So, I came back from seeing the film today, as it only just came out in Australia. I'd intended to see Sully, but I got off work early, so it was either waiting an extra hour, or seeing Secret Life. Figured I might as well. And having seen it, I can say that it's...fine. It's fine. Average. Acceptable. C+. 3/5. It was a piece of entertainment that consumed 90 minutes of my life, gave me a few chuckles, and let me leave the theatre knowing that I probably won't ever want to see it again, but not making me regret seeing it in the first place.
Few things of note:
-I'll give credit for how they captured how animals operate - chasing butterflies, the jumping up and down, etc. It's a nice touch how the body language of animals is conveyed so well.
-The film's been likened to Toy Story, even to the extent that some claim that it's a rip-off. Having seen it, I will say that there's certainly similarities, but not enough to enter rip-off territory. Max and Duke are roughly equivalents of Woody and Buzz, but make no mistake, Toy Story was an emotionally resonant film, this one is far more based around slapstick and comedy. Also, if anything, it's an amalgamation of TS1 & 2, not just TS1, given that all the pets go looking for the pair.
-The film has some really weird jumps in logic, even by the standards of a film with talking animals. Snowball is able to use a 'carrot key' on any lock...somehow. The animal control guys somehow get a second vehicle, and don't lose their jobs for the first vehicle going up in flames (not their fault, but who's going to believe that pets attacked them?). Snowball somehow gets a bus through means we never see. All the pets on the bridge just stop fighting even after Gidget beats them all, and they have no reason not to attack. And the little girl's mother allows her to keep Snowball, despite any reasonable parent telling them that they can't just pick a bunny off the street (e.g. risk of disease). Maybe I'm nitpicking, but there ya go.
-The 'sausage dream.' Um...is it a coincidence that this was released the same year as Sausage Party? 0_0
-There's an underlying theme of how it's important to care for your pets, and how most people are decent folks who truly do care about their animal companions, and how even Snowball can find love, but it's not really explored. It's there, and kids will take it to heart, but that's about it.
So, yeah, it's fine. I could see this becoming a classic for people who see the film as kids, but as an adult? Well, it's fine. Second weakest animated movie I've seen this year, but not a bad film. Just a fun little diversion.
