"The Secret Life of Pets" is a very successful film from Universal, the same folks who brought us the "Despicable Me" franchise. While I am thrilled that the studio decided to do something other than yet another sequel, "The Secret Life of Pets" is a highly uneven movie.The story starts off terrifically well. The opening sequence is simply breaktaking--with some of the best CGI you'll ever see. I was very impressed with this...as well as watching all the various pets acting like pets. However, the film simply did not maintain this momentum. Once the two dogs, Max and Duke, got lost...so did the story. The notion of human-hating animals living in the sewers and stealing dog pound trucks is pretty stupid....and unappealing. Instead of being cute like the film had been, it tries to get edgy and it misfires. In other words, and this will sound weird, the film was much better when it had little in the way of plot (one of the reasons I loved "Minions" is because it was less wedding to plot and more to fun). Overall, an uneven film that becomes somewhat tiresome after a while.

Most movies these days are OK. Animation has become the vehicle of this moment. There was a time when we would be stunned by the incredible use of the animators craft. But once computers and their technicians go into the act and there was so much to watch, we needed something to stand out. While this is a movie about rivalries and being happy with what we have, there is no sparkle to it. There is just a lot of intense action and no reality to peak of. Yes, I did say reality. The anthropomorphic figures here need to be stunning. We've seen the chases and the splats and the tiresome human traits that have been done so often. I had not trouble watching and enjoying parts of this, but as a whole with a direction, it comes up rather short.

This movie is horrible. It has a stupid plot, insanely weak attempts at humor, and essentially spits in the faces of viewers. Just to give you an idea of how bad it is, this movie has a scene featuring two dogs getting high off of sausages. The only thing worse then this movie is The Emoji Movie, and only by a little bit.

Walt Disney once said that the best animated films were not made just for children alone. An amazingly clever and intricately animated film for children of all ages. Yes, most of the animals can talk, but only when their owners aren't around just like "Toy Story". It would be a "10" except for: a vicious Viper Snake and talk about "doing away" with humans by the evil bunny and others. The first 30 minutes outshine the rest of the movie. Max the dog gets a new roommate in the form of a big lovable, sloppy, hairy "homeless" dog named Duke and they get lost together at the dog park. It's everything a good dog movie should be plus several things it shouldn't be. Several clichés intertwine with several unpredictable plot twists: Two animal gangs: despicable alley cats and rejected "flushed" pets (reptiles, spiders,snakes). The two dogs are mistaken as strays by two mean dogcatchers. "Duke" goes on a quest to look for his old master (who has died of old age). A "Mad Hatter" of an otherwise cute-looking bunny rabbit goes after them with a vengeance, then saves them both from certain drowning in the dogcatcher's truck. So many things going on including animals partying while the owner's "do whatever it is they do" during the workaday hours. Incredible action throughout the dangerous city including dark and smelly sewers and unfinished NYC skyscrapers. The ingenious use of many familiar songs, including "We Go Together" from "Grease", after Max and Duke have a food coma after pigging out on dozens and dozens of sausages at the hot dog factory. Overall, a fantastic family movie from Illumination Films who also made "The Minion Movie". Not perfect but excellent anyway. It's just "purr-fect"! I can see why it was such a box office hit in 2016! Look for an "Easter Egg" a few minutes into the ending credits. It is too intense for very small children under age 6 or so although several reviewers think it was made for that age group.