With the first SECRET LIFE OF PETS movie, a lot was borrowed from Pixar’s flagship series, TOY STORY, in that it focused on the lives of animals behind closed doors, finding its two main characters getting lost in the big city and having to find their way home. Rather, it’s a big colorful box of sugary cereal you put in front of your kids to stop them from screaming, but thanks to a game cast, some funny bits and a dash of sweetness, it’s not such a bad experience for parents to join them for. THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 is not one of those movies. At first, it’s all colors and laughs, but then as they get older, they’ll appreciate the music and visual mastery of movies like HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, or they’ll get something profound out of the emotional complexity of UP and INSIDE OUT. Review: The best animated movies are the ones that grow with children as they age. Across their adventures, they learn how to embrace the things that scare them for the sake of making their futures brighter…but mostly they're getting into shenanigans with all other sorts of animals.

Plot: Set across three different stories, the lives of pets like Max, Duke, Gidget, Chloe, Snowball and more are further explored in this sequel from Illumination.

Secret life of pets movie review