The Secret Life Of Pets 2

Certificate: PG

Voices of: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Tiffany Haddish

Release date: 2019

3 out of 5

3

Little minds will be kept very busy with this fun animated sequel that boasts not one but three main stories, all featuring the adorable pets from the first movie.

There’s cute pup Max (Oswalt), who now shares his home not just with big dog Duke and owner Katie, but also her husband and new baby Liam. He’s fallen so hard for Liam that he’s developed anxiety worrying about all the things that could happen to his human friend, so a trip to the countryside where he meets wise farm dog Rooster (voiced by Harrison Ford) may help, or possibly increase, his stress.

Meanwhile, Max has left pampered Pomeranian Gidget (Slate) in charge of his favourite toy, and her bungling of that sets her on course for a rescue mission in a feline-filled apartment. And reformed bad bunny Snowball (Hart) is on a dangerous adventure of his own – helping new doggy pal Daisy (Haddish) to free a tiger cub named Hu from an evil circus owner.

It’s as frenetic as it sounds, with a terrific chase on top of a train, a lamb rescue and, best of all (for grown-ups, at least) Ford’s scene-stealing animation debut. Sometime it does feel a bit too mad – and you may miss the cuter moments from the first film – but as a fast and fuzzy bit of kids’ entertainment it doesn’t overstay its welcome, produces a few laughs and will have junior members of the audience begging for their own pet by the end credits.

Is The Secret Life Of Pets 2 suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

Very young children may find the circus owner scary. He is also cruel to Hu, making him jump from high into a splash pool, which may upset them.

Snowball and Daisy encounter some guard wolves belonging to the circus owner that may scare young viewers.

Other scenes in which the animals are in danger are treated light-heartedly and are over quickly.

There is a fight between Snowball and a monkey but it is played for laughs.

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