The Secret Life Of Pets goes downhill quickly

REVIEW: The Secret Life Of Pets will be sure to bring a smile to youngsters but it’s out of its league in the animation family.

The Secret Life Of Pets (G)

Directors: Yarrow Cheny, Chris Renaud

Starring: the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Albert Brooks.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

A house is not a home, but it might be a zoo

IN the wake of the smash hits Zootopia and Finding Dory, The Secret Life Of Pets finally arrives in Australia as the third animated feature to gross over a billion bucks at the global box-office this year.

It must be said this likeable, but lightweight affair is not in the same league as those other two cartoon blockbusters.

The Secret Life Of Pets is not in the same league as other animation movies. Picture: Supplied.

However, in terms of achieving a genial, G-rated outcome, this is sure to put a smile on the faces of many children as the next school holidays draw near.

Ever wondered what domestic pets get up to when their owners aren’t about?

The answer, perhaps not all that surprisingly, is that domestic pets raise all kinds of domestic hell when nobody is watching.

All kinds of examples are endearingly put forward in a cute opening sequence. Poodles prefer to relax to the soothing strains of headbanging heavy metal. Cats want to see if there’s any chicken in the fridge.

Some pets will switch on the TV and catch up on their favourite soaps. Others are partial to video games, self-styled exercise regimes, or merely swapping notes with other cooped-up creatures living nearby.

If The Secret Life Of Pets had simply persevered with keeping these random vignettes coming, the film would have remained highly enjoyable from start to finish.

However, a very well-worn story soon comes to the fore — involving a needy Jack Russell (voiced by Louis C.K.) and a happily clueless Newfoundland (Eric Stonestreet) who have become separated from their beloved owner (Ellie Kemper) — and the atmosphere drops gradually from sugar rush to sweetly dull.