I had two dogs and now a cat and a fish. It’s usually just me and my pets at home because my parents are always away. Whenever I had to leave in the morning for work, there is always a part of me that stays at home because they are that precious to me. And that I have always wondered what keeps them busy while I am away. Do they sleep all day? Do they play with one another? Or do they turn on the TV, tune in to Nat Geo and call it a day till I come home?
We’ll never know! This is why I love the concept of The Secret Life of Pets 2! And yes, I still haven’t seen the first movie but I really enjoyed the sequel in which United International Pictures and Robinsons Movieworld invited me during the advanced screening two weekends ago! Bingers, I have to say, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is a hilarious film all throughout!
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Three Plots in One
The Secret Life of Pets 2 was a gift that kept on giving. And giving, it really did because it had three subplots running throughout the movie. First we have Max, the family dog who learned how to deal with his anxieties. Second is we have Snowball living up to his superhero dreams. And lastly, we have Gidgit learning the ways of the cat. Initially, this would seem like a weak way to deliver a sequel. Critics can easily dismiss it as the filmmakers’ way of saying, “let’s introduce three subplots, put them all in one movie, and call it a day!” Luckily, that was not the case and I will tell you more on that in a bit.
Among the three stories, Max’s tugged my heartstrings the strongest aside from the fact that I have a soft spot for dogs. Apparently in the first movie, Max is a pet of a couple. Then in the sequel, the couple grew to become a family. He is now no longer the center of attention because of a baby. This plot was beautifully written and it represented the true anxiety that our dogs feel whenever they meet new people. Truth be told, I giggled and I teared up during one sequence that reminded me of my dogs.
Meanwhile, the other two subplots of Secret Life were on the lighter and more adventurous side. Snowball is in his fantasy as a superhero and Daisy, a new dog, fuelled it when she came to him for help on a mission. Daisy and Snowball embarked on a journey to save a tiger named, Hu. While this subplot brought in the laughter, it simply lacked the depth or substance to be at par with the first plot. “But then again, this is a movie created for kids,” I had to remind myself a lot of times!
Lastly, we have Gidgit and her hilarious mission to infiltrate the world of cats. Okay, I may have made it sound bigger than it is but the way the plot played out on screen made it feel like one! This part of he movie ranks second in terms of hilarity! Crazy, sure but it held itself well!
The Secret Life of Pets 2 pulled a rug under my feet with how it intertwined the three mildly detached narratives by the end of the movie. The endgame was a rather adventurous story that highlighted the journey that the characters went throughout their individual stories. As a newbie to the franchise, I definitely had a great time and experienced laughter then tears.
Director: Chris Renaud
Cast: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish
Binge-level: 4 out of 5 stars
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