, but not quite as effective as original.
The original Secret Life of Pets might not have been an animated classic per se, but it was still a big hit among kids and families three years ago (I liked it quite a bit myself). Of course, with the money comes a sequel. And, you have the potential to make it interesting and even more involving. Then you have the strategy of playing it safe and just trying to make sure you keep all your characters in line.
Pets 2 aims for the latter route, and that's both a good and bad thing. Yes, I'm glad the film didn't go in a darker and more mature route like other animated sequels have in the past. But, the writing here isn't very strong. Instead of one cohesive plot like the original film, this sequel breaks off into three different plots, with an easy stand-out from the beginning.
This sequel does get off to a great start. The set-up is great and the character moments are sweet and very fun (some which were already revealed in the trailers). The energy is contagious and the gags still generate plenty of laughs. I also found myself invested in Max and Duke's budding relationship with Katie and her husband's toddler-aged child. It was all heading in a great direction.
It's when Max and Duke go to the countryside that things get pretty scattershot. The film isn't quite sure of which plotline needs the most attention. Max and Duke's farmhouse plot is easily the most-developed and interesting, thanks to some character growth courtesy of farm dog Rooster (Harrison Ford's first voice-over performance is a memorable one, full of heart and substance). Max's character arc manages to come full circle in a touching ending about "letting go".
The second plot involving Gidget trying to take care of Max's toy is something you might would see in a Saturday morning cartoon. However, its' overall execution is downright hilarious and fun. The third plotline, however, was the one in need of the most work. Captain Snowball and Daisy's adventure to save a tiger kitten was as generic as it gets (though this is a kids' movie I might add, not some complex superhero origin story). I really wish that this "superhero" sideplot was more involving and had a more interesting case. Instead, it becomes clear that this plot's purpose was to just add some suspense at the end of the movie (the villain himself is also way too formulaic, with a fashion sense that resembles another classic movie villain so closely its' shocking).
Replacing Louis C.K. (who was dismissed because of some controversial sexual assault allegations), Patton Oswalt does a nice job taking on the role of the anxiety-ridden Max. Kevin Hart is given more enthusiastic and fun moments as Snowball, and Tiffany Haddish is a nice addition as Daisy. Just about all characters are given moments to shine, including Gidget (the always-fun Jenny Slate), Mel (Bobby Moynihan), Pops (Dana Carvey), and Chloe (who once again is the film's scene-stealer, voiced by Lake Bell). The characters also carry an appreciably more sunnier and happier persona.
The animation is colorful and involving. Like the original, the overall visual feel brings to mind a children's book. Illumination Entertainment has never tried to be a cutting edge studio. Instead, they look for the little surprises and "wow" moments in their films. And, in each film, despite a signature "cartoony" look, there's always just enough visual razzle-dazzle to still make it worthwhile.
But, despite the technical professionalism and some great humor, I do wish the filmmakers would have done more in the writing here. At least a third of the film really would have benefited from a rewrite. Unlike Despicable Me 2, which expanded on the original and made an involving, exciting and cohesive story, this one only manages to offer side stories that would be more worthy of a cartoon TV series than a feature-length movie.
The first act itself was great and showed a lot of potential. But for the rest of the way, I couldn't help but think that Illumination could have come up with something better for this sequel. Instead, Pets 2 ends up being not much more than just passable entertainment for the kids. It's hilarious, it's paced very well (at a tight 80 minutes), it has a couple of solid new character additions, and there are some genuinely adorable and sweet moments. Yet, it honestly could have done more.
My Score: 6.7/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: The Secret Life of Pets 2 is rated PG for "some action and rude humor". The overall action is toned down a few notches from the original. There's a high-speed chase scene. There's a perilous moment where Max and Rooster save a lamb from falling off a cliff. A fox snarls and nearly attacks Max. A person is hit by a car twice. Some reckless driving. A tiger is whipped and threatened by a merciless circus owner. Wolves snarl and chase characters. Snowball pretends to whack people in a superhero fantasy. Cats scratch and get into fights. A tiger accidentally causes some property damage. Other slapstick situations. Elsewhere, there's a handful of bathroom gags (dogs seen urinating on a tree, a dog finds "treats" in a cat's litter box, a puppy is asked to "poop" in a shoe (he says later that he does so in a boot), and a toddler's "pee-pee" problems are discussed.) There's one surprising use of "p***ed" by Pops, and a dog is rudely called a "rat turd". "Holy cheese and crackers" is said once too. One scene involves Chloe acting on the effects of "catnip" (a relaxing drug for cats). Gidget takes a bath in a dishwasher and asks Max to join her. One cat attacks his owner at the vet, and two kittens (in a nod to horror films) say with a grin, "We start fires!". Animals are mistreated.
