- Actors: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper
- Director: Chris Renaud
- Writers: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch
- Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
- Format: 4K, Digital_copy
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
- Region: All Regions
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Rated: PG
- Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Release Date: December 6, 2016
- Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018
Illumination
Entertainment (an animation production company owned by Universal Studios) has
established a distinct style in their releases, offering a welcome variation
from the type of animated movies being made by Disney and Pixar. This is
similar to the contrast that Disney once had with Warner Bros. animation, which
makes sense considering how much the Illumination Entertainment titles seem to
resemble the classic Looney Tunes style of comedy chaos. This was a welcome
return to style, especially since Warner Bros. have been far more interested in
the superhero franchise and have dedicated most of their attention on a string
on animated comic book movies (even including a Lego Movie spin-off dealing exclusively with the toy version of
Batman).
Illumination
first filled that gap with the world-dominating villain prototype, commonly
used by Looney Tunes cartoons through the years. Despicable Me not only inspired a sequel (and another in the
works), but it also gave birth to the instantly successful underlings known as
“Minions,” who then received their own standalone movie. While The Secret Life of Pets has a story far
more grounded in reality than their past films, the slapstick style of comedy
reaches a new level of irreverence. It is the type of unsentimental comedy gold
that made Looney Tunes more popular than Disney during its heyday.
The plot is
fairly simple, and at times the story feels a bit too derivative of Toy Story despite stylistic differences.
A pampered New York City
terrier named Max (voiced by Louis C. K.) finds his world turned upside down
when his kind owner takes in a stray dog in need of a home. Duke (Eric
Stonestreet) is large and unruly, putting Max’s orderly existence into chaos.
During an attempt to get rid of Duke, Max and his new roommate are accidentally
lost in the middle of the city without their dog collars. Pursued by dog
catchers and a group of abandoned pets living in the sewer (headed up by a bunny
voiced brilliantly by Kevin Hart), Duke and Max try and find their way back
home with the help of the neighborhood pets.
The fear of
being replaced by a new pet (or toy) is a subtle way for these animated films
to address the issue of sudden changes to the family dynamic, such as the
arrival of a new sibling. At the same time, many of the film’s humorous
references will only be caught by the adult audience members, providing a good
balance of entertainment for each. The only issue that may concern some parents
is the level of violence within the film, though it is still a fraction of what
was once commonplace in classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
However much the
story and style of The Secret Life of
Pets resembles cartoons from the past, the animation is actually quite
cutting edge. The dedication to realism is limited mostly to the surroundings,
allowing the features of the pets to be exaggerated slightly for effect. And
this is a colorful film, which is even more impressive through the high dynamic
range of the 4K Ultra HD disc. Animation is always the first to be impacted by
new technological advancements, and this is clear in the pristine and dynamic
presentation of The Secret Life of Pets.
The film looks good on Blu-ray (and even DVD, I imagine), but 4K offers a new
level of immersion. While the Blu-ray release includes a DVD copy of the film,
the 4K includes a Blu-ray disc. Both have a code for a Digital HD copy of the
film.
The special
features are highlighted by 3 short films, one of which is a Minion movie that
was shown in theaters prior to the feature film. The remaining extras are
mostly only slightly less fun, containing elements that will amuse the younger
audience members rather than providing information about the production. The
exception may be a featurette with interviews from the film’s producers,
directors, and writer, as well as a look at the animation process in two
featurettes, each under 5 minutes. Most of the extras are just silly fun,
including brief “Mystery Science Theater 3000” spoof videos, with Minions
watching sections of this film. There is also a featurette on pets featuring
Kevin Hart and one on the pet hairstyles with Eric Stonestreet. There are also
two variations on a sing-a-long feature and a brief collection of memorable
scenes from the bunny voiced by Hart.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
Special Features: 8/10
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