The Secret Life of Pets 2 — 4 Gavels 79% Rotten Tomatoes

In what universe is Harrison Ford funnier than Kevin Hart and a host of other comedians? In the world of The Secret Life of Pets 2, Ford’s dry wit as Rooster, a Welsh Sheepdog, will knock you off your feet. Cute and colorful is the only way to describe these adorable animals. In 2016, the original made $875 million on a $75 million budget. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they could afford to add Harrison Ford. Perhaps not quite as good as the Pets 1, but only because it was so unexpected. Now, you know the dogs and cats will act like dogs and cats. Universal Pictures understands a public that feasts on cat videos. I give this movie 4 Gavels and it receives a 79% Rotten Tomatoes rating with no Audience score as of this writing.

Plot

Really three stories in one, Pets 2 is one part Max and Duke learning the difficulties of raising a new child, Liam. As they go on a trip to the country, the second part involves Gidget “toy-sitting” Max’s favorite, only to lose it to an apartment full of cats. Finally, Daisy asks Snowball to help her rescue a young, white tiger from the zoo. Are wolves going to be its guard? Need you ask?

Actors

Patton Oswalt returns as Max, more lovable as a voice than he ever is in person. It is said that a pet looks like its owner, and that is especially true of Eric Stonestreet as Duke, a large shaggy dog. Likewise, a frenetic rabbit named Snowball could only be Kevin Hart. Jenny Slate‘s high-pitched voice can be so annoyingly wonderful as Gidget. Tiffany Haddish is another new add as Daisy, a nice fit alongside Kevin Hart.

Final Thoughts

Some are referring to this franchise by its initials, SLOP. Seems rather harsh, doesn’t it? It is a fair criticism that The Secret Life of Pets 2 is more like a bunch of skits pasted together rather than one smooth plot. The storylines eventually tie-in, but not seamlessly. Still, this is a movie for kids and they won’t mind. One of the funnier scenes they will love is Chloe (Lake Bell), the fat cat, teaching Gidget how to be a cat so that she might retrieve Max’s favorite toy. Or, maybe it will be Pops (Dana Carvey) teaching young puppies how to aggravate their owners. You get the picture. There is lots to like in this flick, if you like pets.