Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Harrison Ford, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Tiffany Haddish, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Bobby Moynihan, Chris Renaud, Ellie Kemper, Pete Holmes, Henry Lynch, Nick Kroll, Sean Giambrone, Meredith Salenger, Michael Beattie, Kiely Renaud.
Animation and cartoons suffer greatly when it comes to the views and pretensions of certain other groups who see it as childish entertainment. It is the same air of self-importance that pervades the psyche when it comes to graphic novels and other hobbies to which many will argue have no place in the appreciation of fine art, not the mature way to look at the world. Who is too say what message cannot be gleaned from an animated film, what can be learned from the treasure trove of colours and characters that live on the screen, fine art has its place, but so too does what some would see as the deception of childhood transferred into adult responsibility.
Animation arguably has the unique ability to bring together a family in which other art forms can only hope to strive for, the family cinematic blockbuster will leave an impression on the group dynamic but it will also divide the genders in what the film is trying to say, theatre isn’t for the whole family, the differing in ages being a huge stumbling block to completeness, animation though is the binding force which connects, whether we understand the nuance or the message or not or just see the film as a reflection of life.
It was always going to be a given that the team behind The Secret Life of Pets would unite for a sequel, Illumination are not the type of company that will sit on its laurels, nor will they allow a moment of prestige to falter in the dust and become obscure.
If there is an issue in The Secret Life Of Pets 2 it comes in the varying ways that the story has too many leads, an overabundance of strands which makes it feel as if the writers are not sure in who really is the central character in which the audience should see the story revolve around. In the sense of a film that may be construed as being for children with adults and parents joining them, to keep a note of the whereabouts of Max, Snowball and Gidgit, as well as the wonderful introduction of Tiffany Haddish’s voice acting role of Daisy, a brazen and forthright Shih tzu, could be a concern but children are resilient and will not question the film in the same way as adult concerned with their charges.
The animation, the story in itself, is given just enough balance to make the encounter with the loveable pets a joy, and whilst the film is not in the same class as Illumination’s towering Despicable Me or Minions series, it is still a polished piece of studio art work, one observing just how much we truly have in common with those we share our homes with.
Ian D. Hall