Anthony's Film Review - The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)

Cute, heartwarming, and fun like the first...

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is a lot like its predecessor. It features cute animals in adventures that occur when their owners are not nearby. And those adventures are more like little moments of mischief and fun than something that is epic or grand. As such, you can look at the movie as having a very simple story, or a story that really isn't too much of a structured plot. It depends on how you wish to look at it. Either way, it's a relatively simple movie.

The script is essentially structured as three separate plotlines. In one, the dogs named Max and Duke welcome new members of their family, in the form of the female owner's new husband and their new son. They all go on a trip to a relative's farm, and that's where they have a few moments here and there, including those involving a farm dog named Rooster (voiced by Harrison Ford). In another plotline, the dog named Gidget is asked to watch Max's favorite toy ball while he is away, but Gidget accidentally loses it and encounters an apartment full of cats. And in the third plotline, the rabbit Snowball and a dog named Daisy want to free an unhappy circus tiger from captivity. All three plotlines stay separate most of the way, until they merge near the end.

Is the movie funny? Yeah, you can say that. There are plenty of moments that generate little laughs. That's really the kind of humor you can expect. Nothing hilarious or over the top. Even so, much of the humor comes from Snowball, because he's a little bunny rabbit who exudes so much enthusiasm and bravado. Plus, Kevin Hart voicing Snowball is funny. Right behind Snowball in the humor department is Daisy, especially as the funny Tiffany Haddish provides the voice.

Don't forget the cute and heartwarming elements of this movie. The best example is seen in the interactions among Max, Duke, and the baby boy. The boy does love the two dogs, who not only play the role of babysitter but also unintentionally act as a mentor. There are funny moments with the boy imitating the dogs' behavior, like eating out of a bowl with no hands or burying something with his feet as if they were hind legs. You can expect other heartwarming bits with the other animals in this movie. That includes the circus tiger.

If this review seems relatively short, that's because the movie is only an hour and 26 minutes long and there's only so much one can say about it. Illumination Entertainment has given us another simple yet fun animated movie about the animals we love. It can inspire one to cherish pets more or even for the first time. The voice acting here is pretty good, and it's especially creative to see the start of the end credits feature home videos of animals alongside the cast members' names. All in all, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is cute, heartwarming, and fun.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about The Secret Life of Pets 2, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of The Secret Life of Pets.