The Secret Life of Pets 2: Same Tricks No Bone

Rooster (Harrison Ford) staring down at Max (Patton Oswalt).

Like its predecessor, The Secret Life of Pets 2 functions more as a series of shorts stitched together and forced to pass off as a feature-length film. They also feel like inferior Pixar movies with the first film bearing Toy Story's plot. The two main leads fight over the attention of their human owner, get lost in the scuffle and have to find their way back home. The sequel resembles The Good Dinosaur with a small and frighted animal learning to face his fears in the wild. But where the first Pets movie at least had a concise story connecting the characters from beginning to end, I can't say the same for Pets 2. 

Of the many plot-lines introduced and forgotten. 

Is it about Max (Patton Oswalt) trying to adjust to change when his owner gets married and later have a child? Nope.That's quickly resolved before the opening title. Is it about Max struggling with anxiety and given advice by the gruff sheepdog named Rooster (Harrison Ford)? Snowball(Kevin Hart) going on a superhero spree and rescuing a captive tiger from a cruel circus owner (Nick Kroll)? Gidget (Jenny Slate) losing Max's favorite toy and trying to get it back from a pack of cats? The focus is all over the place with no clear direction on what the movie wants to be or what character to follow.

The baby adds a Finding Nemo overprotective guardian story
but only seen at the beginning and end.  

Despite the movie marketing a ensemble supporting cast of canines and felines, they are all reduced to cameos coming in for one gag scene with little to no dialogue. What you see in the commercials, are most likely their entire screen time in the movie. Gidget gets the blunt side who despite her fair share of screen presence, has her story scrapped in the third act. Dana Carvey who voiced the scene-stealing basset hound is among the many pets who appears little in the film and Albert Brooks who voiced the hawk in the first film is completely absent. Why is it that the best characters are given the downgrade?

Of the few scenes where most of the cast is together. 

The humans continue to be one-note and irrelevant who don't even comment on Max's safety cone after Rooster removes it. I get they are oblivious to their secret life but are they that blind to even comment on such a noticeable detail. Harrison Ford give's the movie's best moments but as mentioned he's in it for so little with his name used to bring in the adult crowd. Save your money and wait a few months for his scenes to upload on YouTube. As for the kids, Toy Story 4 is almost here.

Not your fault guys just need new ownership. 

Like a pack of dogs rushing for the last treat, The Secret Life of Pets 2 goes into into a frantic frenzy in vying for attention that kids will find enjoyable, but adults will be waiting for it to be over. Unless you enjoy binge watching all those funny pet videos on YouTube. Funny in small dosages but quickly loses steam in the long run.

Final Verdict: D+

Don't worry, I didn't laugh much.