The Secret Life of Pets” is an animated, gripping tale following the journey of a terrier, Max. At the beginning of the tale, Max is a happy pup who is enjoying his life with his owner, Katie. His life starts to take a turn for the worst when Katie adopts another dog, a huge dog named Duke. Max, of course, is jealous and has a touch of “new baby syndrome.” He doesn’t want to share Katie’s attention with another dog, so he does everything he can to make Duke look like a bad dog. The tables turn when Duke gets them into trouble by dragging Max into an alley and later getting caught by the animal control officers. The rest of the movie shows their journey from adversaries to family.
Overall, I give this movie four paws out of five. If you like animated movies and don’t mind “kids movies,” you’ll enjoy this. Most people can relate to the back-and-forth bickering between Max and Duke, yet them still coming together to support one another. It combines the light heartedness of animated kids films with a little bit of action and drama.
You can now watch this flick on DVD and Netflix, so don’t worry about a theater full of six year-olds. Save your $8 and enjoy the comfort of your own bed.