Both films in the franchise deal with a new
addition to the family. In the first, it was a new
dog that allowed the filmmakers to explore
sibling rivalry. This time, the stranger is a
baby, who Max learns to love unconditionally
but which also ups his anxiety levels. (Any
helicoptering parent out there knows what
we mean.)
Returning screenwriter Brian Lynch and
returning director Chris Renaud, who also voices
the guinea pig Norman, have actually concocted
three interlocking plots in ”The Secret Life of
Pets 2 .” It’s a wise decision since none are deep
enough to carry the film alone, forcing some
convoluted stitching together. But they manage
it, creating a solid piece of entertainment for all
ages, if not a terribly revelatory one.
In one story, Max finds himself ever fearful for
her owner’s new toddler, stressing out as the
boy’s protector. “Was the world always this
dangerous?” he asks after a harrowing New
York City stroll. He even develops a nervous
scratching tick that requires a mortifying
dog cone. A trip to a farm in the country
seems to offer a respite. Getting his head
right is his quest.
Before he leaves, he asks Gidget to take care of
his favorite squeaky toy. She promptly loses it in
a cat lady’s apartment filled with crazed felines.
Getting it back is her comedic quest. Meanwhile,
Snowball is asked by a brave Shih Tzu (newcomer
Tiffany Haddish) to rescue a tiger cub held by
a malevolent circus boss. His quest is, like the
others ones, to find his inner superhero.