Film Review: "The Secret Life of Pets 2" (2019).

"They still have their secrets" in The Secret Life of Pets 2. This computer animated comedy film co-directed by Chris Renaud and Jonathan del Val, written by Brian Lynch, and produced by Illumination. It is the sequel to The Secret Life of Pets (2016). Max is coping with some major life changes. His owner is now married and has a toddler, Liam. Max is so worried about protecting the boy that he develops a nervous tic. On a family trip to a farm, Max’s anxiety is elevated. Luckily, Max gets some guidance from Rooster, who pushes Max to ditch his neuroses, find his inner alpha, and give Liam a little more freedom. Meanwhile, while her owner is away, Gidget tries to rescue Max’s favourite toy from a cat-packed apartment with a little help from Chloe, who has discovered the joys of catnip. And crazy-but-cute Snowball gets delusions of grandeur that he’s an actual superhero after his owner starts dressing him in superhero pyjamas. But when Daisy shows up to ask for Snowball’s help on a dangerous mission, he’ll have to summon the courage to become the hero he’s only pretending to be. Can Max, Gidget and Snowball find their inner courage to face their biggest fears?

In early August 2016, Universal Pictures and Illumination announced a sequel with Renaud, Lynch, Chris Meledandri, and Janet Healy returning to direct, write and produce. In November 2017, it was announced that Louis C.K. would not reprise his role as Max after being accused of and later admitting to sexual misconduct. Joel McHale, Jason Lee, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, David Cross, Ashton Kutcher, Sean Hayes, Jack Black, and Chris Pratt were all considered to replace C.K. In April 2018, it was announced that Patton Oswalt would replace C.K. with Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, and Bobby Moynihan all returning to reprise their roles. Additionally, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Kroll, Harrison Ford and Pete Holmes would round out the cast.

The film features the voice talents of Oswalt, Stonestreet, Hart, Slate, Kemper, Haddish, Bell, Kroll, Carvey, Buress, Moynihan, and Ford. Despite their best efforts, the cast, both old and new, provided decently stale performances that would provide very little development for both the new story and their characters.

Despite the predictable and stale plot, The Secret Life of Pets 2 offers plenty of eye-popping visual inventiveness and a number of big laughs. The new edition doesn't quite catch that inspired spark. But, armed with masses of pets and an excess of adorability, the film is guaranteed to charm anyone who's out of school and already bored. It's fun. It's cheerful. It's lollipop colorful. Best of all, it features lots of minion mischief, which guarantees plenty of laughs. But what it doesn't have is an edge. Renaud, del Val, and Lynch haven't managed to come up with a adorable plot to rival the previous film. It is consistently diverting and so cute you'll want to pet it. Yet it lacks a center.

Simon says The Secret Life of Pets 2 receives:

Also, see my reviews for The Secret Life of Pets and The Grinch.