Every Illumination Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

There’s no denying that the general concept behind “The Secret Life of Pets” is an intriguing one. The title says it all, as this movie explores what pets (particularly a mismatched pair of canines) do when their owners aren’t looking. It’s an idea that’s been done elsewhere in animated storytelling, but that doesn’t mean “The Secret Life of Pets” doesn’t do something new with the limitless possibilities of exploring what pets are like sans the people that take care of them. Unfortunately, director Chris Renaud settles for going down expected routes at every turn, particularly when it comes to gags based on the behavior of dogs you’ve seen a thousand times before. 

Worse, the attempts at hitting big sweeping emotional moments, like a scene depicting canine Duke (Eric Stonestreet), returning to the home of his old owner, land with a thud since the script has never given us a reason to care about these critters before the tearjerker moments. In throwing so many pet-centric gags at the wall, “The Secret Life of Pets” does manage to wring some amusing jokes out of its premise, while several of the voice actors, namely Jenny Slate and Albert Brooks, manage to entertain. By and large, the creative potential of “The Secret Life of Pets” is never fully realized.