Film Review – The Secret Life of Pets

After spending the last handful of years developing surefire hits in “Despicable Me 2” and “Minions,” animation powerhouse Illumination Entertainment returns to original material with “The Secret Lives of Pets,” or least keeps away from the moneymaking minions for a year. The long shadow of Pixar darkens the picture, as much of the movie resembles a sneaky “Toy Story” remix, only instead of plastic cowboys and space rangers, the feature offers time with cats and dogs. Laughs are a rare event in “The Secret Life of Pets,” which is more determined to be loud, spotlighting screaming performances and frantic action that tends to drain the heart right out of the effort. It’s not a disaster, but after managing wit and speed with the surprisingly effective “Minions,” Illumination’s latest endeavor is a bit too desperate to please. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com