The Secret Life of Pets 2 Should Be Muzzled

The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is far inferior to its predecessor, which was inferior to its source material of Toy Story. I apologize for spoiling the party for any The Secret Life of Pets fans, but it really is just Toy Story. A faithful dog (Woody) feels replaced by the new dog (Buzz) and then they go on an adventure to find their way back to their owner after the new dog escapes. If it makes you feel better, The Secret Life of Pets 2 does not rip off Toy Story, which is why it is less entertaining. When I first watched the new sequel, I thought that it was just a harmless children’s movie that just goes through the motions as it tries to hit as many little jokes and puns as possible. But looking back, it is actually a chore of terrible quips and references to pet ownership covering up a dangerous message. First, I need to address the quality of humor. It is low. It is Big Bang Theory without the laugh track quality. The “original” did a nice job of trying to integrate pet mannerisms and quirks into the plot, but this movie just shows cartoon dogs and cats doing dog and cat things, expecting laughter to ensue. Granted, if I saw a real dog or cat doing those things on Twitter, then I would smile and perhaps giggle, but when they are cartoonishly rendered animals, the payoff is severely dampened. Also, Kevin Hart’s energy level is exhausting in this movie. The poor jokes try to cover up a terrible message for children and families. The main dog (whose voice changed since the first movie, but I can’t put my finger on why. Just kidding. Look up why if you are curious.) struggles with his protective instincts over his owner’s child, but the Harrison Ford dog on the farm they go to for no reason takes off the dog’s cone and tells him to toughen up and it works. On the surface it is a good message about resilience, until you look a little deeper. The main dog was so anxious that it was hurting itself and that forced to owner to take it to the vet. The vet diagnosed it with anxiety, but all the dog needed was a gruffer dog to belittle it. Imagine if your child was so nervous that they hurt themselves and then a doctor diagnosed them with an anxiety disorder and prescribes them medication. This movie unconsciously says that they don’t need that medicine, they just need to act tougher and they won’t have anxiety. What a terrible message. In the end, if your children are too young to understand nuance, then this movie is a nice waste of 90 minutes to keep them busy. Otherwise, it might send the wrong message. Overall, it was a noble attempt at a children’s movie, but it failed spectacularly on a deeper level. I give it 30 decibels (whisper level) out of 110 decibels (shouting level/Kevin Hart normal level).