A great family movie is a blessing for both parents and kids, as well as a money spinner for the studios. Getting that perfect pitch that appeals to kids and engages adults is hard to achieve though, so if you can work it out you’ve struck gold.
Imagine our delight then when we saw the trailer for The Secret Life of Pets about a Jack Russell terrier called Max living in Manhattan with his buddies. Surely any pet owner has wondered what their little furry friend gets up to all day while they’re at work (well I think our cat mainly moves around the house taking a series of naps and occasionally picking the furniture, but I’m sure others get up to all sorts of adventures). Something then, that my son would enjoy and we’d find entertaining as well. Add director Chris Renaud (of Despicable Me fame) into the mix and you’re on to a winner surely?
We missed it at the cinema but my little boy can’t watch a whole movie in one sitting yet anyway, so watching it at home works well and an impulse buy at the supermarket check-out felt like a safe bet. This was definitely going to be a movie we’d watch and enjoy as a family over the years.
Unfortunately, as we sat on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn, our enthusiasm quickly waned. Ok, we thought, its not quite as good as the trailer implied but that happens; things will pick up. They didn’t though. Our son lost interest and wandered off to do something more entertaining. We powered through to the end but our hearts weren’t in it.
If you haven’t seen the trailer you’ll experience some great gags for the first time, but if you have, you’ve already seen the best bits. Either way, I wouldn’t recommend spending money on this one. I’m sure it’ll make it’s way to your preferred streaming service soon though, so if you’re short of something to do and aren’t feeling picky its just about worth your time.