THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
US, 2016, 89 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Albert Brooks, Lake Bell, Dyna Carvey, Steve Coogan.
Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney.
What Toy Story did for children and toys, this film does for adults and pets – the revelation of what goes on behind closed doors when humans are not looking!
Do films influence our behaviour? On a personal note, while out walking the morning after seeing this film, I saw a big dog approaching me with his owner at the end of the leash and the question arose: what does this dog get up to, who are his friends, where does he go as soon as the master leaves for work…?
This is a very amusing animated film, much better than the highlights picked out for the trailer, a film which should amuse youngsters as they watch the liberated antics of the pets and which should amuse adults with some smart dialogue, some funny situations, and, of course, wondering about the behaviour of their own pets.
This is the story of Max, found by Katie in a box outside a store, taken home, growing up, a devoted pet who is prepared to sit all day at the door waiting for Katie to come home. He is not the brightest. But, there are a whole lot of pets in the surrounding apartments who are his friends, Gidget, a fluffy white dog who is infatuated with Max, Chloe, a literally fat cat who cannot resist temptations of chicken in the fridge, a Chihuahua who turns on the mixer in order to scratch his long back, a hamster running around all the ventilation trying to find home, a little bird… They all seem to get on well and are amusingly introduced.
But then, Katie finds a new dog, a very big fellow called Duke, from the pound, he begins to take over from Max, his bedding, his food, affection by Katie.
When Duke and Max go out for a walk, they end up in an unsavoury neighbourhood (a lot of scrawny cats) and they have to run for their lives. The adventures begin, the posse from home all going in search for Max, Max and Duke sharing a lot of adventures, the introduction of a pattering rabbit who fancies himself as a rebel, Pops, an old dog resting his tail on wheels, chases within the sewers of New York, in the harbour, and a changed Duke going to find his previous home only to find a new family – and an aggressive cat.
And the adventures don’t finish there, but there is a dog-pound truck crash into the harbour from the bridge, underwater heroics, the rabbit undergoing something of a conversion experience, and everybody getting home just in time as if nothing had happened!
There is a very entertaining voice cast with Louis CK as Max, Eric Stonestreet as Duke, Jenny Slate as Digit, Lake Bell as Chloe the fat cat, an unmistakable Kevin Hart (unless you think it is Chris Rock) as the rabbit.
A reviewer friend sitting next to me chuckled out loud the whole way through so it was a bit of a surprise to find that some other reviewers weren’t so enamoured of the film, some complaining that there were too many characters to keep focused on or that they’d seen it all before…
Maybe, but this reviewer, rather more quietly, shared the chuckles all the way through.
1. A film for all ages, children and adults? And for pet lovers?
2. The title, the idea from Toy Story, the transition to pets and adults?
3. The animation, bright, New York City, views of the city, lanmarks, apartments and streets, the sewers, the river and the bay? Action, chases? Van, crashes? The fall from the bridge? The musical score, the songs, the references to film scores, plots, Staying Alive, the song from Grease, the party songs…?
4. The voice talent and the range of voices?
5. Max the central character, his story, the dog, Katie finding him, growing up with her, the bond between them, playing together, and his fondness, his tricks and performance, waiting at the door? Then Katie bringing Duke, his size, at the pound, tough, his communication with Max, taking over his bed, eating his food, the mess in the house, and Max getting back on Duke – and Katie’s later forgiveness?
6. The neighbouring animals, the humour on cats, dogs, rodents, birds, fish? Gidget and her devotion to Max, Chloe and the temptation of the fridge, the chicken, eating it, becoming fat? The thin dog, a blender and scratching him? The bird, the rescue from Chloe? The lost hamster searching through the ventilation? The hawk later joining?
7. Max and Duke, going out, the clash, in the difficult, scrawny cats? Duke catching Max, his being taken, everybody gathering to rescue him?
8. The sewers, the bunny, the characters in the sewers, seeing themselves as rebels? The diversity? The bunny and Kevin Hart’s voice? The cats and dogs, the cave, the snake and Max confronting it?
9. The escape, the adventures, everybody going to see Pops, the club and the music, the fancy dog and the dance moves? Pops and his wheels? Their getting out of the building, going down tubes, on cranes?
10. Gidget, the pep talk, stories, Pops and disagreement, the hawk flying, getting to the sewer, the pursuit chase? The adventures?
11. Max and Duke hungry, the reconciliation, the scent of the sausages, the song from Grease with sausages, the manufacture, the boxes, their being caught by the dog catchers, the escape? Duke going to his old home, the story of the old owner, African- American, his death? The new owners, the cat, the family, the dog catchers again? Max’s escape?
12. The pursuit through the sewers, the bunny, collaborating, the truck, falling off the bridge, the underwater scenes, the bunny and the key, the release, coming to the surface?
13. The bunny, the little girl seen him, wanting him as a pet?
14. Everybody at home, Max and Duke reconciled, all the owners arriving thinking that it had been a very peaceful day and no awareness of the secret life of pets?
